lu dlamini

 A talented Durban-based vocalist, composer and traditional instrumentalist. Dlamini, who hails from the Natal South coast and comes from a musical family, is known for her distinctive style, as showcased in her previous album, "Ulimilam.". In her reflections, Dlamini draws on South Africa's complex history, noting the contrast between the hopeful songs of the past and the current challenges faced by many South Africans.

She highlights the role of music in advocating for peace and justice, and how it served as a platform for expressing a vision of unity during times of political struggle. She continues to use her music to foster understanding and promote a cohesive culture through her outreach project called "Art Knows No Boundaries". This outreach takes music to schools, communities and homes for the aged, inviting other music practitioners, the youth in the community to visit these spaces with us, as we promote the revival of intergenerational bonds.

This has been going since 2012 and has enjoyed support from The Headroom and SAMRO through Concerts S.A, in a South African-Norwegian initiative that supported live music. The pandemic halted us but could not stop us. Art Knows No Boundaries is back on the road again, with appreciated support from Umoya Creations, an organisation based in the UK and South Africa, this organisation brings music and arts education, reconciliation  and development through the arts to regions where people suffer from deprivation, physical and emotional damage and poverty.

The 2025 Art Knows No Boundaries Program included a collaboration with the UKZN's 2025 Jazz Ensemble, visiting local Primaries, Secondary and High Schools to celebrate the Jazz Month and introducing the sound of Umakhweyana.

Gido the new album is almost here. 

Special features and contributions are made by world recognised practitioners, David Jenkins (Qadasi) playing one of South Africa's traditional instruments called Umrhubhe, Andile Yenana features on Piano, Steve Newman on Guitar and Madala Kunene playing the Madalaline style.

The first Single of this this album is already on rotation on all platforms, see link below:

https://ditto.fm/ngcwele-lu-dlamini

The full Album will be launched and performed live at The Playhouse's Drama Theatre in Durban please get your ticket and support:

https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1570705769

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Lu Dlamini’s ‘Gido’:

A Tribute to Love, Resilience, and Ubuntu

South African composer, vocalist, and traditional instrumentalist Lu Dlamini invites the world to experience Gido, a personal and deeply moving new album that transcends music to become a living archive of love, resilience, and the enduring philosophy of Ubuntu.

Set for official online release on 27 June 2025 and a live launch at The Playhouse Company in Durban, Gido is more than an album. It is a tribute to Lu’s late mother, Kitomena “Gido” uMakhuzwayo. Her mother’s life lessons are the spiritual backbone of this project. Blending rich South African jazz influences with the evocative sounds of indigenous instruments like the Umakhweyana, Gido offers a journey that is as timeless as it is contemporary.

“This album is an ode to my mother and a call for unity. It carries the weight of history and the hope for a better, kinder future,” shares Lu Dlamini.

The name Gido carries rich historical resonance, derived from her mother’s name Kitomena, and reflects a legacy of cultural harmony rooted in the vibrant community of Kitomena (Cato Manor), before it was torn apart by the apartheid regime. Like Sophiatown and District Six, it stood as a symbol of unity, which is a spirit this album seeks to rekindle.

“This is not music for the sake of music. It’s a call to listen with our hearts, to remember that we are bound together by our shared humanity,” says Lu Dlamini.

Featuring collaborations with some of South Africa’s finest musical talents, such as Dr. Madala Kunene, Steve Newman, Andile Yenana, Marius Botha, Riley Giandhari, Zibusiso Makhathini, Qadasi, and Ntobeko Shandu, Gido masterfully fuses ancient and modern sounds.

The album journeys through untold stories and histories, from songs that honour the resilience of South Africa’s “lost generation,” to spiritual invocations calling for peace, unity, and the healing of old wounds. Tracks like Lwaphela uvalo and Gandhi Shembe Dube remind us that history is not a burden, but a bridge, connecting us to a future shaped by compassion and understanding.

The live launch of Gido on 27 June 2025 at The Playhouse Company will start with the special screening of The Golden Nile Meridian documentary; an audiovisual journey that explores the ancient energy line stretching from Durban’s Bluff to the Pyramids of Giza. This screening serves as a vivid, cinematic extension of the Gido album. In the documentary, Lu Dlamini weaves umakhweyana compositions into the texture of the soundscape ringing ancestral memory, cultural reclamation and African consciousness.

Audiences can expect an immersive evening that connects sound, image and history.Special thanks go to SAMRO for their support in bringing this vision to life.

Album Title: Gido

Artist: Lu Dlamini

Online Release Date: 27 June 2025 (All online music stores)

Official Album Launch: 27 June 2025 | The Playhouse Company, Durban, South Africa

To book Lu Dlamini for a live performance please forward an enquiry to:

lu@theheadroom.co.za or info@theheadroom.co.za or marius@theheadroom.co.za

Mobile Details: +27824613950 or +27837166990