MBABANE – Eswatini artist based in South Africa Masikane, founder of the record label Nguni King Music, has collaborated with Mavusane Cyzweh, a viral cultural sensation and entertainer popular across South Africa and Eswatini.
Mavusane Cyzweh became an internet hit on TikTok after videos surfaced showing his flexible and energetic style of dancing traditional Eswatini dances at a cultural event in South Africa. His stage name ‘Butsegetsege’ comes from popular songs featured in his viral videos, including ‘Umtsakatsi abe munye eveni’ and ‘Kuyokhala Butsegetsege Embhedzeni’.
Recognising his talent, Masikane brought the dancer into the studio to turn his viral moment into a professional music career. “We took him and put him in a studio, polished him up, and released the song titled ‘Butsegetsege,'” Masikane said.
The single ‘Butsegetsege’ was released two days ago and is now available on all major digital streaming platforms.
Beyond music production, Masikane and his team at Nguni King Music have taken steps to guide Mavusane’s cultural presentation. Early this month, when Mavusane announced a trip to Eswatini for KaGogo weekend, the label ensured he was properly outfitted in full authentic Eswatini traditional attire. This move was made to protect the artist from public criticism, as viewers on social media had previously pointed out that his traditional dress was incomplete or inappropriate in earlier viral clips.
To secure a long-term partnership, Nguni King Music formalised their agreement through a three-year legal contract signed alongside the artist’s family.
“As Nguni King Music, our aim is to discover talent, therefore we saw the talent and decided to grow and nurture it.We also signed a three-year contract with him in front of his parents”, he said.
Looking ahead, the label is already working on the artist’s debut extended play (EP) while keeping cultural heritage at the centre of their strategy. Masikane emphasised that their ultimate goal is to promote local traditions globally.
“We are currently in preparations to record his EP, as long as he promotes SiSwati, because our aim is to take Swati music to the world,” Masikane said.
