Nozinja – Nozinja Lodge

Nozinja is the South African mobile phone repairman behind Shangaan electro, a dance genre he pioneered from his hometown Limpopo. Vocals are prominent on Nozinja Lodge, from the digital squawk of “Tsekeleke” to the beautiful love song “Nwa Baloyi,” which opens the album with tender chants of “my baby/my sweetie” as the drums patter underneath. Nozinja brings in a number of Shangaan vocalists, which gives the album a lively and communal feel, adding new layers of emotional complexity. The tender singing on the closer “Jaha” renders it remarkably laid-back for 160 BPM. It’s a good example of the variety here: Nozinja’s sound palette is all over the map, from the calypso-informed swing on “Mitshetsho We Zindaba” to the sunny reggae bounce of “Nyamsoro.” And on “Vomaseve Hina,” he slows it right down to 120 BPM and loads up the house template with giddy drum fills.