Two Crystal Swans is about a gift, the most precious of gifts: love. Lyrics are filled with the deepest degrees of vulnerability and tenderness, revealing a journey layered with resilience and the patience to rebuild, a blended composition making space for each, man and woman to be seen and heard.
Alex Lobulu and Lenes Jackson apply their gospel-inflections and melodic compositional style, as I write about love and relationships, touching emotional territory that resonates cross-culturally.
Starting with a gentle introduction, one that feels hopeful and airy, Alex opens with piano allowing room for thoughtful emotion.
I wanted this song to be a sound landscape that would feel connected to the highs and lows in domestic relationships with magnification on gentleness and forgiveness, not hurt or trauma.
Inspiration behind song/album art
I grew up in a household with considerable fighting between my parents. The intense altercations would mostly resolve in silent forgiveness, but the heavy moments made me uncertain in the navigation of partnerships, loving partnerships.
In 2006, following a strained divorce, I met a man who helped me to believe in love again. He gifted me two crystal swans, these creature's whose seemingly tranquil nature, combined with their enduring relationships, became an emblem of love and faithfulness. I, in turn, wrote him the poem, Two Crystal Swans, which navigated clarities and fragilities of love.
The album art takes a theme of an epic masquerade, a fantastic journey of life, unity, possessions, identities, intrigue, performance, friendship and conveys this love in rich tones and striking graphic shapes. Signed artwork made from vibrant layers of cut paper, printed as limited edition of 5.
*Available on all streaming and digital services on Nov 1, 2024
About Voice of Maasai
Voice of Maasai focuses on producing uplifting music through co-writes and collaborations in Arusha Tanzania. We connect a global audience with emerging Maasai talent to provide authentic and nuanced perspectives of the Savannah's of East Africa and use music as a vehicle for social bonding.
USA Brand Press Inquiries
Jessey Jansen
Founder & Executive Manager
Swahili Press Inquiries
Alex Lobulu
Producer