I gagged in the smoke, looking at the burnt bones of my house early that morning. With adrenaline rushing, I felt raw. All the while music and creativity was pulsing inside of me. It was a feeling of pain and elation all at the same time. In the face of the loss of my home, my beloved neighborhood, and a lifetime’s worth of tools I use to create music, the urge to create had never felt so strong. As friends and strangers reached out to help, I leaned on my music community for strength - friends and collaborators gathered over years of rehearsing, gigging, touring and recording. With the devastating loss beginning to sink in, a couple of close friends set up a crowdfunding campaign for me and my family.

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It took some time and convincing for me to feel that I could accept the generosity. I was humbled and comforted by the outpouring of caring from friends and strangers alike, but being the recipient of all of that kindness was uneasy for me. Because music was pulsing so strongly in me, it struck me that if I could offer our supporters a unique work of music as a gift of gratitude, that would bring things into balance for me. 

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Obviously I didn't have any means to start recording an album, but talking with friends who were contacting me; and reaching out to others I hadn't heard from in years, the reality of a recording project took root and started growing rapidly. With two hours of sleep a night, no home base, and the continuous flow of adrenaline, time zones were blurred. In the haze and disruption of my everyday routine, I was able to talk to people in South Africa, Europe and the US seamlessly. 

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Animated, dynamic and detailed dialogue with some friends led to songs being written at a distance. I laid down rhythmic and melodic ideas using my phone, playing on anything I came across in my daily life – mailboxes on the street, the toilet bowl in my hotel room, and eventually a toy drum set from Walmart. Humming with my dusty sleepless voice, I sent rough ideas to collaborators, and they sent back beautiful, fully formed musical creations. Miraculously, one of the mailbox sidewalk sessions made it onto a completed track.

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With the forty crucial artists who contributed to the creation of the album, some pivotal anchors and satellites include Alan Hertz, Mongezi Ntaka, JB Arthur, Joe Bagale, Erin Wallace, Frank Swart, Sikiru Adepogu, Vir McCoy, Jon Chi, Vusi Mahlasela, Lloyd Ross, Peter Sklair, Sibusiso Victor Masondo and Rogan Kelsey. They each pulled the threads together and collectively wove the tapestry that is Glowing Ash.