Acclaimed vocalist, cultural firebrand and master storyteller Nomabotwe Mtimkhulu has unveiled her latest musical offering, Siyakukhumbula — An Ode to Nomhle Nkonyeni.
The story behind the song was born in the heat of live theatre, inside the Mandela Bay Theatre Complex, where memory, politics and performance collided in true township theatre fashion.
While performing on stage, Mtimkhulu unexpectedly broke into a tribute song dedicated to Winnie Mandela, a move that immediately drew the theatrical ire of actress Nkonyeni.
Never one to suffer sentiment quietly, Nkonyeni publicly protested against the impromptu dedication with all the dramatic flair, wit and sharp-tongued eccentricity that made her a living legend.
The audience erupted in laughter. And somewhere between irritation and admiration, a creative bond was born.
“What followed was not merely friendship, but a three-year artistic pilgrimage between two generations of storytellers, one carrying song, the other carrying history,” Mtimkhulu said.
“Out of that encounter emerged Siyakukhumbula, a haunting ode stitched together through memory, conversation, laughter, resistance and the enduring spirit of Sis Hlehle herself.”
Though Nkonyeni sadly passed away in 2019 before hearing the completed version of the song, Mtimkhulu finally fulfilled the shared dream by performing the tribute on Nkonyeni’s birthday, April 9 2026, transforming grief into celebration, remembrance and cultural preservation.
The official music video is also available via YouTube.
“Siyakukhumbula is more than music to me,“ Mtimkhulu said.
”It is a conversation with memory, with history and with the spirit of Sis Hlehle herself.
“Mama Nomhle Nkonyeni carried the soul of our stories in her voice, her laughter and her presence.
“This song became my way of preserving that spirit, not only for those who knew and loved her, but for future generations who must understand the giants whose shoulders we stand on. Through this ode, she lives on.”
Siyakukhumbula arrives as both tribute and testimony, a haunting reminder that legends never truly die.
They linger in rehearsal rooms and dusty theatre corridors, in songs sung after midnight, in stories whispered between generations.
Through this offering, Sis Hlehle breathes again not as memory alone, but as rhythm, spirit and living heritage.
The song was unveiled at the weekend at the newly-launched Spaan Hub Studio in Gqeberha, a multidisciplinary arts and media space envisioned by musician and cultural entrepreneur Edgar Muzah, Myra Gold and Mthokozisi Mabuza as a home for artistic innovation, collaboration and independent content creation.
It houses a state-of-the-art recording studio, multimedia production facilities, professional rehearsal spaces, podcast and broadcasting infrastructure, photography and visual content facilities, as well as development space for filmmakers, musicians, spoken-word artists, actors and digital creatives.
The space also aims to nurture emerging talent through workshops, collaborations, live sessions and creative incubation programmes designed to strengthen the cultural economy of the Eastern Cape.
“We wanted to create more than just a studio,” Muzah said.
“Too many talented young people have ideas but no access to professional infrastructure.
“This space is about restoring dignity to the creative process and building an ecosystem where local stories, music and voices can grow without compromise.
“The Eastern Cape has always produced extraordinary talent, but many creatives have had to leave home to realise their potential.
“Spaan Hub is our contribution towards changing that narrative.
“We are building a space where creativity is not only celebrated, but supported, documented and preserved.”
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