On 6 November, South African soul stalwart Ringo Madlingozi releases Uthando Ngundoqo [Love Is Essential], a two-track EP recorded with his sons, Phila Madlingozi and ThandaMusic. It is, by the account of those closest to it, one of the most personal releases of a long and celebrated career. Fans can pre-add the EP from 16 October, and those who do will receive the first song, "Intliziyo Yam" [My Heart], immediately.

"Intliziyo Yam" was written after the death of Ringo's mother earlier this year. It is a reflection on grief and remembrance, and on the bond between parent and child that outlasts the person. The song sits in the void that loss leaves behind. It also insists on what remains: the love, wisdom and strength that keep guiding us long after our loved ones are gone.

What makes the song unusual is that its sorrow is shared. Ringo is mourning his mother now. Phila and Thanda have each lost their own mothers. The releases describe their journeys as stemming from different chapters of the family's story, but they are joined by an understanding of grief, resilience and the way mothers shape the lives of their children.

That understanding turns the song into more than a lament. It is an ode to the women who nurtured, guided and inspired these three men, and a tribute to mothers whose love survives in the values and memories they leave behind.

The EP's second song, "Uthando Ngundoqo", takes its name from a phrase that works as both title and creed. It is an affirmation that love remains the cornerstone of family, healing and human connection. Heard after "Intliziyo Yam", it reads as the answer to the first song's question: once the loss has been named, what do we do with it?

Together, the two tracks form a narrative that honours the people the family has lost while celebrating the love that continues to sustain them.

Musically, the project brings together Ringo's unmistakable voice and the contemporary soul of Phila and ThandaMusic. It bridges generations while staying rooted, as those behind it put it, in authenticity, storytelling and heartfelt emotion. It also marks a significant moment in the Madlingozi family's musical legacy.

Ringo explains the impulse in plain terms. "This project comes from a very real place in our family's journey," he says. "Each of us has experienced the loss of a mother. That pain never leaves you, but neither does the love. These songs are about carrying that love with us, honouring the women who raised us, and recognising that love remains the foundation of everything we do."

It is a modest, human thesis, and it is the right one. The EP does not try to resolve grief. It suggests that the greatest tribute we can offer those we have lost is to keep living the values they instilled in us.

Details: Uthando Ngundoqo [Love Is Essential]. Pre-add from 16 October; "Intliziyo Yam" is delivered immediately to those who pre-add. Full release 6 November 2026.