Tracy – Xesha Ft. Sly & Lethiwe Sibiya

Xesha is a Zulu word, and it carries the idea of being late, delayed or running behind. That is a very human theme. We are all late for something, whether it is a meeting, a bus, a phone call we promised to return or a decision we kept postponing. In Nigeria we joke about African time, but being late in the deeper sense, missing a chance because you waited too long, is no joke at all.

What I like about a title like this is that one word can hold two moods. It can sound playful, like a friend rushing out of the house with one shoe on. It can also sound regretful, like someone who arrived at a door that has already closed. Both readings are easy to picture, and that gives the title more depth than its length suggests.

The record appears on AZALONDWE, and the credit list is worth noticing. Sly and Lethiwe Sibiya join Tracy here, so it comes across as a shared effort rather than a solo outing. Lethiwe Sibiya also appears across the project, which hints at a close working relationship with the main artist. When one name keeps returning on an album, it usually means the chemistry in the studio was right.

It is a good thought to carry on a busy morning, when the clock is moving faster than you are and you are wondering what you might still catch if you hurry.

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