South African Maskandi artist Oshemeni drops “Unonya,” track two off his six-song project “Asikhothami Konyoko.” The word means harshness, cruelty, that kind of thing, and honestly the song doesn’t shy away from it.
Oshemeni’s always been about telling it straight, keeping things tied to where he’s from and what his culture actually values. “Unonya” fits right in with that. This one’s about dealing with people who treat you badly, plain and simple. It’s early on the tracklist too, so it kind of sets the mood for everything else that comes after on this project.
Production-wise, nothing here tries to be flashy. You’ve got acoustic guitar doing most of the work, some concertina melodies weaving through, light percussion keeping time. It’s the sound he’s built his whole thing on, no shortcuts, no chasing trends.
Oshemeni sings like he means every word, that same firm, grounded voice he always brings. There’s real weight to how he delivers this one, almost chant-like at points. You stay locked in because he’s not performing, he’s just saying what’s true.
The lyrics deal with protecting yourself from people who mean you harm, but still choosing to keep moving forward anyway. He’s not bitter about it either, more like he’s processed it and come out steady on the other side. That’s the whole point really, dignity over letting the cruelty win.
“Unonya” lands because Oshemeni doesn’t fake the tension between getting hurt and still standing tall. Nothing about it feels rushed or half-committed. It’s a solid piece of storytelling, rooted in something real.
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