South African kwaai diva Umlilo’s new music video. A timely meditation on protest and revolution in South Africa set in the backdrop of the #FeesMustFall movement, “Umzabalazo” chronicles the country’s student protests through two characters on opposite ends of the South African youth struggle. Both characters are played by Umlilo. Firstly, there’s a ‘lost soul’-type from what appears to be a wealthy suburb in Johannesburg. A press release refers to him as an “everyday slacktivist.” He’s disengaged from the struggle, opting instead to watch the protests from his computer. The second character is a more revolutionary alter ego of the first character, a performance artist speaking of revolution throughout Johannesburg. Video was directed by Odendaal Esterhuyse. “Umzabalazo” is the fourth single off Umlilo’s Aluta EP. The video that’s out today is the first of two parts.
