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INVESTIGATION The story of music during apartheid

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The gospel according to Adekunle Gold

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CONTENTS

A U G U S T 2022 DEPARTMENTS | 06 Letter from the Editor-in-Chief / FEATURES | 72 Sun-El Musician: accidental DJ, reluctant celebrity and award-winning sound designer 80 Five multi-genre musicians share their highlights, goals and dream collabs / 86 The freedom songs of South Africa’s storied past ESSENTIALS | 08 This month’s Threads: Advice, Man About Town, Culture and Curated | 16 Reasons we love publicity powerhouse Melanie Ramjee | 18 The skincare regime for you.

Plus, time to get yourself a dope wig (minus the shame) | 22 The real-life diet of chef Kwame Onwuachi | 28 Nigerian superstar Adekunle Gold releases his best work yet / GEAR | 37 BMW iX | 40 Nissan Navara / SPORT 42 The supplement debate: do they really benefit your training? | 44 A CrossFit pro chats fasted workouts and representation / MUSIC | 47 How to navigate the music industry / ST YLE | 56 Have fun with colour, print, texture, branding and embellishment | 66 Your winter fix of cosy knits | 94 Directory 0 2 GQ.CO.ZA | A U G U ST 2 0 2 2

P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y N I Q U I TA B E N TO

SUN-EL MUSICIAN WEARS Jacket and jeans both Louis Vuitton

ALPINE EAGLE With its pure and sophisticated lines, Alpine Eagle offers a contemporary reinterpretation of one of our iconic creations. Its 41 mm case houses an automatic, chronometer-certified movement, the Chopard 01.01-C. Forged in Lucent Steel A223, an exclusive ultra-resistant metal resulting from four years of research and development, this exceptional timepiece, proudly developed and handcrafted by our artisans, showcases the full range of watchmaking skills cultivated within our Manufacture.

CONTENTS ADEKUNLE GOLD WEARS Shirt Bottega Veneta; jacket, rings and chains all his own

ON THE COVERS

ON THE COVERS: SUN-EL MUSICIAN Photographed by Niquita Bento.

ADEKUNLE GOLD Photographed by Simon Thiselton at Dais Agency. All prices quoted in this issue are approximate and subject to change.

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N R O FE N! F O OO S

We all enjoy exploring the beautiful places on our planet. Yet, due to the harsh reality of climate change, the landscapes and landmarks we all know and love are changing, and adventures like this could become our new reality.

It’s time to change the way we see climate change before it changes the way we see our world.

Visit wwf.org.za to #ChangeTheJourney

ED’S LETTER

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but one thing that can pull that trigger and release all my memories, beautiful and sad, is music. For me, two songs top the list, both by the late, great Oliver Mtukudzi, namely, ‘Neria’ and ‘Mutserendende’.

The story behind ‘Neria’ is bittersweet. I first heard the song when I went to the cinema with my mom to see the movie in which it appears. The story tells of a woman whose husband has just passed away and has to deal with her in-laws trying to take away the assets she and her late husband accumulated. My mom lost her husband not long before the movie was released, and I recall her being emotional throughout the film, especially when that song was played.

At nine years old, I couldn’t fully understand my mom’s emotions, but as I grew up and understood the reality of what she’d dealt with, I got it. It must’ve been torture for her to watch the movie and hear the song. Each time I hear that track, it transports me to that moment, and even though it’s sad, it reminds me of what a bad-ass my mom is because she overcame that, and much more.

‘Mutserendende’ has a happier memory – me and my maternal grandmother jamming in my grandfather’s vintage 1965 Datsun Silvia 1600 Coupe. She was so pleased as she moved up and down in the passenger seat.

I sat in the driver’s seat while we waited for Grandpa to return.

Her skin was flawless, her eyes glowing – pure joy! The song speaks about life being a breeze and beautiful, and that moment was just that. Every time I hear it, everything in me lights up.

į ‘Cherry Oh Baby’ – UB40 į ‘A Cry, A Smile, a Dance’ – Judith Sephuma į ‘7 Seconds’ – Youssou N’Dour į ‘Stimela Sasezola’ – Mbongeni Ngema į ‘Handina Munyama’ – Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited į ‘Alabaster Box’ – CeCe Winans į ‘The Soul Cafe’ – Kaylow į ‘I’m Gonna be Ready’ – Yolanda Adams į ‘All Over’ – Tiwa Savage į ‘Can we Talk’ – Tevin Campbell į ‘Not Afraid’ – Eminem į ‘Uyandithanda’ – Zonke į ‘Just Us’ – The Weather Girls į ‘Goodness of God’ į – CeCe Winans į ‘Wandirasa’ – Chiwoniso Maraire į ‘The Dance’ – Dave Koz

Till next time!

MOLIFE E D I TO R- I N - C H I E F

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL OLIVER LOVE

I ’ M N OT E A S I LY T R I G G E R E D,

Memories like these and more are why we chose to dedicate this issue to music – to celebrate people at its forefront, such as our two cover stars.

Nigerian singer-songwriter Adekunle Gold and South African music producer and DJ Sun-El Musician are megastars locally and are taking the African sound globally. We also talk about the business of music: the ins and outs, the good and the bad and more from page 49, a section I highly recommend you read and share with people you know who want to enter the music industry or are already involved in it.

Music also played a crucial role during the fight against apartheid. Our investigation on page 86 delves into the soundtracks behind our long flight to freedom.

