By Nontokozo Gwebu
CollaboNation 2025 is one for the history books.
CollaboNation, an annual arts development initiative produced by Bushfire Records and supported by MTN Eswatini, aims to connect the continent through unique musical collaborations that exceed borders and genres.
With a mission to weave Africa’s rich and diverse musical heritage into one voice, CollaboNation 2025 promises an extraordinary fusion of sound, soul, and storytelling.
The three music visionaries will converge at House on Fire in Eswatini to record their collaborative piece, offering fans an intimate behind-the-scenes glimpse into their creative process through in-studio videos, short documentaries, and social media content.
This highly anticipated journey will reach its climax with a live performance at the globally acclaimed MTN Bushfire Festival, taking place from 30 May to 1 June 2025.
The recorded track will also be released across all major music streaming platforms shortly after the festival.
Known as the “King of Zulu Guitar,” Doctor Madala Kunene has spent decades pioneering indigenous African music. Honoured with a Doctorate in Music by the University of KwaZulu-Natal, his music captures the heartbeat of urban life, with Kunene stating, “Music is the best medium to record and tell history. As African people, the way we know and understand our past is very influenced by music.”
Joining him is Sibusile Xaba, a genre-defying South African guitarist and cultural activist whose work blurs the line between Maskandi and avant-garde. With a vocal style that is part dreamscaping and part of ancestral invocation, Xaba dives as opposed to plainly singing. His music shatters the confines of genre, filling his music with a mythology and improvisational intensity all of his own.
Representing Eswatini, Tlale Makhene brings a deeply rooted, rhythmic legacy inspired by his traditional healer grandmother. A globally recognised percussionist, Tlale has worked with music legends such as Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba, and Johnny Clegg, and has earned accolades including an MTN SAMA Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album.
Fans can follow the CollaboNation experience by engaging with exclusive content on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (@CollaboNation_), and the CollaboNation YouTube channel. For full updates, visit the MTN Bushfire website’s CollaboNation section at www.bush-fire.com/collabonation.