Maputla comes from the friendship between Thakzin and Tete and from a language they have created between themselves over years of knowing one another. “Maputla” is how they refer to each other, almost like a shared persona, a call between friends: come through, come dance, get into the groove. “You’re my Maputla.” What started as something personal between the two of them became the spirit of the record.

There is an ease and joy in Maputla that comes directly from that relationship. It is about going out, moving, dancing and losing yourself in the moment with someone who already understands your energy. Nothing needs to be over-explained because the connection is already there. Musically, that familiarity translates into a conversation between Thakzin and Tete, two people responding to one another through rhythm, instinct and movement.

Within COMMON GROUND, Maputla represents the language we create with the people closest to us: the names, jokes, gestures and rituals that might mean very little to the outside world, but between two people can hold an entire history. It is friendship turned into sound, and an invitation to come through and dance.