Speaking of soundtracks, here’s the rest of my top life playlist. I hope it inspires you to list your life tunes – you may also find one or two to add from the ones below:

PUBLISHED BY CONDÉ NAST

EDITOR-IN- CHIEF Molife Kumona EDITORIAL

Lesley Mathys Walter Hay ward

GROUP MANAGING AND SY NDICATION EDITOR MANAGING AND SY NDICATION EDITOR

FA SHION

Jason Alexander Basson Luke Diva

FASHION DIRECTOR FASHION EDITOR

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER ROGER LYNCH GLOBAL CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER & PRESIDENT, U.S. REVENUE PAMELA DRUCKER MANN GLOBAL CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER ANNA WINTOUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER JACKIE MARKS CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER DEIRDRE FINDLAY CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER STAN DUNCAN CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER DANIELLE CARRIG CHIEF OF STAFF ELIZABETH MINSHAW CHIEF PRODUCT & TECHNOLOGY OFFICER SANJAY BHAKTA CHIEF DATA OFFICER KARTHIC BALA CHIEF CLIENT OFFICER JAMIE JOUNING CHIEF CONTENT OPERATIONS OFFICER CHRISTIANE MACK

AR T

Keenan Jeppe Nosipho Ngqula Alex Stewar t

AR T DIRECTOR GR APHIC DESIGNER GR APHIC DESIGNER

CONDÉ NAST ENTERTAINMENT PRESIDENT AGNES CHU

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD COPY

Lisa Abdellah Esihle Mngini

JONATHAN NEWHOUSE

SENIOR COP Y EDITOR JUNIOR COP Y EDITOR

FE ATURE S

Shannon Manuel Anele Geqiwe

SENIOR FE AT URES WRITER GRO OMING EDITOR

C ONTRIBUTING EDITORS Dieter Losskarn (MOTORING) CONTRIBUTORS Brent Chua, Steven Contreras, Megan Farokhmanesh, Nicholas Freemand, Nare Kekana, Dan Landsburgh, Sanelisiwe Maliza, Michael Martin, Li Murillo, Caterina Ospina, Bella Patterne, Jese Vora, Keanoush Zargham PHOTO GR APHERS AND ILLUS TR ATORS Ana Abril, Niquita Bento, Luis Chércoles, Rubén Cortés, Nicki de Villiers, Michael Oliver Love, Sasha Olsen, Hayden Phipps, Antonio Romero, Winston Sussens, Simon Thiselton, Nataliya Vaitkevich, Aart Verrips, Eric White C ONTENT NATION MEDIA (P T Y ) LTD CEO Samantha Subrayen PERSONAL ASSISTANT Isabel Koul OPERATIONS GENERAL MANAGER Paul Myburgh FINANCE CONTROLLER Marjorie Lotterie GROUP PRODUCTION MANAGER Jean Jacobs / PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR Charné Phillips CIRCULATIONS MANAGER Frederick Smit / CIRCULATIONS CO-ORDINATOR Bertina Ellis ADVERTIS ING JOHANNESBURG HEAD OF SALES Shana Rahaman ACCOUNT MANAGERS Lorraine Bradley, Wendy Robinson, Anne Atkinson and Derynne Klaver CAPE TOWN HEAD OF SALES Charlotte Nutman ACCOUNT MANAGERS Nadia Pereira and Pascal Davray ADVERTISING LIAISON MANAGER Natasha O ’ Connor SALES REPRESENTATIVE ITALY Angelo Careddu (OBERON MEDIA) DIGITAL DIGITAL TRAFFIC MANAGER Arthur Mukhari DIGITAL CAMPAIGN MANAGER Viné Lucas DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCER Luthando Vikilahle BR AND PROPERTIE S AND E VENT S BRAND MANAGER Desiree Kriel EVENTS MANAGER Lerato Molefe CAPE TOWN HE AD OFFICE Content Nation Media (Pty) Ltd, 10th floor, Convention Towers, Heerengracht St, Cape Town City Centre, 8000. PO Box 16414, Vlaeberg, 8018. Tel: 021-344-0500; Email: gq @ condenast.co.za REPRODUCTION Studio Repro PRINTING Novus Print Montague Gardens DISTRIBUTION Allied Publishing, 32 Wepener Street, Booysens, Johannesburg RESEARCH Publisher Research Council PRODUCT MANAGER Soraya Pretorius, 011-248-2418 © 2020 Content Nation Media (Pty) Ltd. Copyright subsists in all work published in this magazine. Any reproduction or adaptation, in whole or in part, without written permission of the publishers is strictly prohibited and is an act of copyright infringement which may, in certain circumstances, constitute a criminal offence. ‘The paper used for this publication is a recyclable and renewable product. It has been produced using wood sourced from sustainably managed forests and elemental or total chlorine free bleached pulp. The producing mills have third-party management systems in place, applying standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. This magazine can be recycled either through your kerbside collection or at a local recycling point. Log onto www.prasa.co.za to find your nearest sites.

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ISSNs: 1562-4366

THREADS

ESSENTIALS | THREADS

An exercise in eccentricity and the fine art of being memorable Words and illustration by Jason Alexander Basson

TIP ONE WORK WITH WHAT YOU’VE GOT Accentuate your assets, especially the ones you consider defective or embarrassing. If you were bullied or teased for being fat, take back your power and turn your “fatness” into your greatest strength and style signifier. To quote Party Monster, ‘If you have a hunchback, just throw a little glitter on it, honey, and go dancing.’

TIP TWO CREATE YOUR SIGNATURE

IMAGINE IF ANDY WARHOL WAS A MUSCLE MARY WITH A BUZZ CUT, Salvador Dalí didn’t have

a moustache, Marilyn Monroe was a brunette, or Colonel Sanders wore jeans and a tee? Would they be as noteworthy today? Or, more precisely, would they control as much real estate in the memory banks of popular culture, past and present?

MAYBE YES, MAYBE NO. I’m not diminishing the work or contributions of these icons but rather suggesting that there’s a connection between style and substance – a space where an individual’s appearance is canonised to the extent that it becomes inseparable from or sometimes entirely overshadows their work.

WE CALL THIS ‘BRAND’.

