many in the anti-apartheid movement. His themes include the struggle for freedom, and forgiveness and reconciliation with enemies. Vusi can also be heard performing on Warren Haynes' [Gov't Mule, The Allman Brothers Band] Live at Bonnaroo release during the song "Soulshine", and the Dave Matthews Band song, "Everyday", from the album of the same name as well as a live version of the song with him which appears on the album The Best of What's Around Vol. 1. Vusi was also one of the performers at the Live 8 concerts.
Vusi played a very mellow pre-lunch solo set to an appreciative audience (those capable of functioning at that hour) at the 2004 Falls Festival that was concluded with a superb performance of 'Red Song' in The Big Top, before joining Xavier Rudd on the main Valley Stage to a raptuous reception.
His album The Voice includes the popular track "Weeping", recorded with Josh Groban and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Vusi joined Mambazo for their October-November UK tour in 2004, and will join them again for their 2007 UK tour, again from October to November 2007 [1].
He and other South African musicians took part in the 2002 documentary Amandla!: A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony where they recalled the days of Apartheid.
In June 2007, Mahlasela spoke of apartheid and performed "Thula Mama" at the TED Conference.
On 7 July 2007 Mahlasela performed at the South African leg of Live Earth.
His most recent album, Guiding Star, as Naledi Ya Tsela (the name under which it is released in South Africa) won him the 2007 SAMA for Best Male Artist.
Discography
When You Come Back 1992
Wisdom of Forgiveness 1994
Silang Mabele 1997
Live at the Bassline 1999
Miyela Afrika 2000
Jungle of Questions (with the Proud Peoples Band) 2000
Soundtrack: Amandla!: A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony 2002
Compilations: The Voice (Vusi Mahlasela album) 2003
Soundtrack: Tsotsi 2005
Naledi Ya Tsela (Guiding Star) 2007
Our Sand
Vusi Mahlasela Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Recalls and records
The footprints of a painful history
Body shaking
You try to assemble thoughts
Of a raging memory
And your feet stand hard
On the Kalahari sand
We see the ghostly shadows
Of a vanished world
Hallucinating
You try
To recover dreams
Of gods and ancient miracles
And your feet stand hard
On the Kalahari sand
Your land etching and weaving
Patterns of pain
Through your trance
Your dance
I am trapped in your membrane of memories
I hear your silent voice
Through your trance
Your dance, your trance
And I hear you say
When will you find your season of dreams
When will your sand your land be once
Again surrounded by the landscapes of love
Through your trance
Your dance
The lyrics to Vusi Mahlasela's song "Our Sand" describe the pain and memory of a people and their land. The song is filled with powerful imagery that speaks to the history and struggles of the people. The first stanza describes the physical embodiment of the past in the footprints left on the sand. The pain is felt in the body, causing the mind to try and make sense of it all. The second stanza speaks of the ghosts of a vanished world that are present in the dust and stones of the land. The people are longing for the old ways, for the gods and ancient miracles that once governed their world. The final stanza speaks to the singer's empathy and connection to the people and their land. They hear the voice of the land and the people, asking when they will find their season of dreams and when their land will once again be surrounded by love.
Mahlasela's song reflects on the history of apartheid in South Africa, wherein the indigenous people were denied their rights and freedom. The song was first released on his 1997 album "Wisdom of Forgiveness," which was dedicated to Nelson Mandela. The album is a reflection of the healing power of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Line by Line Meaning
In your trance your dance
When you are lost in a trance and dancing
Recalls and records
It brings back and preserves
The footprints of a painful history
Memories of a painful past
Body shaking
Your entire body shaking
You try to assemble thoughts
You attempt to gather your thoughts
Of a raging memory
Related to an intense memory
And your feet stand hard
Your feet remain firm
On the Kalahari sand
On the sand of the Kalahari desert
In your dust, your stones
In the dirt and rocks you stand on
We see the ghostly shadows
We observe the faint outlines
Of a vanished world
Of a world that no longer exists
Hallucinating
Experiencing hallucinations
You try
You attempt
To recover dreams
To reclaim lost dreams
Of gods and ancient miracles
Of gods and miraculous events from the past
And your feet stand hard
Your feet remain resolute
On the Kalahari sand
On the sand of the Kalahari desert
Your land etching and weaving
Your homeland is carving and weaving
Patterns of pain
Patterns of suffering
Through your trance
Despite being lost in a trance
Your dance
Your dance
I am trapped in your membrane of memories
I am caught in your web of memories
I hear your silent voice
I can hear your voice without you speaking
When will you find your season of dreams
When will you experience a time of joyful dreams
When will your sand your land be once
When will your land, and the sand that covers it, once again
Again surrounded by the landscapes of love
Be enveloped in a loving environment
Contributed by Aiden Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Vusile Mathebula
on Yithi Masotsha
Rich with African philosophy