Okmalumkoolkat – Bukhoma Ft. Lowfeye & Musiholiq

In isiZulu, the word points to the sickness or the illness, and it can also be used for something that spreads quickly. Said in slang, it can describe a craze, the kind of thing everybody catches at once. A new dance, a song on every speaker, a fashion that suddenly appears on every street.

Nigerians know this kind of contagion. One hit record can take over a whole season, from the bus park to the wedding hall, and people say they cannot shake it off. Calling a song a sickness is a compliment, because it means the thing has got into the blood.

Having two guests on the record adds more voices to the idea. I will not pretend to describe production details I cannot confirm, but Lowfeye and Musiholiq beside the lead name makes you curious whether they pass the feeling around like a rumour, each one adding a fresh symptom.

That playful double meaning is what I like. Illness is serious, yet the word is used for fun. When somebody says Bukhoma at a party and the whole room laughs, you know the joke has travelled further than the speaker.

Anyone who has been caught up in a craze, or started one, will understand the mood. It suits crowded weekends and the nights when everyone seems to catch the same energy.

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