Every poem is a love song -kutheth’ithongo is Lwanda Sindaphi’s first debut as one of the most prominent poets whose contribution in the spoken word industry speaks volumes. He returns with a solo work after his extensive experience as artistic director of the Lingua Franca Spoken word movement. Every love poem is a song-kutheth’ithongo is a collection of old and news poems which were mainly written between 2011 and 2026.

Every poem is a love song-Kuthth’ithongo is a poetry performance that speaks on experiences of indigenous spirituality, colonization, politics, fatherlessness and self. Lwanda Sindaphi promises to give a poetic libation through his witty, clever, musical rhythm and sometimes words that are stringed magically like a folk of birds. He comes from an old Hip Hop background which sometimes makes itself into his writings. The background allows him to borrow modern and western rhythms that bring a palimpsest of indigeneity and the disruption of newness. Like TS Elliot, his modernistic approaches of writings borrow idioms from various cultures to layer his poems. He is not simple. He is heavy. Heavy in many interesting ways. Heavy in surrealism, especially when he speaks on traditional spirituality. He is simple when he speaks about loss, and yet the density of his themes is elusively reachable. One could dine for days in one line and obsessively feast on it.

Lwanda Sindaphi was born in the Eastern Cape, Fort Beaufort, the place which bore many political leaders, and artists in South African, and is well known as a well of knowledge. He spent most of years in Cape Town. He remembers vividly his growing up in the Eastern Cape as a young boy. He remembers the unfathomable love of both his grandmother and grandfather. He was raised a Christian and his grandmother used to preach in the streets everyday until tears fell down her wrinkled-bony cheeks. When he writes and performs, his grandmother’s preaching takes over. His poetic lines are like Bible-verses. He is like a preacher. His poetics, in terms of imagery, oscillate between rural and urban. He is both. He operates between these two spaces with ease, His poetry carries the influence of the City life and village life.

As a poet, Lwanda’s powerful voices have resonated at esteemed forums such as Grounding Sessions, the Naked Word Festival, and Badilisha Poetry. A collaborative leader by nature, he excels at forging authentic, mutually enriching relationships with industry peers, teachers, and mentors alike.

His celebrated body of work includes KUDU, which earned three Fleur du Cap Awards, Esiseleni Sedini, Ingqanga, and Songs of this Soil, recipient of the NAC Trade Fair Award for Best Playwright, where he has contributed as writer, director, and collaborator. Currently, Lwanda serves as the Creative Director of the Lingua Franca Spoken Word Movement, overseeing the company’s artistic direction as he continues to inspire and innovate within South Africa’s vibrant arts landscape.

Lwanda Sindaphi remains a dynamic force dedicated to storytelling that challenges, connects, and moves audiences both locally and internationally.

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