Samthing Soweto returns with his long-awaited second album, Touch Is a Move: Good Morning. The album title draws from his personal philosophy and ritual. “Touch Is a Move” echoes a rule from games played in childhood: once you touched a piece, you had to make the move – no hesitation, no take-backs.
It’s a phrase that grew to reflect a way of living with courage and decisiveness. “Good Morning” was born from a simple ritual Samkelo began in 2023 – a daily greeting to his online audience that became a method of maintaining community and connection. Together, these phrases speak to the album’s intention: a decisive exploration of how simple rituals, words, and connections shape who we become.
The album unfolds like an ordinary day in Soweto, beginning with the crescendo of an early morning and winding down into the late evening’s reflections. Told through a blend of interludes and songs, it follows a day in the life of five-year-old Samkelo in the early 1990s.
We are introduced to uMama, uGogo, bhut’ Lungisa, sis’ Amina, and sis’ BhiBhi through his eyes. We hear his thoughts, see his world, and witness the wonder of living across different generations in his home. The voice of young Samkelo becomes our guide. And although in real life he is the third of four children, the album returns to a time when he was “iqanda lakubo” – the last-born.
These memories are not only presented as nostalgic flashbacks but as vivid threads woven into the fabric of the present.
Running alongside these interludes is a collection of love songs, each one exploring a different dimension of love: romantic, familial, complex, vulnerable, playful, and much more.
– “Indandatho” is a vow of love through tradition; it plays with the concept of ukulobola.
– “Ama Get Down” (with Blxckie) speaks to emotional confusion in a difficult relationship.
– “Don’t Wanna Let Go” is a heartfelt plea to fix things before it’s too late.
– “Swi” is a playful exchange with an ex.
– “Amagents” is a father’s warning to his daughter about boys.
– “Come Duze” is an invitation for closeness and affection.
– “325” celebrates the charm and poetry of ukushela intombi.
– “Ngicela Sithandane” is a direct and honest request to be loved.
– “Yebo (Ngiyazifela)” explores insecurity and longing in a relationship.
– “Deda” is a call for a loved one to stay safe and come home.
The final interlude, “GoodNight” closes the album with a prayer led by uGogo. As young Samkelo drifts off to sleep, he reflects on his day, his family, and his ultimate wish to belong. The day ends, and so does the album – gently, intimately, and joyfully.
Samthing Soweto, born Samkelo Lelethu Mdolomba, has long been one of the continent’s most exceptional musical voices. As a founding member of The Soil, he helped revolutionise the a cappella space. His solo career has seen chart-topping success with hits like “Akanamali,” “Akulaleki,” “AmaDM,” and his platinum-selling debut album Isphithiphithi.
With sold-out tours, multiple awards, and a sound that defies genre and convention, Samthing Soweto continues to shape and shift the sound of South African music.
This new album reaffirms his position as a heavyweight artist, a storyteller of extraordinary depth, and a singer whose voice carries both memory and meaning.
Touch Is a Move: Good Morning is now available to stream on all major music stores: https://Platoon.lnk.to/touch-is-a-move-good-morning
