"Themba Lam" by Mandisi Dyantyis
"Kutheni Sithandwa?" by Miriam Makeba & The Skylarks
Arranged by Nomfundo Xaluva
Lunga Eric Hallam, tenor; Craig Terry, piano
Nomfundo Xaluva's effervescent "Themba Lam" and her memorable adaptation of the traditional melody "Kutheni Sthandwa?" have enchanted audiences in her native South Africa. Devoted to her nation's musical history, she wrote her master's thesis on her renowned predecessor among great South African singers, Miriam Makeba.
Xaluva, well established as one of her nation's top jazz vocalists, is a native of Port Elizabeth and bases her performing activities in Cape Town. She has made recordings for Universal Music, and is also a faculty member of the University of Cape Town. A two-time recipient of the Metro FM Music Award for Best Urban Jazz Album, Xaluva has performed at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival and the Johannesburg Joy of Jazz Festival.
"Themba Lam" ("My Hope") is all about the need to heal: "May you pick me up when I fall, bind my wounds when I'm bleeding. May you lend me your hand when I'm in need, because you're my hope." In "Kutheni Sithandwa?" ("What's Up, My Love?"), one lover is distressed with the other, declaring that never before have they walked past each other on the street without saying a word.
