Musa Raises the Bar for African Soul Music on the Global Stage With Uhambo
Renowned South African singer, songwriter and producer MUSA enters a new chapter with the release of UHAMBO, released on David Gresham Records, a soulful and expansive album that reflects the experiences, relationships and personal growth that have shaped his evolution as an artist. Blending Afro-pop and soul, the album moves across different sounds and emotional landscapes, refusing to be confined to a single sonic identity. Instead, UHAMBO embraces the unpredictability of life itself, taking listeners through the many stages, destinations and experiences that define a journey.
Throughout his career, MUSA has built his artistry around music that speaks to love, human connection and lived experience, and UHAMBO expands that foundation into one of his most mature bodies of work to date. The album reflects an artist looking back at the roads he has travelled while simultaneously embracing the person he has become. Rather than presenting a linear story, the project moves through different sounds, emotions and perspectives, creating a musical journey that allows each listener to find their own point of connection. “It’s a journey, it takes you wherever you want to go, because the album doesn’t sound the same,” says MUSA.
At the heart of UHAMBO is an intentional sense of growth. The project represents a more evolved chapter in MUSA’s artistry, shaped not only by the years he has spent in music but by the experiences that have informed the man behind the music. Where his earlier work documented different stages of his career, this album looks at the wider journey that brought him to this point. “It’s more grown, and it tells the different journeys I’ve travelled to get to where I am now,” MUSA explains. The result is a body of work that carries the confidence of an artist comfortable with his history while remaining open to where the road ahead may lead.
The album’s sonic diversity is central to its identity. UHAMBO draws from Afro-pop and soul, allowing Musa to move between different textures and moods without sacrificing the emotional core of his music. The project does not attempt to sound uniform; instead, its variation becomes part of the story. Each song occupies its own space while contributing to the larger narrative of movement, growth and discovery. This musical range allows MUSA to explore different dimensions of his voice and songwriting while retaining the soulful character that has remained central to his artistry.
The creation of the album also marked a different experience for MUSA creatively. Recorded at David Gresham Records over approximately six to seven months, UHAMBO brought him into contact with different collaborators, including the Soweto Gospel Choir, Thapelo Esua, Lawi, Bongani and Maraza and new approaches to songwriting. Working from DGR’s Woodmead studio complex, the album was created within an environment backed by more than five decades of experience in recording, marketing, promotion and distribution. Founded in 1970 by legendary radio and television personality David Gresham, DGR has represented leading South African acts including Prime Circle, Jesse Clegg, Connell Cruise and Slikour, while also working with international names such as Janet Jackson, Nickelback and Tiësto. “It was a different experience. I’ve worked with different people in terms of songwriting. Best way to explain it, it was fun,” says MUSA.
The release is another defining chapter in a career that began with MUSA’s victory on Idols SA in 2013 and has since developed across four studio albums: The Dream (2013), Mr Serious (2016), MUSA (2018) and Backroom (2022). His career has earned him a SATMA Award, nominations at the South African Music Awards and Metro FM Awards, as well as multiplatinum success. He has also collaborated with artists including Ntsika Ngxanga of The Soil, Kwesta, the Jaziel Brothers and producer Lawrence Matshiza, while creating music dedicated to legendary figures including Hugh Masekela, Tshepo Tshola and his late mentor Robbie Malinga. Across more than a decade in music, MUSA has continued to build a catalogue grounded in soulful expression and a deep belief in the emotional power of music.
With the release of UHAMBO, MUSA is not simply adding another album to an accomplished catalogue. He is documenting a new stage of his life and artistry through a project that embraces change, celebrates growth and makes room for the many directions a journey can take. From the soulful honesty of the project and its sonic landscape, MUSA steps forward with greater maturity, creative freedom and authority, inviting audiences to take the journey with him.
