Lungiswa is immense fresh South African talent. As part of the group Amampondo she has bewitched worldwide, and been the recipient of many heartfelt compliments.

“I have come across people showering me with praises abroad” she comments.  “This affirmation is enough reason for me to continue making music.”

Her performances abroad have invariably affirmed the enduring mix of musical, cultural and spiritual depth of the African continent.  Lulu is unfazed by the international spotlight she was under as one of the lead singers of Amampondo, one of South Africa’s neo-traditional sensations.  “I have travelled around the world and visited many countries abroad.  And what I’ve learnt is that a true artist must serve the people; this is what I want to do.  It’s really the only way I can thank God for blessing me with the gift of this voice” she explains.

The fact that she’s known at home, and abroad hasn't removed her from her roots.  She says, “Listen, music is not about being famous and forgetting who you are.  It is a means of connecting with the ancestors, relating the ills of society and helping to heal those who are touched by the music.  This is a calling for me.”

It is no wonder therefore that she started her singing career at the tender age of seven and later went on to be the lead female vocalist of Amampondo, where she joined her uncle Dizu Plaatjies who founded the group in 1979.  Lungiswa’s debut album with recording company MELT2000 was an album aptly titled EKHAYA.  It was an eclectic album, which offered amongst other things, a Xhosa-language version of Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues.”

Lungiswa has a haunting and bewitching voice and ably weaves traditional songs with contemporary sounds.  She’s the only South African female musician to play the mbira and incorporated it into her compositions.

In addition to her accomplishments with Amampondo had her solo album, Lungiswa has featured in recording with luminaries like Madala Kunene, Madosini, four-piece maskanda outfit Skeleton, and Swiss guitarist Max Lasser.  She counts Letta Mbulu, Miriam Makeba, Salif Keita and Anikulapo Fela Kuti amongst her favourite musicians.

Lulu has now teamed up with Don Laka and opened her account with Bokone Music with exquisitely crafted Unonkala.  The album is full of humour and spirituality and is steeped in the lives and ways of the Xhosa people.  The 10-track album is soul nourishing, with riveting tunes such as Ndiyalila and Tsolo.  It is an album packed with power and ethnic vitality.  The album brims over with creativity and flair and Don Laka’s easily heard on the album.

The guitar work is totally integrated with her vocal styling.  There is a fair amount of variety between the styles of the individual tracks.  This doesn’t seem to disturb the flow of the album as a whole.  Urban rhythms set against country swing - a combination that seems to wirk nicely.  There is a very characteristic sense of immediacy and even urgency. But not in a heavy or intrusive way.  Plaatjies welcomed the opportunity to work with Don Laka, and feels that the album is a continuation of her mission - to serve the ancestors and preserve, elevate and develop our rich African culture and heritage.”

Building on her foundation as a lead vocalist with famous percussion ensemble Amampondo, Lungiswa Plaatjies recorded her debut solo album Ekhaya, before collaborating with Don Laka in the production of Unonkala.  Lungiswa adds mbira to her vocal arrangements, which span traditional and contemporary repertoire.

2003 marks another great year for the Cape singer. The release of her latest CD MAMELANI which was produced by the ace producerDon laka.Mamelani really displays Lungiswa's ability tackling some sophisticated rhythms and melodies that flows across the Cd.She, for the first time, displays another talent as an instrumentalist, playing marimba and mbira on this CD.

• Nominated for Best Newcomer, 2002 SA Music Awards (March 2002).
• Nominated for Two 2002 Kora Awards (September 2002)