Bongeziwe Mabandla is making a plea for love in the video for ‘Jikeleza’ off his latest album iimini.
Shot on location in Johannesburg, the video for “Jikeleza” by South Africa’s Bongeziwe Mabandla presents a whole new perspective on falling in love. The pull of love can be redemptive, even in the midst of destruction.
“Jikeleza” means ‘Go Round’, and it is about that moment when you realise how powerful the feeling of love is,” explains Mabandla. “The song is also about our universal need to connect. It is about those things that bind us and make us the same.”
The song’s lyrics, like “God truly exists/He saw me in my suffering/And extended his holy hand/Put me in front of you,” float in a soundscape of birdsong and crunching gravel – capturing a oneness with nature that is signature of Mabandla’s musical and visual output. As Madandla leaves the scene of a car crash, he walks with purpose and even light-heartedness towards the love that is pulling him forward.
“The video amplifies the power of love in its depiction of someone coming out of a difficult situation but running towards love, at all cost,” says Mabandla. “Our character is always moving forward and towards something great; he’s coming out of a traumatic moment but is heading towards something that is precious.”
“With ‘Jikeleza’, I want to put the attention on what the character is running towards, not what he’s running away from. It’s an invitation, too, to take a journey with me on this realisation and life truth. It’s about putting love and connections above everything else.”
‘Jikeleza’ directed by Thati Peele, and produced by Allison Swank of Giant Films, is the third video off Mabandla’s celebrated new album.
Listen to iimini below: