Blk Elijah & The Children of Meroë Thandi Ntuli

• 1 Izibongo 08:41
• 2 Cold Winds 07:18
• 3 Amazing Grace 07:06
• 4 Portal Into A New World 06:51
• 5 Go Gently As The Sower Reaps 04:29
• 6 Secret Keeper 05:36
• 7 No Wrong Turn 05:38
• 8 Inkululeko 07:40
• Total Runtime 53:19

Info for Blk Elijah & The Children of Meroë

Thandi Ntuli could be described as one of the few young musicians barking the trend with her talent and love for the genre of music that is jazz. This is genre that is not so popular with young artists.

Since the release of her debut jazz album, ‘The Offering’ in 2014 (released independently), Ntuli has made an indelible mark in the local jazz scene with her unique voice. In 2018 she was named a Standard Bank Young Artist for jazz and also released her second album titled Exiled’ in the same year.

Thandi continues to pursue a performance and recording career with the hopes of branching into the electronic music field, song writing and film composition.

Thandi Ntuli

Thandi Ntuli
Exploring the fullness of who she is – who we are – in her personal and collaborative projects, Thandi Ntuli negotiates a wide palette of sound and genre. This approach is a proud embracing of having grown up with the family lore of a classical singer aunt, after whom she is named; an uncle (Selby Ntuli) who was a member of Afro-rock band Harari; and a grandfather (Levi Godlib Ntuli) who – while living with his young family in 1940s Sophiatown, a cultural hub not unlike 1920s Harlem in New York – fostered among his children a tradition of composing, playing and singing music together. This tradition still lives on.

Through her work over a hitherto 13-year career, Thandi has carved space for herself, and others seeking home, to fully exist – thereby firmly situating herself and the contemporary South African generation in the musical cannon. Her frank-yet-empathetic and vulnerable gaze on herself, and the world, has birthed a body of work that facilitates our access to our histories, presents and futures by creating in music literature the existence of language, experiences and space that speak to us. For young South Africans and creatives – not least of all, women – Thandi represents a home-going to ourselves, each other and our communities.

She comes to music in earnest, to listen to it, and to convey with all possible honesty what it has come to teach her. Receiving lessons from music without shame or judgement, Thandi’s practice has allowed her to see and hear herself more meaningfully. In sharing this gift as intimately as she has, she has shared space with the rest of us to give voice and presence to ourselves more meaningfully. In so doing, we share the same space with others. After all, music is community. Music is community care. Thandi’s work is unapologetic ownership and celebration of all that we are.

This album contains no booklet.