Bhekumuzi Luthuli was one of South Africa’s most celebrated maskandi musicians, mastering a style of Zulu folk rooted in the hardship and longing of migrant labourers. Born in 1961, Luthuli grew up in a rural part of the KwaZulu-Natal region, where he taught himself to play traditional music using a tin guitar to pass the time while helping his father herd cattle. In the early ’80s, he joined the mbaqanga band Oshimi in the coastal city of Durban, but he eventually broke off on his own, working with the producer Tom Mkhize to launch a solo career. He released nearly two dozen albums before his death in 2010, and he remains beloved for his unique guitar tuning and powerful storytelling—songs like “Imilanjwana” and “Banamanga” still resonate with their propulsive grooves, glimmering licks and pointed social and spiritual commentary.