Madonna by MSAKI x TUBATSI

The lithe, intimate ‘Madonna’ finds its energy in distance and detachment, as Msaki x Tubatsi sing; “I believe that the absence can make a change/I know that you notice when I’m away/I give you my word that I’ll hold the space / I’ll always be closer away”.

Msaki x Tubatsi’s folk sensibilities are present on ‘Synthetic Hearts’, even as it too defies easy categorisation, mixing live and electronic elements, as Clément Petit teases out distinct textures from his cello.

Maski x Tubatsi - a new project formed by fast-rising South African solo star Msaki (a double winner at the 2022 South African Music Awards) and Tubatsi Mpho Moloi of Johannesburg band Urban Village (also a member of the Keleketla! collective alongside Tony Allen, Shabaka Hutchings and Joe Armon-Jones).