Twenty-five years after Judith Sephuma introduced herself to South African audiences with her landmark debut album “A Cry, A Smile, A Dance”, one of its most enduring songs is getting a fresh lease on life.
The jazz and Afro-soul singer has released the “Iya Iyo” (Remixes) EP, bringing together the original recording with three new interpretations by South African producers Stixx, Shazmicsoul and C-Blak.
For Sephuma, the project is about more than simply giving an old song a new beat. It reflects how music can move between generations, genres, and audiences without losing the emotion that made it special in the first place.
“Iya Iyo” has remained a constant in Sephuma’s live performances for the past 25 years.
“’Iya Iyo’ is not even the one song that I thought would be paid this much attention to,” she previously reflected. “But from the minute it was released, I’ve never once not performed it in my set in 25 years. It is that one song that has always been there.”
Why Judith Sephuma revisited ‘Iya Iyo’
The new EP arrives as “A Cry, A Smile, A Dance” marks its 25th anniversary, with Sephuma looking back at an album that became a significant part of the soundtrack of many South Africans who grew up in the early 2000s.
Released in October 2001, the album included songs such as “Mmangwane”, “Le Tshephile Mang”, “A Cry, A Smile, A Dance” and “I Remember”, while “Iya Iyo” developed a life of its own.
Sephuma says the song’s longevity is closely tied to the success of the album as a whole.
“I think it’s because the whole album, ‘A Cry, A Smile, A Dance’, did very well. It was very well received, so people still listen to it today. Not just one song but the entire album,” she said.
Listening to the new interpretations has allowed her to hear her music through the ears of a younger generation.
“The fact that they merged the original song with the current sound to create what it is,” she said of what stood out to her. “It’s the most beautiful evolution of Iya Iyo. Three very different and beautiful remixes.”
That evolution is particularly significant because the producers involved grew up hearing the song themselves.
How Stixx, Shazmicsoul and C-Blak approached the remixes
For Stixx, “Iya Iyo” is connected to childhood memories of hearing Sephuma’s music at home.
“The first time I heard it was because Judith was my mother’s favourite artist. That whole album was always playing,” he said.
“I’m such a jazz fan,” he added, explaining his approach to the remix. “I tried putting the song in the same element, but in an Amapiano pocket. I wanted to combine both worlds.”
Shazmicsoul also remembers discovering the song while he was still at school.
“I remember hearing it when I was in primary school around 2004,” he said. “I used to love that album. Iya Iyo was definitely my favourite. It carries beautiful memories.”
For the Daveyton-born producer, it was the musicianship of the original that stayed with him.
“The production was insane. The chord progression, the guitar improvisation, the way everything worked together. Even as a young person, I knew this was a special record,” he said.
Rather than attempting to reproduce the original, he wanted to interpret it from his own perspective.
“I wanted to tell a Shazmicsoul urban story of this classic record,” he explained.
Veteran house producer and label founder C-Blak approached the song with a similar balance between respecting its history and introducing it to younger listeners.
“When I remix something iconic, I have to bring my own twist while introducing it to a new generation,” he said. “I want younger listeners to understand that there was a sound like this.”
For C-Blak, the starting point was Sephuma herself.
“I built from the vocal,” he said.
For Sephuma, the remixes are a reminder that music does not necessarily have an expiry date.
The singer says younger artists should feel free to reinterpret older music while respecting the essence of the original.
“There are so many young artists and DJs remixing amazing songs while still giving respect to the artist and preserving the essence of what we were trying to achieve,” she said.
“When these young gentlemen come and hear music the way they hear it, we’ve got to allow them the space to explore and let us enjoy their creativity. That’s exactly what they did with Iya Iyo.”
That openness to evolution is also reflected in how Sephuma views her own career.
“It makes me aware that we are not standing still; we are moving,” she said. “This keeps me relevant to today’s generation. It connects me to the different genres that are significant to the evolution of our time.”
And while “Iya Iyo” may have first reached listeners 25 years ago, Sephuma rejects the idea that music should be divided into “old” and “new”.
“There’s no old music or music for old people,” she said.
“Just beautiful, friendly songs that we all can relate to. Music that will forever stand the test of time.”
She believes that is ultimately what she wants younger listeners to take from her catalogue.
“That we will always write for the people. We write music that will forever be in people’s ears and hearts. Music that unites, music that breaks barriers.”
What comes next for Judith Sephuma
While the “Iya Iyo” (Remixes) EP brings a new chapter to one of her best-loved songs, Sephuma is already looking ahead.
Asked what comes next following the remix project, she kept things simple.
“We will have to see. For now, we are working on the gospel live recording.”
For an artist who has spent 25 years watching her music travel from parents’ speakers to the playlists of their children, the “Iya Iyo” remix project feels like another chapter in that journey, one where the past and present can exist in the same song.
