The independent and spirited Khumalo released her debut album, Hey Laiti, in 1988. While she was given recognition by the industry for her impressive vocal abilities, she also had to endure some criticism from people who said she copied Brenda Fassie, with whom she was working.
Few people really know who Khumalo is. That is because for many years she lived in the shadow of the legendary Fassie, for whom she was a backing vocalist. She also doubled up as a filler whenever the pop icon was not able to make it on stage.
Khumalo does not mind in the least if she is compared to Fassie.
“I learnt more about music while I was with Brenda Fassie than I learnt anywhere else.
“She was my mentor and role model,” Khumalo says.
Khumalo pays tribute to Fassie on her album Happy Day, which she released last year.
In a song titled Ngikujongile, Khumalo appeals to people to stop fighting over Fassie’s estate and royalties.
“Whenever someone dies people fight over the deceased’s belongings instead of mourning. We should be ashamed of ourselves,” Khumalo complains.
On Happy Day, her voice is full and powerful.
She sings with that alluring purr that gives a hint of everything she’s got.
After taking a long break from the music industry, she joined Kalawa Jazmee Records five years ago.
The album opens with a house tune titled Drift Away. The song will take you down memory lane. Khumalo wrote the song herself, to tell people that she has made a decision to drift away from her old lifestyle.
She sings that she wants to climb new heights, where she wants to live her life to the full.
The 36-year-old believes that her new album will take the industry by storm.
“This album is what the music industry has been missing. The songs will take you to church, to wedding ceremonies, to clubs and to parties like there is no tomorrow,” she says confidently.
Khumalo says Kalawa Jazmee Records also wanted her to sing gospel music, but she felt she is not ready for it.
“I am not spiritually ready to commit to gospel music yet. I have a lot of sins to deal with. I do not want to be a fake like some gospel artists who are saturating the industry,” she says.
Her gospel tunes were produced by Sipho Mbele who works with gospel divas Deborah Fraser and Hlengiwe Mhlaba. And Khumalo delivers her messages like an angel from heaven.
She has a son with former world boxing champion Dingaan Thobela and a daughter with her ex-husband, the former bubble- gum musician Seabee of Thiba fame.
While she took a break from music, Khumalo busied herself with business.
She has also appeared in the TV drama Muvhango, featured on the Brothers Of Peace album Life iskoroko, and in Chicco Twala’s low-budget movie, My sh*t father and my lotto ticket.
Ben 10
Winnie Khumalo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sondela kimi
Come duze la
Come duze kimi
Oh sondela la
Sondela kimi
Awu come duze la
Kunini ndikujongile
Ndifun'ukuthetha nawe
Kunini ndikulindile
Ndifun'ukuhamba nawe
Kunini ndikujongile
Ndifun'ukuthetha nawe
Kunini ndikulindile
Ndifun'uhamba nawe
(Noma bangathi ungu-Ben 10 wami) Oooh
(Anginandaba ngizithandela wena) Ngizithandela wena
Noma bangathi ungu-Ben 10 wami
Anginandaba ngizithathela wena
Noma bangathi ungu-Ben 10 wami
Anginandaba ngizithandela wena
Noma bangathi ungu-Ben 10 wami
Anginandaba ngizithathela wena
Sondela la
Sondela kimi
Come duze la
Come duze kimi
Oh sondela la
Sondela kimi
Awu come duze la
Come duze kimi
They say age is a number
Life is for the living
Oh kugug'othandayo
They say age is a number
Life is for the living
Oh kugug'othandayo
They say age is a number
Life is for the living
Oh kugug'othandayo
They say age is a number
Life is for the living
Oh kugug'othandayo
Oh ndifun'ukuphila nami
Ndisemathandweni
Oh ndifun'ukuphila nami
Ndisemathandweni
(Noma bangathi ungu-Ben 10 wami) UBen10 wami
(Anginandaba ngizithandela wena) Yeah
(Noma bangathi ungu-Ben 10 wami) Ndifun'uthetha nawe
(Anginandaba ngizithathela wena) Oh
(Noma bangathi ungu-Ben 10 wami)
(Anginandaba ngizithandela wena) Ngizithandela wena
(Noma bangathi ungu-Ben 10 wami)
Ngizithathela wena (Anginandaba ngizithathela wena)
Anginandaba nabo (Sondela la)
Noma bekhuluma kanjani (Sondela kimi)
Ungu-Ben 10 wami ungu-Ben 10 wami (Come duze la)
Ngizithandela wena wedwa, wedwa (Come duze kimi)
Ungu-Ben10 wami (Oh sondela la)
Ngizithandela wena
Sondela kimi
Come duze, come duze (Awu come duze la)
Sondela la, sondela la (Come duze kimi)
Sondela kimi, come duze baby
The lyrics to Winnie Khumalo's song "Ben 10" speak about a woman who is in love with a younger man, referred to as "Ben 10". She wants him to come closer to her, and she expresses her desire to talk to him and walk with him. The woman knows that some people might judge her for being with a younger man, but she is not bothered by their opinions. To her, age is just a number, and she wants to live her life and be happy with her lover. The repetition of the lines "Sondela la, sondela kimi, come duze la, come duze kimi" is an expression of the desire for physical and emotional closeness.
