Remembering Mgqumeni

Polyphonic Narratives of His Life and Music

By: Dr. Kathryn Olsen

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eText | 5 February 2026 | Edition Number 1

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A detailed documentation and analysis of music and lyrics of iconic maskanda musician, Mgqumeni, this book offers carefully researched insights in to the contemporary Zulu belief system and associated challenges.

Mgqumeni continues to have influence in the maskanda domain as musicians imitate his style in the quest for success in the marketplace. His name is referenced and appropriated by others in the field as a way of enticing audience support, and interest from the recording industry. Commercial maskanda is made and distributed through a cut-throat monopoly.

The book draws out a deeper understanding of the life experiences and aspirations of ordinary Zulu people through the creative presentation of multifaceted perspectives and agendas attached to the telling of Mgqumeni's story. It includes analysis and translation of the sound structures and the lyrics of Mgqumeni's music, which are used as a source of insight into his life experiences. The book takes a postcolonial stance in that it resists exoticizing or demonizing Zuluness but takes refuge in a transparent recognition of the author's role as both a stranger, and a compatriot.