Qwana who made his professional debut in the music industry in 2018 with the release of Ngaqonywa which featured DJ Tira and Uhamba Nobani with Sho Madjozi was fairly unknown.
Dropping the single Molo attracted attention of music fans. Born in Johannesburg and raised between Ulundi and Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal, the 26-year-old says his current sound, which is a breath of fresh air, is shaped by the music he grew up listening to like groups such as Platform One, Soul Brothers and iKhansela no JBC.
As a qualified graphic and fashion designer, Qwana defines his sound as Afro-pop fused with a bit of mbaqanga and maskandi sound all laced up with modern beats.
The EP is a deeply personal affair for Qwana, with songs reflecting different experiences that he has gone through and things that he sees happening to other people.
“My music is therapy for me and my people. There are other people around me who cannot voice what’s happening to them and I’m in a space where I can. The reason I called the EP Imvula Mlomo is because this is my peace offering. I want people to pay attention to what I’m saying because each and every story has an introduction, and for me it’s this EP,” he says.
“I’ve been through a lot but everything I went through made me the man I am now. I wouldn’t be making the music I’m making without those experiences. I felt it was important to dedicate a song to my mum’s journey moving from Ulundi to Joburg. I felt the need to embrace the environment that taught me that we can learn how to love one another.”
Qwana plans to drop a full album early next year and his EP was produced by Siyabonga Mkhize, while the beats were produced by different producers.