Can you name ten films Marilyn Monroe was in or describe her ideological or political leanings?

And can you explain the E=mc2 equation in great detail or describe the photoelectric effect? Perhaps you only know what Albert Einstein’s hair looked like and that he’s the guy behind the theory of general relativity?

The lesson here is if part of your plan is to become an icon and leave an indelible mark on culture and history, you may want to consider

that work alone will only get you so far. To complete the package, you’ll need to become a brand by taking ownership of and carefully cultivating a head-to-toe style that remains consistent (or, at least, on-brand) throughout your career, unique enough that people will remember you for it. And when we say “style”, we don’t mean great personal style – none of that looks-good-blends-in sort of stuff.

Iconic style is rooted in eccentricity.

History is littered with examples of this. It’s pretty straightforward and can sometimes be as simple as an oversized pair of glasses (Iris Apfel), a crazy shock of hair (Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat) or a peculiar moustache (John Waters, Hitler, Tom Selleck).

But what about style chameleons Madonna and Lady Gaga, who reinvent their style for each new album they release?

Yes, that’s a higher-grade conversation, but, essentially, being a chameleon is their brand, and their style exists to shock. Think Catholic subversion, meat dresses and so on.

You don’t need to shock, but something about your style should be shocking, out of the ordinary, and rule-breaking. Otherwise, how will people notice you?

‘Your style should be out of the ordinary and rule-breaking.

Otherwise, how will people notice you?’

This ties in with my previous point. Most people create their style signifier as a distraction from physical insecurity.

Were you teased for having no hair? Wear the most OTT wig you can find or cover your head in tattoos.

TIP THREE ECCENTRICITY IS IMPORTANT Being a style eccentric doesn’t mean you’re a clown or that you look ridiculous. It’s about being extraordinary and pushing your style beyond what people know or are comfortable with, to create something marvellous and memorable. You have to be daring.

TIP FOUR UNIFORM Back up your style signifier with a uniform.

That doesn’t mean wearing the same thing every day but dressing consistently in clothes that complement it.

TIP FIVE REPETITION Drill the message daily until people know who you are.

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ESSENTIALS | THREADS

IBRAHIM K AMARA L E T ’ S S TA RT BY SAY I N G H OW MUCH WE LOV E I B R A H I M K A M A R A , not only

because he’s a diasporic African showing the world how great this continent and its people are, but also his resume is nothing short of impressive.

Kamara was born in Sierra Leone during a war, and he and his family fled to The Gambia and lived there until he was 11. They then moved to London, where he’d eventually study medicine, only to change lanes into fashion.

He worked as a fashion journalist and stylist in London.

In 2016, he visited South Africa and worked with photographer Kristin-Lee Moolman (who shot GQ Style’s first cover). The two created a Soweto-based, breathtaking photographic series titled ‘2026’, featuring streetcast models dressed in upcycled clothing. The series gained a lot of attention internationally.

After working on his follow-up series ‘Utopian Voices’, Kamara met then creative director for Dazed Robbie Spencer, who gave

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him his first editorial styling job.

Years later, that steamrolled into him taking on the role of editorat-large for i-D, followed by editor-in-chief at Dazed. To date, he’s amassed an impressive list of high-end collabs, including luxury powerhouses such as Burberry and Louis Vuitton.

In terms of Off-White, he’s certainly not a random choice for the brand. Abloh and Kamara shared a solid professional and personal relationship that began on Instagram and flourished over the years, a kinship the brand noted. Abloh trusted, worked well with and respected Kamara immensely for his creative point of view.

Kamara’s story and body of work can only mean great things for Off-White – and he’s certainly a much-needed voice in fashion.

In a world that often overlooks its third voice, he’ll undoubtedly provide a unique perspective on everything from inclusivity to representation, upcycling and what the phrases “street style” or “luxury” even mean.

WORDS: JASON ALEXANDER BASSON; PHOTOGRAPHY; GALLO/GETTY IMAGES

The late Virgil Abloh left some pretty massive shoes to fill as the world has been waiting and watching with bated breath to see how Ibrahim Kamara fares in the role of Image and Art Director for Off-White

ESSENTIALS | THREADS

Is size inclusivity only for women?

And why are we even treating plussize as a peripheral category?

WORDS:JASON ALEXANDER BASSON; PHOTOGRAPHY: S U P P L I E D B Y S AVA G E X F E N T Y

THE WORLD HAS JUMPED ON THE INCLUSIVITY BANDWAGON TO ensure

everybody feels represented. But when it comes to fashion, it seems to be primarily happening in womenswear, and menswear brands often exclude plus-sizing when they mention inclusivity.

Globally, Savage x Fenty has been a pioneer in this space, offering a body-positive viewpoint for men that’s empowering, attractive and fully inclusive without any gimmicks. Yet, they’re one of very few brands doing this. Local brands have celebrated everything from albinism to vitiligo as a callout to inclusivity in men’s fashion – but that’s a marketing gimmick that only speaks to semi-inclusive casting. Only recently, local e-commerce platform Superbalist became the first to include a plus-size category for men on its website. So, if the world (and brands) are honestly working towards

inclusivity, why has it taken them so long, and why is it still such a struggle to include plus-size men?

The reality is that if you have to call it out, then you aren’t doing the work. If you have to treat plus as a separate category, it isn’t really inclusive. Inclusivity means offering sizing for everyone and in every style of clothing. Well-intended as it may be, the plus-size category is an archaic callout that’s very much rooted in body fascism No plus-size individual wants to be othered, forced to shop in a separate corner of shame. Why wouldn’t individuals want to access the same types of fashionable clothing as everybody else? Naming conventions don’t help either.

Whether you call it curvy, plussize or whatever politically correct term you think works for today’s consumer, it’s still problematic My question to retailers is this: if they include diverse faces in their campaigns (vitiligo, albinism, etc.), will they create a separate section for those individuals to shop?

