Inkululeko (pronounced in-coo-loo-lake-oo) is a South African word. It means freedom, redemption and emancipation. The women who make up Inkululeko sing songs from Africa, Cuba and Eastern Europe, plus some of their own improvisations. The women of Inkululeko are Mia Pem, Lauren Kelly-Washington, Leigh Wise, Tracy Wise, and Caroline Lyon.
If you enjoy music by Ladysmith Black Mombazo or Sweet Honey in the Rock, you are sure to love Inkululeko.Their wonderful voices blend with a marvelous seamlessness.
Sue Donovan at Austin's Local Flavor, tells this story: "The first time we heard Inkululeko we had no idea what we were hearing. It was a Saturday afternoon in downtown Austin when suddenly these gentle voices began to filter through the streets. Running out to the sidewalk to try to find the source of this beautiful sound, we saw four women leaning out the windows of the building across the street. We discovered Inkululeko...Their first demo tape made me weep. So beautiful and such a surprise."
Inkululeko has played at many festivals and other such venues for the last few years. They usually perform alone but sometimes join with an all female African drum group called Afrodite. They have received great reviews all over the U.S.
