Talisman 35th Anniversary

I grew up singing this song in Zimbabwe, and made the decision to join Talisman when I watched a video of the group singing it. This song commemorates moments of transition, and brings back fond memories of my transition from Zimbabwe to the US, under the guiding light of my faith and supported by the prayers of my community.

Lyrics Sin nje nje nje ngemi thandazo (We are like this, like this, like this because of prayer) Ngemi thandazo, Ngemi thandazo (Because of prayer, because of prayer) Oo mama babudale, Babethandaza (Our ancestors would pray,They were praying) Babethandaza, Babethandaza (They were praying, they were praying)

I remember singing this in 2011-2012 when we were touring the American south. I don't recall if it was in Charleston or Atlanta (more likely Atlanta), but we were singing in a space with an audience of local singers as a musical sharing experience. When we sang Motherless, there was an audible reaction. Even though our song is a combination of a few songs, the audience was familiar with the music, and basked in it. It was obvious that the room held a lot of space for the song. People were having their personal experiences with the love and loss of their maternal figures. People were having an appreciation and reverence for the music itself. It was one of the ties I most connected with the words of the song, knowing that people were connecting. The music opened up a vulnerable space that we were able to provide healing and nourishment.