No! Of course not because that’d be offensive. So, why the inherent assumption that it’s okay to do that for fuller-figured individuals?

You may argue that it’s to improve the user journey through quick access, but you’re wrong. Just be better by being inclusive. It’s not that hard!

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ESSENTIALS | THREADS

UNI FORM

BY LUKE RADLOFF I love a brand whose goal is to transcend outdated notions of what Africa offers and push its design economy to match any major fashion capital. What it does very well are modular, trans-seasonal pieces that emphasise quality and garment development. I’m particularly obsessed with UNI FORM’s outwear and pant offering. And the quality of its fabrication is so good you feel like you’re buying international fashion at a local price point. It elevates classics filtered through the lens of a new South Africa. You’re welcome!

CURATED GQ Fashion Director Jason Alexander Basson’s best fits and favourite finds of the month

CONVERSE X STÜSSY As a ’90s child who attended many a rave, Mother or ESP years before I was of legal age, you can never overstate the value of brands in that space.

Certainly not for somebody trying to look like he belonged in that era when he (clearly) didn’t, wearing standard issues such as the Kangol bucket hat, three-striped Blackjack pants, Buffalo boots

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and a fitted Adidas tee. Among those holy grail brands were Converse and Stüssy, the latter of which isn’t nearly as available as it was then. But this exciting collab will change that. This One Star in black hemp gives us that ’90s west coast look, SoCal style – which couldn’t be more Stüssy if it tried.

ESSENTIALS | THREADS

DIESEL X LELO A designer vibrating his-and-hers cock ring, built for her pleasure – but made for fashion.

BRANDALISM

BY MIKE SHARMAN ‘Life is short. Play naked!’ is some of the sage advice you’ll encounter in award-winning brand savant Mike Sharman’s latest offering Brandalsim (R259, loot.co.za). In this follow-up to his best-seller, The Best Dick, Sharman discusses the teething phases of brand building. Everything from the future of PR and influence to when, how and why to launch. He emphasises manifesto over purpose and how to challenge your publicfacing persona. It’s a nugget of gold for anybody with a pulse in 2022.

PHOTOGRAPHS SUPPLIED

A-E-I-O-U This incredible debut film series by South African director Francesco Nassimbeni won the prestigious Jury Award for Best Experimental Short at the Cannes Short Film Festival. Nassimbeni has fast made a name for himself with various projects, including a novella for young adults, The Skin I Live In, which has been translated into six South African languages, and his radio drama The Paper,

about a student newsroom at the time of a statue controversy. He also made the Top 10 in Netflix’s Realness Project for his screenplay, You Me They Them. A-E-I-O-U isn’t only his first film, but it marks his debut as a director for brands. The series is a visual expression of ‘The Many Faces of Depression’, a next-normal jewellery collection designed by Gisèle Human of South African accessories brand Waif, which sensitively explores and highlights mental health issues arising from Covid-19 to offer ways to heal. (Watch the series on gq.co.za)

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PA S S I O N AT E A B O U T P EO P L E , developing new talent

and taking careers (including her own) to new heights, Melanie Ramjee has worked with some of the biggest names in the game. As the managing director of boutique PR agency Tutone Communications, she’s represented numerous local and international brands, from clothing and music festivals to special sporting events. And, as she tells GQ, she’s loved every minute.

For almost two decades, Melanie Ramjee has worked to earn her title as one of the most acclaimed publicists in South Africa

PUBLICITY Words by Shannon Manuel Photography by Aart Verrips

GQ: What were your aspirations when you first entered this industry?

Do you feel you’ve achieved what you intended?

Melanie Ramjee: I was young, eager and wet behind the ears, but ready to play a part in the entertainment industry. I first entered the industry by running the door at a club while throwing down some rap verses in hip-hop cyphers.

Later, I started an entertainment company with my then-boyfriend.

That grew into a record label, and the rest is history.

Tutone Communications came years later. I registered my agency back in 2009, just as the 2010 FIFA World Cup mania was starting.

I quit my cool corporate job and, after a three-month sabbatical, borrowed a laptop and R500 to register the company.

At Tutone Communications, we offer strategic PR solutions for corporate entertainment and other lifestyle brands.

We currently represent artists including TxC, Uncle Waffles, Taylor Jaye (Namibian), and Pheelz (Nigerian). Other brands we work with include Cotton Fest, YFM, Trace Urban, Johannesburg Film

ESSENTIALS | WOMAN WE LOVE

Festival, Rubicon (clothing), and the Special Olympics.

I’ve definitely achieved what I first set out to by making an impact in the industry. My aspirations have grown a lot since my teens, so I’m still working on new ones daily.

GQ: What attracted you to PR and entertainment as a career?

MR: Entertainment was always in my blood. Truth be told, PR found me. Back when I started an entertainment company/record label in the ’90s, I fell into my PR role. I was good at writing and even better at dealing with people.

My partner did A&R (artists and repertoire), while I dealt with the media. That worked for us.

GQ: You’re considered a blueprint for success within your industry. What do you think of this, and who has influenced you?

MR: Wow, a whole blueprint!

Maybe one of many, really.

I definitely took the longer way to get to where I am now. I didn’t study PR or business per se, which meant it took me a long time to figure some stuff out. I always encourage young people to take the study route if they can to fast-track their success.

Education is power.

My influences include industry powerhouses such as Lebo Motswenyane, Marang Setshwaelo and, of course, my legend herself Penny Steyn. And women like Basetsana Kumalo and Melanie Bala, who paved the way for us.

GQ: As one of the top women in the industry with an inside view, is PR generally a maledominated arena?

MR: Entering the PR industry back in my 20s, I only knew PR as a female-dominated industry, so I never felt jaded by those notions.

