A fourth studio release by pianist and vocalist Thandi Ntuli, Rainbow Revisited is helmed by composer and producer Carlos Niño. Though derived from reinterpretations of Ntuli’s polyrhythmic “Rainbow (Skit)”, off 2018’s Exiled, this offering is characterised by minimalism and an arresting sparseness. As atmospheric soundbeds house arrangements featuring cymbals, togos, synths and searching keys, Ntuli’s scats and lilted mantras voice the angst and hopes of a country still actualising. Employing its 1994 transition into a “rainbow nation” as a conceptual and temporal departure point, Ntuli’s rhythmic articulations mirror the ebbs and flows of South Africa’s transition. Effectively soundtracking a reclamation of nation-building mythology, Rainbow Revisited encourages a more intentional engagement with the past. Originally composed by Ntuli's grandfather Levy Godlib Ntuli, “Nomayoyo (Ingoma ka Mkhulu)” embodies this ethos by adding another layer of revisitation—whilst lyrically drawing a parallel between personal and political intervention. Delicately manoeuvring across instrumentation Niño crafts partially via plants, Ntuli embraces musical interventions as well. Her resultant sense of exploration is anchored only by the duo’s shared reverence for nature. Along with a “Sunrise (In California)” opening the album, “Breath and Synth Experiment” and “Sunset (In California)” incorporate sounds of rainfall and waves respectively, while chirping birds help animate the percussive “Voice and Tongo Experiment”. These artistic choices build upon the metaphor of “Rainbow Revisited”—a sonic representation of nature's central role in reformation or recreation. More pointedly, perhaps, an appeal to something as fundamental as nature allows Ntuli to situate these improvisational compositions as interventions applicable not just in South Africa, but across the world.