UMazisi Kunene yindwele kasonkondlo, obunyoningcwe bakhe kunqakiswana ngabo umhlaba wonke, ungumeluki futhi wemisebenzikazi efana nendeyindekugqama njengale: Emperor The Great – uNodumehlezi KaMenzi ne-Anthem of The Decades – Inhlokomo Yeminyaka. Sikhuluma lapha ngomlobi wezinkondlo ezibalwa uze ukhathale, izindaba ezimfishane, imilolozelo, izaga eziliqoqo elifike ezinkulungwnanei eziyishumi. Leli qhawe lamaqhawe lazalwa eMahlongwa ngowe 1930, endaweni esogwini lwaseNingizimu naKwaZulu-Natal, eNingizimu Afrika. Isiphiwo sikaMazisi Kunene esasingavamisile entangeni yakhe savela nje esalusa, esenga, ezingela, ebumba izinkunzi zobumba, baziqhathe, enza konke okwakwenziwa ayebutho linye nabo. Kodwa uyise nomkhulu wakhe bashesha babona ukuthi umzukulu wabo wayephiwe ubumbongi ngendlela emangalisayo. Bamkhuthaza ukuba abhale. Kamumva simuzwa eth: “Ukubhala akusimina, kodwa ngamandla angiqhoqhobala njengehhashi”. Inkambo kaKunene engungqondongqondo emphakathini futhi engusomfundokwazi ovelele, siyilandela sifinyelele koStandford University lapho aba nguSolwazi khona Ebucikweni bokubhala base-Afrika nako-Univesity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) lapho ayefundisa khona Ubuciko bokubhala base-Afrika nezilimi. Kwathi uma ebuya ekudingisweni waba nguSolwazi we-African Languages e-University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). USolwazi Mazisi Kunene waba sekudingisweni iminyaka engama 34. Ngaleso sikhathi waqala futhi waphatha ihhovisi le-African National Congress (ANC) eLondon. Kamuva wathatha unkosikazi nezingane zakhe waya eLos Angeles ephokophelele umkhakha wobusomfundokwazi. I-Emperor Shaka the Great – uNodumehlezi kaMenzi, ngamangwevu uKunene awabhala ngeLembe lapho ayekhombisa khona ubunsengetshe balo emaqhingeni ezempi nasekulweni. Le ndekugqama inanela ukuthi umbonotalagu weSilo uShaka kwakuyikubumba imisinga yosikompilo neyozombusazwe, okwakufanele kube ngumgogodla wokuhlanganisa njengenhlaka isizwe sakwaZulu. UKunene ubona isilo sakwaDukuza sinamandla abaphansi anobumfihlo esasikwazi ukubopha ngasibopho sinye ukuzika kolibo losikompilo kusikompilo lwama-Afrika kanye nendlela ababuka ngayo umhlaba. Lokhu kushicilelwa futhi kwalo msebenzi ngonyakwa weshumi emva kokuba uMtimande edlulela kwabakubo, kuqukethe iphupho lakhe kwasekuqaleni lokuthi ibhuku liyoshicilelwa ngesiZulu okuyilona lulimi ugqozi lwakhe olwachichima lwaphumela emhlabeni ngalo. Lokhu kuqondana ngokwesiboniso sosikompilo kulolu shicilelo lukaNodumehlezi kaMenzi – Emperor Shaka The Great kukhuthaza ukuba kuphindwe kudliwe amathambo ekhanda, kubukwa amagalelo kaKunene ekugxiliseni imiqondo yakhe kulokho okucatshangwayo nokwenzakalayo ezikhathini ezahlukene.

Mazisi Kunene was South Africa's first poet laureate, one of the most important voices of twentieth century African poetry, whether in African or European languages. His four collections of poems published in English are still considered classics and major works of imaginative creation in African literature. This posthumous selection of 52 poems explores the cosmology and mythology of his Zulu heritage from a universal perspective is what defines the ethos of his opus. Much of his poetry is imbued with themes that touch on history, family, legacy, and the importance of the ancestors, worded in innovative language and steeped in vision that make his writing unique.