All my mentors were women. There are many male industry leaders in the PR world, but I just keep it moving – there’s space for everyone.

Challenges come and go, so I never really focus on them. I simply focus on the belief that everyone has their season.

GQ: You’ve been in this business for a long time.

How has PR evolved?

MR: I’m old school, so I come from the days of the fax machine.

Back then, you had to fax a press release with a cover letter to one media person at a time. Imagine the nightmare! Breaking news was so much slower. These days, everyone can create content, trend online and even film breaking news on their cellphones, all instantaneously. We press one button and send a press release to 3 000 media participants.

GQ: What are your tips for creating wealth as a publicist and building a successful career?

MR: Study your craft and know everything about it, never stop learning and growing. Live your craft. Pay your dues (that way, you learn the ins and out of the industry and last longer here). Time is money, so don’t waste it on useless things.

Work never sleeps, so stay focused and, most importantly, know your worth and don’t settle for less.

Because we have instantaneous access to media platforms via social media, young artists can do their own ‘PR’.

Before choosing a publicist, the questions you should ask yourself include: are these artists successful and blowing up? Does the PR agency represent anyone under the same genre? Do you know any of those artists they rep so that you can call them for a reference? What are their rates? Do they believe in you?

Do you feel their vibe and energy?

GQ: What should artists do if they can’t afford a publicist

and are trying to do their own PR? MR: Call relevant newspapers and online platforms and find out who does their entertainment stories.

Chat to journalists, befriend them and get their details. Email them your info and follow up after a few days. Network at events and launches to ensure you connect with the right people who can give you exposure.

GQ: How can an artist create a well-rounded publicity strategy?

MR: Call me!

GQ: Can you tell us about your work, particularly within the music industry?

MR: I co-founded a record label called Eargasm Records back in the early 2000s. We released hip-hop legends of the time, Mizchif and Spex. We’ve represented amazing local and international clients and brands that have grown with us over the years. We’ve also worked on remarkable concerts and festivals that have launched the careers of many young talented artists in the country.

GQ: Name some of the artists you’ve worked with.

MR: Local artists/brands: TxC, Riky Rick, Sho Madjozi, Kwesta, Gigi Lamayne, Stogie T, Ntosh Gazi, Una Rams and Bonang Matheba.

African-based artists: Mohombi, Niniola, DJ OBI, DJ Cuppy and YCee. International artists: Kendrick Lamar, Migos, J. Cole, Jill Scott, John Legend, Keri Hilson, Chris Brown, Rick Ross, Trey Songz, Mary J Blige and Kim Kardashian.

GQ: When is the right time for an artist to hire a publicist? What should they consider before doing so?

MR: I always say, further down the line than you might think.

Jitahidi Maxi Dress Angalia AW22 OPPOSITE PAGE Dress Rubicon Myth of Origin Range

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ESSENTIALS | GROOMING

Dermalogica Smart Response Serum

1

Foreo LUNA 3 Men Introducing the tool that takes care of your skin, so you don’t have to. Specifically designed for the busy man’s lifestyle, Foreo’s LUNA 3 Men cleans and conditions your skin and beard, removing the grime of the day off your face in just one minute.

Smart Response technology helps stop skin damage before it starts, using four smart actives, which, when triggered, hydrate, brighten, soothe and address the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in response to the skin’s changing needs.

Price: R 2 799 Available at: Dermalogica Skin type: Normal

3

Tom Ford Research Cleansing Concentrate This unisex cleanser is infused with precious white porcelain cacao, caffeine, and gyokuro to help support the skin’s natural energy and boost its appearance, radiance and hydration.

Price: R1 650 Available at: Woolworths Skin type: Dry

4

Acqua di Parma Barbiere Moisturising Face Cream If some days your skin is oily, other days it’s dry, and on good days it’s just right, you have a combination skin type, so this is the right cream for you.

Price: R1 300 Available at: Skins Cosmetics Skin type: Combination

5

Elemis ProCollagen

Price: R3 299 Available at: Arc, Takealot, Superbalist, @home Skin type: All

This anti-ageing moisturiser hydrates and firms the skin and helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

Price: R1 380 Available at: Edgars Skin type: All

6

Aēsop Parsley Seed This light, rapidly absorbed moisturising fluid delivers superb antioxidant hydration and leaves the skin feeling smooth.

Price: R1 045 Available at: Skins Cosmetics Skin types: Dry and sensitive

Meet your routine The first step to making it easier to buy the best men’s skincare products with formulations that are perfect for you is to know your skin type Words by Anele Geqiwe

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P H OTO G R A P H S B Y B E R N A R D H E R M A N T/ U N S P L A S H . C O M , S U P P L I E D

2

Marine Cream for Men

ESSENTIALS | GROOMING

The wig revolution It’s time to strip the shame away

Missile worked with Minnie Dlamini, Bonang Matheba and Khanyi Mbau, and more, before he saw a gap in the market for weaves specifically created for men.

Originally from the DRC, Missile sees himself as a professional wig designer.

GQ chatted to him about his mission to help men find their self-confidence.

GQ : Why weaves, wigs and toupees for men?

Patrick Missile: As a professional wig designer, I realised I could create something to accommodate my male customers and complete their entire look with a new hairstyle, a toupee or hair replacement.

GQ : Take us back to the beginning?

PM: It all started 12 years ago and became my life’s mission. At the time, the male hair-replacement system wasn’t popular – it still isn’t – among African men. Initially, I was looking for practical ways to help my customers who suffered with hair loss and balding patches.

PHOTOGRAPHY GALLO/GETTY IMAGES, SUPPLIED

W H E T H E R YO U ’ R E BA L D I N G O R T RY I N G TO C H A N G E YO U R LO O K , PAT R I C K M I S S I L E I S T H E M A N F O R E V E RY T H I N G M A L E W E AV E S. Yes, you

read that right – if you want to get yourself a dope wig, Missile can plug you. He introduced his male weaves three years ago and over time, the Pretoriabased businessman has seen many guys warming up to his groundbreaking hair technique.

