Doctoral research inspires singer Birdie’s new album

South African anthropologist, singer and songwriter Dr Tribute Mboweni, popularly known as Birdie, has released her sophomore album, Matimu (History), a musical project inspired by her doctoral research into history, landscapes and people’s relationships with Mapungubwe.

Dr Tribute Mboweni, South African anthropologist, singer and songwriter. Released on 24 September 2026, the album brings together music and anthropology to explore how people have interacted with the land across generations, while questioning how history has shaped the way these places are understood today.

Dr Birdie’s research examined the history of landscapes and people’s relationships with Mapungubwe. Through Matimu, she reflects on the colonial idea that certain places were untouched wilderness, despite communities having lived in and built relationships with these landscapes long before colonial settlers arrived.

The TUT alumnus questions how these areas came to be treated as wilderness, particularly when communities were forcibly removed and the land fenced off. Today, some of these places are visited by tourists or accessed by people who work in them, raising questions about displacement, belonging, and whose histories are remembered.

The nine-track album has received positive feedback from family, friends and fans. Mboweni is particularly encouraged by listeners who do not speak Xitsonga but still connect with the music, demonstrating how music can transcend language barriers and bring people into dialogue.

Among the songs is Miyela (Be Quiet), which explores stillness as a source of personal power. In A Hi Yeni (Let’s Go There), she uses natural features such as mountains and rivers to convey meaning and invite listeners to reflect on their relationship with the world around them.

For Dr Birdie, music is a powerful way to tell stories because the world itself is musical. Her experiences travelling, including a visit to a Pacific island while studying in Australia, strengthened her appreciation of music’s ability to connect people across languages, cultures and continents.

Through Matimu, she hopes to spark curiosity about South Africa’s history, particularly among young people. She believes history is too often treated as something to be left behind or forgotten, while aspects of the country’s past have not received sufficient attention in the school curriculum.

“Our history is worth looking at,” is the message behind her call for more meaningful ways to educate young people about the past and the experiences that have shaped their communities.

Recording the album also deepened Mboweni’s understanding of people and life. Across the different places she has visited and the people she has encountered, she has come to recognise a shared humanity.