Maskandi musician Ithwasa Lekhansela is breaking boundaries with his new album.
Ithwasa is known for slow jams such as Ngagqiha and Inhlula Beyivimba.
But in December he released Umaskito, a double-disc album that combines maskandi with reggae, gospel, gqom and s’cathamiya.
“Although I am a maskandi artist, I try to explore other genres of music.
“My style of music is called GCM, which stands for gospel, cothoza and maskandi. I combine all these genres into one style.
“I feel at ease when I make this kind of music,” said Ithwasa.
“On this new album I wanted to give my fans something unique.
“I wanted to prove that I can do anything as far as music is concerned.”
One of his favourite songs on the album is Ex Yami.
“The song is about a woman who asks for permission to attend an ex-boyfriend’s funeral.
“The song highlights the importance of closure in past relationships.”
When SunBuzz asked him what inspired the album’s title, he said: “I named it Umaskito because I wanted to shine a light on the plight of rape victims.”
The title track criticises men who rape children instead of protecting them.
“The song encourages rape victims of all ages to report the culprits to the police.”