‘Balding is something that can bruise a man’s confidence – and without confidence, it’s hard to navigate life’

GQ : Men usually take time to warm up to new ideas. How do you market your services?

PM: Besides social media, word-ofmouth brings me new customers.

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of being profiled by local and international media houses. That’s helped me tremendously.

men need more convincing before they commit to wearing a wig because it requires a lot of attention?

PM: Yes, most men opt for chiskop simply because they haven’t been exposed to alternatives. I’m seeing more new faces lately requesting my services. I feel I’m giving men their dignity back.

GQ : What inspires you?

PM: Firstly, it breaks my heart to see young men experiencing premature balding and losing all hope. Restoring [hair loss] keeps me going. Balding can bruise a man’s confidence – without that, it’s hard to navigate life.

GQ : What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?

PM: I’ve learned to be comfortable with experimenting, specifically when serving men, who can be very demanding. I’ve also learned that appearance means alot to men and women, which I take seriously.

GQ : Any exciting plans on the horizon?

PM: I’m planning to diversify my offering to accommodate all ethnic groups, not just Africans. After all, men from all walks of life experience balding.

– ANELE GEQIWE

GQ : You’re used to glamming up celebrities. Is there a difference in doing the same for ordinary men?

PM: Even though I’ve worked with A-listers, I treat all my customers like celebrities. I believe we’re all stars in our own right. Everyone who walks into my salon deserves special treatment regardless of their social status.

GQ : Most men who experience balding opt for a chiskop (shaven bald). Do

PAT R I C K M I S S I L E Professional wig designer pat_perfect_beauty_palace

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ESSENTIALS | GROOMING

‘Each time I venture into a new industry, I come in with fresh eyes and am never contaminated by the conventional wisdom of it’

The mastermind With over 40 years of expertise, renowned founder of the Sorbet Group Ian Fuhr is proof of culture-led business success

GQ: Tell us about yourself.

Ian Fuhr: I’m a South African serial entrepreneur, the founder of the Sorbet Group of beauty salons and, most recently, The Hatch Institute, a coaching and business consulting organisation involved in transformation and helping business leaders across the country discover the power of Cultureneering™.

Cultureneering can be defined as building a strong culture in a diverse workforce that lays the platform for obsessive customer service. I’ve spent over 40 years building cultures and businesses, and during that time have learned the importance of understanding what it means to grow up in

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apartheid South Africa. Moreover, the realities of racial polarisation and white privilege, and what it takes to overcome our biases.

I’ve written three books: Get that feeling (2014), The Soul of Sorbet (2018) and Cultureneering (2021). Business culture, leadership development, executive coaching, team dynamics, life coaching, customer service and race relations are among my areas of expertise.

GQ: You started your career in retail at K-Mart, jumped into the music industry and then the beauty space, and now you’re in business coaching. What excites you

GQ: The record company you owned, Munjale Productions, signed artists such as the late Hugh Masekela and Letta Mbulu. Describe that experience.

IF: I met the two incredible artists, Caiphus Semenya and Letta Mbulu, in the early ’80s, and decided to leave K-Mart to launch a record business with them as my partners. Letta’s first album was a huge hit, and the business grew nicely. I then signed up Hugh, who was based in America at the time, and the hugely successful local band, The Soul Brothers.

GQ: How did the Sorbet Group come about?

IF: I was having a massage one day, and the masseuse asked, why don’t you look at the beauty industry? But I couldn’t imagine myself in that industry. And she said, well, you know, there’s not one significant multiple-unit branded chain of beauty salons in South Africa.

This excited me. Over the previous 28 years, I’d developed what I believed was a framework for successful business culture.

If you could create a working environment based on a sense of belonging and a common purpose of obsessive customer service – you had a recipe for a successful business. By 2004, I’d developed

a culture blueprint ripe for a business opportunity.

GQ: Why the name “Sorbet”, and what made the brand successful?

IF: I was given a list of names to choose from. Sorbet jumped out at me. I liked the ice cream part of it because Sorbet ice cream is known for being fresh and colourful. That’s what we wanted our stores to represent, instead of traditional dark, dull salons.

People often comment on what a great name it is. In hindsight, it is, but the business builds the name, the name doesn’t build the business.

GQ: What’s your next move?

IF: I’m busy living it. I’m hoping that through our business interventions, we can slowly but surely transform mindsets and turn the tide of racial polarisation in South Africa.

Business has the power to affect deep, on-the-ground change.

– ANELE GEQIWE

IAN FUHR Founder of the Sorbet Group and The Hatch Institute

PHOTOGRAPHY GALLO/GETTY IMAGES, SUPPLIED

about your constant career changes?

IF: For me, the people, culture and fundamentals of business are exciting, whether you’re selling records, beauty products or coaching. I don’t look at my life as full of career changes.

Instead, each move I’ve made has helped me develop and refine my ideology of Cultureneering.

Each time I venture into a new industry, I come in with fresh eyes and am never contaminated by the conventional wisdom of it.

That allows me to try new things and break the mould.

GQ PROMOTION

Flying high A M S T E R DA M - F O U N D E D C LOT H I N G R E TA I L E R Scotch

& Soda brings the essence of Amelia Earhart back to life through its winter 2021 range.

In its collection, which champions individuality and authenticity, the brand empowers self-expression through unique designs that are reflective of Earhart’s.

Earhart, known for her vintage wrinkle-free dresses, pants, skirts and outerwear crafted off parachute silk and fabrics designed practically for active women, was an icon in the aviation industry whose plane mysteriously disappeared in the Atlantic Ocean on a mission to complete a circumnavigational flight of the globe in the late ’30s.

