MEMETA!

By the time 'Memeta'  reaches listeners on Friday, Sibu Manzini will have added another collaboration to a catalogue that has increasingly found space between electronic production, Afro House and live musicianship.

Released through Xpressed Records, the new project brings Manzini together with Bholoja and Thando Magic for a two-track EP comprising an Original Mix and a Club Mix.

The collaboration is not difficult to understand on paper. Manzini handles production, Thando Magic plays live keys, and Bholoja provides vocals. What makes the record work, however, is how those contributions sit together once the music begins.

Memeta is rooted in a fairly direct idea: adversity can test a person, and faith can provide the strength to keep going.

That message runs through the song without making it feel disconnected from its Afro House foundation. Bholoja's vocal gives the record its emotional centre, while Manzini's production keeps it moving. 

The live keys from Thando Magic add another dimension to the arrangement, bringing an element of live musicianship into an otherwise electronic production. It is a balance Manzini has been exploring through his work.

 The producer and DJ has built his name through recorded music and live performances, working across electronic music, Afro House and melodic sounds. His collaborations with artists in Eswatini have also allowed him to work outside a strictly producer-and-DJ setup, bringing vocalists and instrumentalists into his productions.

Memeta is another example of that approach. This time, though, the presence of Bholoja changes the weight of the record.

Bholoja has spent years developing a sound that draws from soul, gospel, jazz, blues and traditional African music. His Swazi Soul catalogue has often dealt with subjects that are personal and social at the same time, including faith, identity, everyday experiences and the challenges people face.

The song asks for a vocal that can carry more than a melody. Bholoja's voice gives the message a sense of familiarity and conviction, allowing the song to speak about adversity without becoming overly complicated in its delivery. It also puts him somewhere slightly different musically.

Rather than sitting within a traditional Swazi Soul arrangement, his vocal is placed over an Afro House and Afro Melodic production. The electronic foundation gives the song a contemporary setting, while Bholoja's contribution keeps it grounded in the character of the vocal.

Meanwhile, Thando Magic's live keys provide another point of difference. In electronic production, instruments can easily become part of the programming, but having live keys on the record changes the feel of the arrangement. The playing adds warmth and gives the production another layer for the vocal to sit against.

That becomes more apparent in the Original Mix. The Original Mix gives the musical elements room. Bholoja's vocals remain prominent, while the keys and electronic production work around them rather than competing for attention. It is the version that allows the song's message to sit closer to the surface.

The Club Mix approaches the same material differently. Here, the rhythm carries more of the responsibility. The production is shaped for a more energetic environment, giving DJs another version to work with while keeping the vocal and central message intact.

The difference between the two mixes is therefore not simply a change in tempo or arrangement. They give Memeta two different places to exist. One allows the listener to pay closer attention to the song. The other is built to move with it.

For Manzini, the release is another step in a career shaped by both studio work and performance. His interest in bringing electronic sounds together with other forms of musicianship has given his productions room to move between genres. Rather than treating Afro House, Afro Melodic and electronic music as separate spaces, his work has allowed them to overlap.

That makes the collaboration with Bholoja and Thando Magic a natural extension of what he has been doing. Each artist brings something recognisable to the record, but none of the contributions feels like an addition simply for the sake of having another name attached to the release.

Manzini provides the electronic framework. Thando Magic brings the live instrumentation. Bholoja carries the vocal and, with it, the message. The record also arrives as Eswatini's electronic music scene continues to create more room for these kinds of collaborations.

DJs and producers are increasingly working with singers, instrumentalists and artists whose musical backgrounds may not necessarily sit within electronic music. Afro House and Afro Melodic have, in particular, provided a space where those sounds can meet without requiring artists to completely abandon the styles they are known for.

Speaking about the project, he said he is happy with the work and is looking forward to seeing how his listeners respond.

“I’m happy with this upcoming project, and cannot wait to hear back from my listeners and just the entire reception, ” he said, adding that he is looking forward to surprising his listeners.

He also acknowledged the people who have continued to support his music, thanking those who have been riding with him. 

 That support has followed his progression as he continues to release music and build his catalogue as an independent producer and DJ. Each project gives him another opportunity to test an idea, work with different artists, and introduce another side of his sound to his audience.

With Memeta, that opportunity comes through a collaboration that brings together three distinct contributions without losing sight of the song itself.

The record is ultimately about finding strength when circumstances become difficult. The production may give it its Afro House identity, the keys may soften its edges, and Bholoja's voice may carry the message, but the central idea remains straightforward.