Meeting Majozi

By Pasqua Heard

19 May 2016

Nhlanhla Majozi is a bank teller-turned-musician from Durban who has just released his second album, 'Fire', set to launch in Cape Town on 2 June. But more than that, he’s a thoughtful South African seeking to make an impact with his passion for music.

Introducing Majozi

What did you do before you were a musician?

I worked for five years in a bank – obviously it wasn’t what I was meant to do! I then got the opportunity, through a little bit of faith and some generous people, to study music and I worked for the church for a while. Through that, I started getting more involved in writing my own music and playing at weddings and markets.

When was the defining moment when you knew you'd make music your career?

Definitely when The River was playlisted on 5fm. People really enjoyed it and opportunities started opening up for me.

Into which genre do you categorise your music and what are you experimenting with at the moment?

It’s pretty much indie-folk, but I guess you could throw pop in there too. I think, for my next one, I’m going to try to take myself out of my comfort zone – maybe not even play guitar on my next album. Make it something that stretches my musical ability, but we’ll see.

What drives your lyrics?

My main inspiration is Jesus and God, and the way I see life through that. I like to listen to people and observe things a lot. I just like to watch what’s going on around me and write about life through that lens.

What would you say are the key differences between your latest album, 'Fire', to 'Mountains'?

A lot of it is more stripped down than the other album, so there’s a whole lot fewer electro influences coming through. It’s more natural instruments – you know like guitars and banjos. Then, I hope my song writing got a whole lot more mature during the making of the second album. There are also some references to the student strikes that were happening.

What kind of music are you listening to?

I’m loving a lot of indie stuff at the moment. There’s this one guy called Jack Garrat who’s actually changing the way I’m going to do my whole set. He’s amazing at guitar and he uses all these weird drum pads and does two things at once! I also love Kings of Leon – I listen to them every day. I also listen to different music, like a bit of hip hop – Chance the Rapper and Kendrik Lamar.

Why the wide-brimmed, felt hat?

There’s this guy called Zak Venter (the founder of Sergeant Pepper Clothing) who told me the benefits of having a look. You know, everyone who’s noticeable has a look, like Simon Cowell and his black T-shirts. In this industry you need to find something that makes you stand out. I always wanted to wear a hat – it just took me a while to find one. I think it goes with the country folk style. But now everyone wears a hat, so what you gonna do?

Which was the first CD you ever bought?

'Sum41 All Killer, No Filler'. All the songs were good on that album!

Thoughts on the South African music scene

What's your take on the change to playing 90% local music in SA?

The understanding behind it is good – there should be more local music on the radio, I don’t dispute that, but I also want to make sure that whatever is being played on the radio is of good quality. The main thing I don’t want is for the artists that have been played before – like me – to be played more. I mean, I’d dig to be played a little bit more, but I wouldn’t dig my songs just to be recycled over and over again just to make up the quota. I’d dig to have our songs played more, and then bring in some new artists. Now there’s a quota, there should be space for new artists. I hope it works out for the ‘little guy’. I hope everyone gets paid (royalties, etc) from it too.

It’s also about putting out quality music, but not everyone is able to do this as it’s quite expensive. I think there is a lot of quality music out there, but hopefully it’ll get into the right hands and that people won’t hear the radio and think South African music isn’t good quality. The change is meant with good intentions, but let’s hope it’s implemented well. We’ll see how it goes.

Have you found the SA music scene to be quite competitive or collaborative?

I think people are really collaborative. The music industry is just too small to have any grudges or competitiveness, especially in my genre where we have such a small market. It’s easier to work together. That’s what I’ve found in general – especially with the older guys who are really cool. I’m good friends with Francois van Coke who’s helped me out a lot as well as Ard Matthews and Brad Klynsmith (he’s not that old).

Who in SA would you still like to collaborate with?

I’d dig to collaborate with Cassper Nyovest. I’ve always wanted to work with a rapper and I’ve always got songs in mind that I couldn’t bring out myself, but would sound really cool with a rapper.

What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?

Be kind, be humble, don’t think of yourself as a big rock star all the time. It goes a long way when you’re kind to people, they’ll help you if they see you’re easy to work with. Practice, practice, practice. And as soon as you start to get comfortable, stretch yourself to see what else you’re capable of.

Majozi speaks to us about Paedspal

I’m an ambassador for the charity Paedspal, based in Rondebosch, so I’m trying to create more awareness for them. They deal with children who are terminally ill. I just love children, so if there’s any way I can help them, I’ll do it.

Anyone who’s in the limelight has a social responsibility and should essentially use their fame for good. I always say, a lot of the world’s problems come from selfishness and thinking about ourselves, so the main goal is getting people thinking about others.

Majozi fans can catch him at any of the following events (or on the Sea Point promenade where he occasionally runs):

Album launch (Cape Town), 2 June 2016, Cape Town.

Monark and Majozi Winter Tour:

• Parkview Barnyard (Pretoria), 6 June
  
• Gateway Barnyard (Durban), 7 June
  
• Willowbridge Barnyard (Cape Town), 9 June
  
• Emperor's Palace Barnyard (Joburg), 22 June

Click here to stand the chance to win 2 tickets to any of the shows

www.majozi.co.za | Majozi on Facebook | @NhlanhlaMajozi