The range’s outerwear infuses comfort and function, influenced by Earhart’s bomber jackets, which she wears in-flight. In addition, the waterrepellent double-layered hybrid jackets, a cotton-twill parka and an oversized, quilted poncho add to the layering statement, bringing unique functionality to the items.

Taking on Earhart’s iconic look, the utility suits, which boldly reference menswear, are available in various guises.

These comprise a navy twill jumpsuit, blazers and cargo pants, denim shirts and jeans, all of which offer a contemporary view on uniform dressing.

The range also borrows from Earhart’s quotes, such as ‘No borders, just horizons, only freedoms’, to inspire a sense of freedom and practicality in the designs. This can be seen in its jackets and shirts. The prints in the material reflect the elements related to the aviation icon, such as clouds, suns, mountains, panoramas, elevation maps and compass points. All these are playfully infused in the apparel to emphasise Earhart’s spirit.

Aviation icon Amelia Earhart inspires Scotch & Soda’s winter range

But, moreover, the collection strives to underpin a feeling of ease and comfort. You can see this in its relaxed workwear denim cuts, such as the Italian organic cotton selvedge Vert jeans, a genderless teddy housecoat, chequered wool-blend overshirt and track pants, each offering light, easy loungewear and laidback options for indoors.

While Earhart functioned in a male-dominated space, in an era where work suits were only designed for men and poorly fitted women in the practice, the occasion wear floral jacquard trousers and the metallic green fil coupé dress shirt introduce a confident mix of Earhart’s

masculine and feminine touch.

Additionally, there are versatile pieces that can be matched with everyday essentials such as the purple blazer velvet suit and colourful printed trousers.

Lastly, the Scotch & Soda footwear options include the hiker-style suede Avion, the Mafei, a reinterpreted gumboot in suede with practical rubber soles all executed with a functional edge. And for a lover of accessories, a leather capsule encompassing wallets, cardholders and laptop cases completes the collection.

For more information, visit scotch-soda.co.za

CHEF’S SPECIAL

Top Chef-alum Kwame Onwuachi caught up with GQ about being on set, his most-treasured meals and experiencing the world’s best cuisines

ESSENTIALS | PROFILE

K WA M E O N W UAC H I WO U L D P R E F E R YO U N OT CA L L H I M A C E L E B R I T Y C H E F. Still, it’s

PHOTOGRAPHS GALLO/GETTY IMAGES

hard to not take note of the James Beard award-winner’s profile over the last few years. After a breakout run on Top Chef: California in 2015, he went on to open Kith/ Kin in Washington, DC, to rave reviews, write the bestselling autobiography Notes from a Young Black Chef, and return to television as part of Top Chef: Portland’s judging panel.

Most recently, he’s partnered with ORLY to launch a line of nail polish and published a cookbook – a spiritual follow-up to his autobiography – titled My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef. Despite the rise of this definitely-not-celebrity, Onwuachi wants you to know that he isn’t too good for Domino’s.

GQ caught up with him to talk about how he eats in a busy restaurant kitchen, the signature cuisines of the cities he’s called home, and the best dish he’s ever eaten on Top Chef.

GQ: Longtime fans of Top Chef know about the evolution of you and your colleague Geoffrey Gourdet for being best-dressed in the culinary world, which is one of the long-term narratives of the show. When you’re on set these days, which cleaning products do you keep on hand in case your Rick Owens catches a stray bit of sauce?

Kwame Onwuachi: I try to eat clean. I eat with intention, making sure that I lean over the table and take the necessary measures. I don’t have anything on hand, but there’s always someone on set with a stain remover or something in case things get a little crazy. But I’ve never really gotten a mess going.

GQ: Anyone who’s worked in food service in any capacity knows that there isn’t much downtime, even when it comes to getting a meal in. How are you going about keeping yourself fed throughout the day?

KO: Honestly, I’m eating throughout the shift. As executive chef , I’m constantly tasting food to maintain it’s quality. That’s when I’m doing most of my eating. I’ll probably have one meal a day when I’m working as a chef. I always try to instil a family meal in my restaurants where the staff gets the chance to eat something together.

I wouldn’t say the days of just working straight through service are over, but I try to have a little bit of balance. It’s good to have a time where you just sit down with the team and eat something.

That’s important.

GQ: What does that one meal a day tend to be?

KO: It could be anything. Usually, it’s what we’re serving. A family meal could be so many different things.

We’ll usually give it a theme such as Thai, Jamaican or Italian. I don’t want to eat the same things every day, you know? There’s too much good food.

GQ: That’s a good guiding principle.

KO: Don’t get me wrong: I’ll diet and do the whole chicken breast, brown rice, broccoli thing if I’m getting ready to be on camera or something. But I’m in New York right now, so this morning I had a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich for breakfast. I hit a pizza parlour last night then got to do caviar with chips at a champagne bar. It’s all based on cravings for me. That’s how I try to live. And if I can’t buy it, I’ll just make it.

GQ: Let’s talk about your time on Top Chef a bit.

Almost every season is set in a single city – except for your run, which saw the cast tour throughout California and stay in hotels. Given the change of setting, how was the food situation?

15 dishes per challenge, we’d be full when we got home. Later in the competition when there are fewer dishes to judge, I could order takeout if I needed something else.

Portland has an incredible food scene so I was ordering some really dope stuff. There was a great chicken and rice spot, a West African place, Jamaican, I could really go on. And I mean, other nights I’d just order Domino’s! Thirty minutes or less, man.

‘I try to have a little bit of balance. It’s good to have a time where you just sit down with the team and eat something.

