Blaq Lamza Releases Reggae EP titled Marikana
Title: Marikana
Artist: Blaq Lamza
Featured Artist: Dub Arsenal
Genre: Roots Reggae
Label: Independent
Release: February 2025
Blaq Lamza just dropped a Reggae EP titled Marikana. His previous offerings were mainly Afro Soul/House Vibes with an EP titled Ngwaneso and tracks like “Mantwa Helele”, “Imali Yami” and “Tsakani.” When it came to issues that have a dire and direct effect on the entire Black Nation, Lamza opted for Reggae as a medium to address these issues. Reggae was and will forever be powerful Message Music.
The title and cover of the EP speaks to the Mariana Massacre; where thirty-four miners were killed by the South African Police Service (SAPS) on 16 August 2012 during a six-week strike at the British owned Lonmin platinum mine at Marikana near Rustenburg in South Africa’s North West province. The miners were asking for a decent living wage. But the interests of ‘foreign investors’ and their coons were much more important, The current South African President, Cyril , was then a non-executive director at Lomnin when the strike took place. He had called on the authorities to take “concomitant action” against the miners in the days before the massacre. He went from Lonmin Mining Massacre to becoming a President.. in which the miners and their families were desperately trying to have their voices heard and their needs met.
Mgacineni “Mambush” Noki, is the man in the photo that immortalised the Marikana Massacre, The Man with the Green Blanket. The photo was taken by Leon Sadiki. Mambush was 32 at that time and he was shot 14 times
“The tragedy of Marikana stands as a stark reminder of the struggles faced by workers in our country, who demand fair wages and decent living conditions. The loss of Mambush and his fellow miners should never be forgotten. Their fight for justice and dignity continues to inspire us to advocate for the rights of all workers. of the Mgcineni “Mambush” Noki and comrades,” ~ Mayibuye Melisizwe Mandela
This is what makes this EP truly meaningful. The sacrifices of the likes of Mambush shall forever be etched in our memory and passed on to Future generations.
The EP opens up with the title Track Marikana, a tradegy that happened 13 years ago. It then shifts to the present with the track GNU, which stands for Government of National Unity, which is a farce really; as Lamza states “this GNU is taking us back to Apartheid / this GNU is taking up back to slavery /A white Lady / Racist Lady from Stellenbosch/she is calling the shots/ she is holding the ruling party by the scrotum.“
Then there is the track Load Shedding, which can be described as “a way to distribute demand for electrical power across multiple power sources.” What it is in essence Neo colonialism at play. The Settlers and their coons are deliberately sabotaging the National Electricity Power Supply in order to unbundle, privatise it and sell it off to foreign nationals disguised as ‘investors’. Almost all the Key national structures are being privatised.
The second last opens up with a sound byte from Mama Winnie Madikizela Mandela: “These people who of the other colour/must not go back to that Racism which drove us to the forest. We’re still there. We’re still alive. Si nga yi susa na nini. ” The song is dedicated to one of the most fearless matriarchs to come out of Mzansi, Mama Winnie Madikizela Mandela, mother of the Nation.
Blaq Lamza Reggae EP is available across all digital platforms.
Track List
- Marikana Ft. Dub Arsenal
- GNU
- Load Shedding
- Winnie Mandela
- Jah Lady Ft. Dub Arsenal