The post Makwa Explains The Making Of “Umguzumbane We Summer” Single As He Lays Groundwork For Upcoming Album appeared first on SA Hip Hop Mag.
Makwa Explains The Making Of “Umguzumbane We Summer” Single As He Lays Groundwork For Upcoming Album. Makwa released a new single titled “Umguzumbane We Summer”, featuring Kwesta, a record that arrives sounding effortless and immediate while quietly announcing a shift in Makwa’s role in the music he makes.
In an exclusive interview with SA Hip Hop Mag, he walked us through how a chance moment at a studio camp became a summer-ready song and explained why this cut will serve as the opening track on an album he plans to release next year.
When asked to walk us through the creative process so people could understand how the song reached its current form, Makwa laughed and told a story that could only happen in real time. “It’s a funny story,” he said. “I made this beat while I was at Kid X’s studio camp this year. I was making beats for Kid X, then I made the ‘Umguzumbane’ beat and kept it on my PC.
“Weeks later, a friend who does not even make music came to visit me because he likes hearing my beats. I played him this one, and he went crazy. He said, ‘send this beat to Kwesta.’ I sent it and Kwesta called right away and said, ‘yoh when I come back to Jozi I’m recording this thing.’” That anecdote placed the moment of creation before the moment of calculation, and that spontaneity translates directly to the single’s feel.
Makwa’s own remarks appear near the heart of the conversation because they reveal both his process and his intentions. “Yeah. This one is crazy, how Kwesta flowed on the beat. He just went in. The second verse they wrote it right on the spot. There were no retakes, not many takes. It is just the lead vocal and backings, that is all,” he told the publication. Those remarks explained why the track feels lived in rather than assembled, and they also explain why Makwa is releasing the song now rather than holding it for a later rollout.
A question that naturally followed was why Makwa, known as a producer and a rapper, chose not to place a verse. Makwa acknowledged that he has often used music to process his past, but said this time he wanted to try a different posture. “I felt like I have complained too much in my music about things that happened in the past. So this time I was like, let me just take the Kabza route. You know how Kabza works; most of the time, the artist comes to him and he just provides the beat. I wanted to try that. Coming from being just a producer, now I want to be the guy who is on the song with the artist, not just the producer,” he said. The choice is a deliberate recalibration. It signals that Makwa is testing new boundaries: remaining the beatmaker but also taking a position as a co-voice on key tracks.
Why Kwesta, and why did Kwesta work on this song? Makwa’s reply mixed serendipity with intention. The beat reached Kwesta because of a friend’s insistence, but the collaboration was not entirely accidental. Makwa said the song was conceived as the first piece of a joint project they had been planning. As fans began asking on social media why the record was not out yet, Makwa decided to release this one early. “Most of the time Kwesta is busy,” he said, so getting the track out when it was ready was practical as well as strategic.
The famed producer also used the interview to confirm that “Umguzumbane We Summer” is the opening salvo of a larger statement. When asked if he is working towards an album, Makwa answered in the affirmative, and with specifics. “Yes, definitely. This is the first song on my album. It is going to be track number one. I plan to release it next year. I have a lot of jams. A few days ago, I was with Tony Dayimane, and the whole project is based on Mzonkonko. I want to keep this sound alive because everybody is doing everything. I think taking my route will work in my favour because the market is not clustered. The Mzonkonko style is not clustered.”
Musically, the single leans into textures that recall township dance floors while remaining conscious of hip-hop cadence and modern production values. The combination of Makwa’s beatcraft and Kwesta’s in-the-moment delivery produces a warm, live-sounding record that sits comfortably on both radio and playlists. The fact that parts of the song were written on the spot and recorded in a few takes gives it a vitality that many meticulously edited tracks lack.
The post Makwa Explains The Making Of “Umguzumbane We Summer” Single As He Lays Groundwork For Upcoming Album appeared first on SA Hip Hop Mag.
The post Makwa Explains The Making Of “Umguzumbane We Summer” Single As He Lays Groundwork For Upcoming Album appeared first on SA Hip Hop Mag.
Makwa Explains The Making Of “Umguzumbane We Summer” Single As He Lays Groundwork For Upcoming Album. Makwa released a new single titled “Umguzumbane We Summer”, featuring Kwesta, a record that arrives sounding effortless and immediate while quietly announcing a shift in Makwa’s role in the music he makes. Makwa Explains The Making Of “Umguzumbane We …
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