Mahalla/Let’s Hold On

Billy Cardine, Anya Hinkle, and Mary Lucey—were independently immersed in musical traditions spanning Appalachia, West Africa, South Asia, Southern Africa, and beyond; not as passing influences, but as lived experiences formed through collaboration, teaching, and time spent learning directly from musicians and communities around the world. One of those musicians happened to be South African slide guitarist Hannes Coetzee. Known internationally for his unique playing style—playing slide guitar using a spoon held in his mouth—Coetzee taught an infectious melody to Cardine and Lucey while teaching together at a music camp in Washington.

“Each night, Coetzee and his travelling companion, influential South African singer, songwriter, playwright, and director, David Kramer, would stay up sharing songs until sunrise, teaching Mary to sing in Afrikaans, and teaching me traditional melodies on the dobro,” remembers Cardine. “With Coetzee’s blessing, Mary added lyrics and a complementary vocal melody to the song he’d taught us, capturing the ache of travel, connection, and saying goodbye too soon and too often.” The resulting tune, “Mahalla/Let’s Hold On,” is now the first music being released from TANASI’s upcoming, self-titled debut album.