London-based Producer & DJ N1NJA (Mobilee, Tales of Twilight…) continues her impressive rise with ‘Umusa’ with South African vocalist Nana Atta, released on Get Physical.

N1NJA & Nana Atta performed Umusa together on Constitution Hill in Johannesburg – the historic site where Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi were once imprisoned. Two women, performing a song about resilience and transformation, at a place forever marked by struggle and liberation.

Umusa, meaning grace, is the product of a rare moment of universal symbiosis. N1NJA had long admired Nana Atta’s voice, and when Grammy-winning artist Zakes Bantwini introduced them, the chemistry was immediate. They began collaborating remotely, but their bond deepened months later when they finally met in South Africa through N1NJA’s work with IMS and Beatport.

“The moment Nana walked in, there was an instant sense of sisterhood”, N1NJA recalls. “She had just returned from a spiritual mission in her local village, and she radiated a very peaceful yet deeply protective energy.” During that visit, Nana Atta gravitated towards one particular sketch on N1NJA’s laptop, an untitled piece that would later become Umusa.

Press play and the track opens with emotionally charged synth lines, carrying a sense of urgency yet filled with hope. Delicate, shimmering snares dance over the bassline, grounding the emotion as Nana Atta’s unmistakable voice soars in equal parts lament, passion and power.

Exactly one year after the stars first aligned, Umusa arrives as more than a release – it is a message and a testament to resilience, resistance and renewal, landing fresh in the wake of both artists stepping into a new chapter with the launch of their own labels.

Buy & Stream Umusa at getphysicalmusic.lnk.to/GPM901

South African artist Drega takes care of the superb third release on the fledgling label, All Electronic Music.

Real name Yanga Mzimkhulu Zodala, Drega hails from Dutywa, a small town in the Eastern cape where he studied at art college. His love of art and design spills over into the well-crafted music he has made since 2015. Whether producing Afro house or Gqom, he has a unique, proudly African sound that has seen him work with the likes of Zakes Bantwini, Babes Wodumo and Mampintsha to name a few.

Now he goes solo and shines from the off with the superb ‘Kharnju’ EP. Opener ‘Ingqoko Ka Nonoh’ immediately transports you into a spiritual sound world. The Afro drum patterns, chanting vocals and rich percussion are all deft in design and perfectly atmospheric. The excellent ‘Amafu’ features singer Nana Atta, whose expressive voice brings exquisite soul over deeper, more rolling and hypnotic drums.

On the superb ‘Ingxaki Zinintsi,’ the mood becomes deeper still, but with darkness in the bass. The ever-evolving synth work takes you on a gentle rollercoaster through the scales as subtle vocal sounds add an unmistakable Afro twist. Closing out this hugely absorbing EP is ‘Embo,’ with another centrepiece vocal that opens the heart as dancing drums, twisted synths and tribal percussion add up to a full flavour groove.

The Kharnju EP is an authentic Afro house offering from one of the genre’s most tasteful practitioners.

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Artist: Drega feat. Nana Atta
Title: Kharnju EP
Label: All Electronic Music
Release Date: 2021-08-06

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– jbravo
Juany Bravo
Managing Editor
jbravo@musicis4lovers.com