Siselabonga reimagines the 1994 classic “Agolo” by Angelique Kidjo through a deeper, more cinematic lens. Based in Zürich, the Afro-Soul-Tronic duo of vocalist Nongoma Ndlovu and percussionist Fabio Meier strip back the highlife‑inflected original to reveal something slower, darker and more ritualistic.

“Agolo” means listen in Yoruba. In Kidjo’s telling, the word becomes a plea: a young woman, seduced by wealth, rejects her roots and faces the consequences. The lyrics urge reflection on the cost of forgetting ancestral love (ifé foun ilé baba wa) and chasing worldly gain. Siselabonga’s version slows the tempo, intensifies the repetition, and turns the track into a kind of ritual. Looped chants, hand percussion and ambient synths converge to suggest not just a story, but a state of listening—physical, spiritual, and political.

Their approach draws on African diasporic storytelling and rhythmic repetition to create a sense of immersion and reflection. The track signals a move towards live, process-led composition, laying the groundwork for a forthcoming project shaped by reinterpretation and embodied sound.

You can listen to or purchase the single, released via Basel-based label, A Tree in a Field Records, HERE