Thandiswa Mazwai: Barefoot through history – Daily Dispatch

A woman with intricate braided hair styled into a large, horizontal shape poses in a dark, patterned outfit against a plain backdrop, evoking the iconic style of Thandiswa Mazwai and celebrating rich history.

Thandiswa Mazwai is a bit of an archeologist. Yes, she entertains, but she also excavates, digging as she decorates our aural universe, and treating sound as history with a pulse.

At the very end of 2025, the South African Music Awards caught up with this reality.

Sankofa won four SAMAs, including Best Female Artist and Best Produced Album, quite a sweep, as Mazwai herself acknowledges.

Thandiswa Mazwai performs live (Arthur Dlamini)

But she resists the language of triumph and self satisfaction.

“Awards feel like a spotlight on the…