The song is bold and can be seen as a reflection of a changing society in which relationships between older women and younger men are becoming more common. It challenges conventional ideas of age and gender dynamics in romantic relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Sondela la
Come closer here
Sondela kimi
Come closer to me
Come duze la
Sleep here
Come duze kimi
Sleep with me
They say age is a number
Age is not important
Life is for the living
Enjoy life while you can
Oh kugug'othandayo
Oh how sweet it is to love
Oh ndifun'ukuphila nami
Oh I want to live too
Ndisemathandweni
I am in love
UBen10 wami
You are my Ben 10
Yeah
Yes
Ndifun'uthetha nawe
I want to talk to you
Oh ndifun'ukuphila nami
Oh I want to live too
Ngizithathela wena
I want to be with you
Anginandaba nabo
I don't care about them
Noma bekhuluma kanjani
Even if they talk
Ungu-Ben 10 wami ungu-Ben 10 wami
You are my Ben 10
Ngizithandela wena wedwa, wedwa
I'm following you alone, alone
Sondela kimi
Come closer to me
Awu come duze la
Oh sleep here
Come duze, come duze
Sleep with me, sleep with me
Oh sondela la
Oh come closer here
Oh sondela kimi
Oh come closer to me
Noma bangathi ungu-Ben 10 wami
Even if they say you are my Ben 10
Anginandaba ngizithandela wena
I don't care, I'm following you
Oh kugug'othandayo
Oh how sweet it is to love
Kunini ndikujongile
How long have I been waiting for you
Ndifun'ukuthetha nawe
I want to talk to you
Kunini ndikulindile
How long have I been waiting for you
Ndifun'uhamba nawe
I want to go with you
Ungu-Ben10 wami
You are my Ben 10
Ngizithandela wena
I'm following you
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sipho Zulu
on Kulezontaba
Wathi uyahamba ubheke eGoli [You said you were leaving to Joburg]
Kwandonga ziyaduma [to the roaring mountains]
Wathi ngik’bambel’inhliziyo yakho [You said I should hold your heart]
Wen’uzobuya [You would come back]
Manje ukuphi na? [Where are you now]
Ngoba ngiyak’dinga [Because I need you]
Ngizothatha ibhasi yasekuseni [I’ll take the morning bus]
Ngizokufuna lapho [to look for you there]
Ezintabeni zaseGoli [In the Joburg mountains]
Refrain
Kuleziya ntaba bangisithele isithandwa sami [In those mountains they have my sweetheart out of sight]
Kuleziya ntaba bangifihlele ulavi wami [In those mountains they have hidden my love]
Uyakhumbula mhla ngiyokha amanzi [Do you remember the day I went to fetch some water]
Wangibamba ngesandla wenz’isethembiso [You held my hand and made a promise]
Wathi ngeke ungilahle [You said you’d never leave me]
Wathi sofa silahlane [You said death would do us apart]
Manje awusekho lana la [Now you are no longer here]
Manje ilelo Goli [it’s (because) of that Joburg]
Wathath’inhliziyo yami [You took/stole my heart]
Wathi uzobuya kodwa manje awusekho [You said you’d come back but now you are no more]
Refrain
Mina ngiyak’khumbula! [I miss you]
Mina ngiyak’dinga! [I need you]
KwaNdonga Ziyaduma, eGoli! [in the rumbling mountains, in Joburg]