little beat records     presents                         ngema in a new album with ten original songs written by Ingemar Olsson Fifteen years in the making, the first track of Mighty Power was recorded at the legendary Downtown Studios, in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1996. Because all of the musicians featured on this album are in great demand, the final track was not recorded until fifteen years later.

Music videos and photos for the album were shot in KwaZulu-Natal and the mixing and mastering
was made in Sweden.



Guitarist Nthokoso Zungu gave Ingemar Olsson the name 'Ngema' on a tour in 1994. “It is so much
easier to pronounce!” he explains. The rest of the musicians and crew quickly adopted it.
Veterans of earlier recording projects with the likes of Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel, the studio
musicians began calling the Ngema recordings 'A new Graceland project'. Nthokoso again: “This is
music we can easily relate to and render as 'Mbaqanga' ” - South African pop.

The backup-voices are some of the most easily recognized in all of South Africa. This band of singers
has toured the world with Ngema and other international artists, and provided vocals for widely
distributed TV-shows and films such as 'The Lion King'.
But first and foremost, they are known for their own solo albums, concerts and tours.

 

  The Zulu word 'Amandla' is the first word you hear on the album. It means 'Power!'
      The freedom fighters used to chant it in their protest marches against apartheid.
              Now Ngema uses the same word for the mightiest power of all-'Love!'


This music makes you want to dance

and - together with Ingemar Olsson's inimitable lyrics - moves the listener,

    body and soul, on a journey of spirit and mind.