Mahke Mvelo embraces her heritage on her debut EP ‘Give Thanks’. The new EP rings out with the traditional harmonious sounds of MaSKAndi Music. As one who has spent down time establishing her own identity as a Rastafari Wombman, Singer and Songwriter, Poet and Entrepreneur, it took the lockdown period for Mahke Mvelo to reconnect with her calling and create an EP that sounds like soothing sounds for higher meditation. A fresh of Breath Air.
The hypnotic title and opening track, “Give Thanks’ gets straight to the point of conveying the awakening and healing music of Mahke which she coined Reggae Ma’SKA’ndi; a unique blend of Reggae and Maskandi (South African Traditional music about telling stories and providing a window to the singer’s soul).
In Revelation the inobtrusive background sounds of nature echoes out eternally in reverence to mother nature while she flows on the beat produced by Young2unn Beats. Tell The People is a call to action armed with the assurance of having the backup of Rastafari, fuelled by the military chant that temporarily takes you out of the meditative state and brings you back to reality. Tell the People that Rastafari I liveth.
Jah You are The Best reverberates with the constant sense of harmonious circle and return. Her Rhythm and Poetry flows from isiZulu to English with intonations that reflect the two languages. The compilation is rounded off by ‘As I Trod’, her blissful debut single included as a Bonus Track. A perfect closure to the EP, allurding to the continuation of the Journey that has begun.
Give Thanks is an EP that Mahke Mvelo gets to boldly step out from the shadows by channelling her essence through these songs, making way for new creative energies which will be evidenced in her follow up works. Now, the Mpumalanga native is growing into her essence of her purpose and name Mahke Mvelo (Mother Nature) with her own purpose and her own vision of experimenting with word sound and power.