Harare — One of the pioneering all-female dance groups Amavithikazi is in studio recording their first album with help from the famed South African composer and producer Freddie Gwala.

Gwala popularly known as Amadamara after his chart topper was already in the capital rehearsing with the dance group Amavithikazi.

"We are working an eight-track album with Gwala who is coming from Bulawayo where he staged two shows. He will spend a week with us during which time we would be rehearsing and polishing our album," a spokesperson said.

The album is a medley of African-traditional music and Gwala's touch would be evident throughout.

"He is a great producer and we hope he would be able to select all the best songs that we composed and maybe add his own. But we want the album to have eight-tracks," she said.

Amavithikazi is a professional dance group that features all-married women. It started off as a dance group before it diversified into performing arts whereby they featured theatre in their repertoire.

Seeing that competition was increasingly making it difficult to distinguish it from the other upcoming all-female dance groups that danced to backtracks, Amavithikazi decided to venture into full time music.

Since then they have never looked back. Having shared the stage for a number of performances with the likes of Freddie Gwala and Platform One, another traditional South African outfit, the group's relationship with Gwala grew more than ever before. The upcoming debut is a result of the group's close ties with Gwala.

Gwala started off his music career by forming a group called Pure Gold in 1973 with his brothers. He later played a major role in the formation of Platform One. Freddie still produces and composes songs for these groups.

Freddie has worked with several artistes and contributed to albums from artistes such as Blondie Makhene, Vusi Shange and Brenda Fassie.

He composed the song "My Baby" which features on Brenda Fassie's album titled Imali.

Gwala also composed the songs for Madubula Amadamara and also produced the album, with the help of Sam Ndlovu.

Musically, Gwala gained inspiration from groups such as The Soul Brothers and Lady Smith Black Mambazo. Inspiration for his lyrics comes from his time spent in jail.

"I'm singing for the inmates and the youth out there," he was quoted as saying.

Through his music he hopes to motivate inmates to stay free from crime and learn from his mistake.

Each song has a message of the consequences of crime and the pain that it causes. Ultimately, Madubula Amadamara gives a realistic view of the life of a criminal.

Gwala's favourite track on the album, Bakhendl'ikaar yami, is a song about the police stripping confiscated cars and selling the parts. "This is what happens," says Freddie.

Ung'thatha kancane, track 2 on the album, tells the story of an inmate losing his wife to another man while he is in jail. A superb chorus backs this upbeat song.

Sicel'umthandazo, is a prayer that is dedicated to the prisoners. The song asks God to send the Holy Spirit to the prisons. Freddie wrote this song after being asked by numerous prisoners for a prayer to pray.

Iziboshwa tells the world that the prisoners can worship too and that they should still be treated as people.