Zakes Bantwini “The Star Is Reborn” Album Review

Birth, death and rebirth are among the biggest subjects in almost every culture. First comes life, and then comes death. Beyond that, some cultures will tell you of the chance or prospect of rebirth. To be reborn means to sprout anew, perhaps with or without the vigour of old.

Of course, we are not here to bore you with sombre liturgy to drown you from the wells of cultural symbolism that pervade the earth. On the contrary, we are singly focused on the brave new world of South African disc jockey and producer Zakes Bantwini’s “rebirth,” beautifully illuminated in his new project, “The Star Is Reborn.”

It should be our pleasure to have you tag along as we split the project for nuance and meat. it should be a splendid ride. Let’s roll!

Artwork

The artwork of a project is most often seen as its window, an avenue to get a glimpse into the project even before listening to it. As a result, some artists usually take their time to create something symbolic and memorable – something that stays in the consciousness of the public long after they have listened to the project in the first place.

Does the same attention to detail apply to Zakes Bantwini here? A look at the artwork suggests the affirmative. The songster had not picked and ran with some random motif but took his time deciding on the artwork.

So far, we have come crosses multiple iterations of the album artwork. all somehow illuminating the singer. So, he’s reborn: prepare to see him in a new light.

Tracklist

The songster decided to make things compact with the project, settling for just 10 tracks. He begins his creative flare with “Alasekho,” continues with it with numbers like “Ugesi,” “Utshwala,” “Dubai,” “Love Again,” “Ngin’mele Nonke,” “MamaThula,” “iParty 2.0,” and “Iyangena Iyaphuma,” ultimately ending on a note of “Abantu.”

Features

Guest artists or features on an album are more like new flavours in what would otherwise have been a single-taste feast: They add to the project one way or the other. Nut, of course, it is open to doubt that their contributions would resonate with everyone out there.

Anyway, Zakes Bantwini wasn’t ready to drop a “solo” album, so he tapped the vocal resources of some of his associates, including Drega, Shye Wanda, Simmy, SUFFOCATE SA, Soul Roots and Nana Atta. We were not privy to the selection process,. The result is also not something we have a quarrel with the result. Zakes Bantwini worked well with the artists he co-opted for the project.

Key songs

In an album of multiple numbers, some of them are bound to stand out. In other words, compared to others, some songs will tickle the listeners in such a way that they would not only listen to them more than once, but they might also add them as favourites as well.

For us, it is easy to identify “Dubai,” “iParty 2.0” and “Mama Thula” among the key songs. While it is tempting to want to dissect the reasons for this choice, we would rather leave it for you to find out for yourself, trusting you will see the light as we did.

Tracklist

NO	TITLE	ARTIST	TIME
1	Abasekho	Zakes Bantwini	7:14
2	Ugesi	Zakes Bantwini & Skye Wanda	5:51
3	Utshwala (feat. Simmy)	Zakes Bantwini & Drega	7:21
4	Dubai	Zakes Bantwini	6:24
5	Love Again (feat. Nana Atta)	Zakes Bantwini & Soulroots	7:42
6	Ngin’mele Nonke (feat. Drega)	Zakes Bantwini	6:20
7	Mama Thula (feat. SUFFOCATE SA)	Zakes Bantwini, Skye Wanda & Thakzin	6:01
8	iParty 2.0 (feat. Simmy)	Zakes Bantwini & Drega	8:14
9	Iyangena Iyaphuma	Zakes Bantwini & Kususa	8:32
10	Abantu (feat. Nana Atta)	Zakes Bantwini, Karyendasoul & Da Africa Deep	7:54

Themes

Zake Bantwini’s “The Star Is Reborn” album is an electric mix of his experiences, most of them good. The songster brings the beauties of a functional society, familial relationships and more to this project a win for those who love the good life and a good time.

Summing Up

I is easy to see that a lot of thought went into creating this album. The result, not surprisingly, is something beautiful and with a place on the playlist of music lovers generally.

Stream

Questions For You

1. How does the concept of birth, death, and rebirth relate to Zakes Bantwini’s new project, “The Star Is Reborn”?
2. In what ways does the album artwork for “The Star Is Reborn” reflect the theme of rebirth?
3. What is the significance of the album’s title “The Star Is Reborn” in relation to Zakes Bantwini’s musical journey?
4. How does the tracklist of “The Star Is Reborn,” comprising 10 tracks, contribute to the overall theme and message of the album?
5. Can you identify and describe the thematic elements present in key songs like “Dubai,” “iParty 2.0,” and “Mama Thula” from the album?
6. What role do the featured artists play in enhancing the diversity and richness of “The Star Is Reborn”?
7. How does Zakes Bantwini explore the themes of societal beauty and familial relationships in his album?
8. In your opinion, how does “The Star Is Reborn” compare to Zakes Bantwini’s previous works in terms of musical evolution and thematic depth?
9. Which track from “The Star Is Reborn” do you find most resonant with your personal experiences, and why?
10. After listening to “The Star Is Reborn,” how would you describe Zakes Bantwini’s artistic growth and the direction he’s taking in his music career?