That’s important’ KO: It wasn’t quite pleasant. We were stuck eating catering food when we were on set. We’d spend all day cooking these incredible, intricate meals and then have to pick up food from a takeaway. It was trash. Or they’d have us order breakfast from a cafe or something, so by the time the food was delivered to the hotel room, it was two sunny-side-up eggs (that were cold and semi-solid because they’d been cooked 45 minutes earlier) and toast you could throw off the wall.

GQ: You’ve gotten a bit of a raw deal in that sense because the next time you were on the show was during Top Chef: Portland, when you served as part of the judging panel. Given that the season was filmed during the quarantine period of the pandemic, was the food situation there better or worse than your first season?

KO: We didn’t have to eat catering because we’d eat during the shoot, which was way better. Earlier in the season when there are four to

GQ: Those early challenges really do a marathon for the judges. I know Padma Lakshmi has talked about how they can run up to 20 000 kilojoules a day or more. Even later in the season, when the numbers are lower, the dishes are just so full of butter and fat.

You’ve really gotta take, like, one bite of each dish. It’s hard, especially when you like something. You want to eat more but there are six, seven other dishes ahead.

GQ: You grew up in New York and now split your time between the city and Los Angeles, but you also ran a restaurant in Washington, D.C. for quite a while. What stands out about each of those cities in terms of the food they offer and how that interacts with their communities?

KO: It’s hard to say. Obviously, LA’s Mexican food is unmatched, but so is their access to incredible ingredients year-round because of the growing seasons. DC’s Ethiopian cuisine is the best in the nation.

And then New York’s variety and quality of your average restaurant is higher than anywhere else.

There’s so much competition in such a condensed space that it’s just necessary for survival. The volume is just unmatched, too. I think there’re probably more French restaurants in New York than there are in France.

But with New York, it also depends on where you grew up.

I grew up in the South Bronx, so Dominican, Puerto Rican, Ethiopian, and Chinese takeout are king.

– TRES DEAN

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ESSENTIALS | TRAVEL

When GQ had a chance to explore this gem, we loved everything about it. A few things that stood out that we have to give you the 411 on.

The versatility of the rooms

Welcome to The Beverly Hills Hotel Award-winning luxury in Umhlanga

Whether you’re into old-school glam or contemporary style, The Beverly Hills Hotel is eye-catching. Every room and suite has stunning Indian Ocean views, no matter what floor you’re on.

From its standard rooms to presidential suites, each of its 89 rooms has a private balcony or terrace and features an en-suite bathroom, unlimited WiFi, complimentary garment pressing, a porter and valet service, 24-hour room service, Nespresso machine, flatscreen with DStv, and more.

There’s also a selection of cabanas and suites, which offer enhanced luxury and space. Junior suites feature upgraded bathrooms, and cabanas have easy pool access and a private outdoor space while its presidential suites have some of the best views on the KwaZulu-Natal coast.

The very best dining experience Be it a romantic dinner, family or private group outing or sundowners, dining at the Hotel is topnotch. Its dishes are innovative and delicious, best accompanied by one of its fine wines, cocktails and mouth-watering desserts. You could easily spend an entire day there!

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR AN UNMATCHED STANDARD OF LUXURY, hospitality and intuitive

service, consider The Beverly Hills Hotel in Umhlanga. Established in 1964, the awardwinning venue is centralised on the Umhlanga Rocks beachfront, offering guests tranquil ocean views from every room, boutique spa treatments, culinary excellence and access to its iconic outdoor pool.

Positioned between Umhlanga’s famous pier and lighthouse, the Hotel has classically elegant interiors complemented by modern-luxury amenities such as unlimited WiFi, Nespresso machines, pillow choices and flatscreen DStv. You can savour culinary excellence in style at The Sugar Club, where orchids and ocean views set the scene for afternoon tea, its famous Sunday lunch buffets and refined dining. At Elements Café Bar, the oysters are fresh, the champagne is chilled, and there’s nowhere better for sundowners.

And if relaxation is what you’re after, the hotel’s heated outdoor pool or boutique Mangwanani Spa are more than perfect.

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ESSENTIALS | TRAVEL

‘You can enjoy Indian Ocean oysters with seasonal and delicious dining choices and cocktails that are a taste of summer in a glass’

BOOK YOUR STAY To get in touch with The Beverly Hills Hotel, visit: southernsun.com/beverly-hills/ contact-us

Beyond its à la carte offering, The Beverly Hills Hotel is famous for its Afternoon Haute Tea Buffet on Saturdays and its always-popular Sunday Lunch Buffet. Depending on your dining preferences, you can choose to dine at:

The Sugar Club offers a menu of exceptional dishes, stunning views of the Indian Ocean, delicious desserts and famous buffets.

A member of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, the cuisine at The Sugar Club is prepared using fine ingredients with refined techniques to offer guests a menu of dishes as perfect for a romantic date night as they are for a family dinner. An award-winning wine list and selection of Auction Wines add to the occasion.

Elements Café Bar is Umhlanga’s go-to spot for gourmet café dining with uninterrupted oceanfront views. You can enjoy Indian Ocean

oysters with seasonal and delicious dining choices and cocktails that are a taste of summer in a glass. Inspired design elements such as ghost chairs, comfy couches and statement chandeliers set the mood, but the views from the floor-toceiling sliding glass doors are a talking point.

Its bar selection is as classy as its setting with premium liquor mixologist-crafted cocktails, champagne and Cape sparkling wines alongside virgin cocktails and local and imported beers.

Its all-day dining menu combines fresh seafood, beautifully presented local dishes, salads, pizzas, café classics and desserts.

In-room dining is available for guests who wish to experience the fine cuisine from these Umhlanga restaurants within the comfort and privacy of their room. These restaurants, bars and alfresco settings can also host private and group events.

– ANELE GEQIWE

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S D U O L C F O

and y l p up er s w o s l than ev A ? t osof tractive r c i t M ore at a e c pla ing is m a e v l h a u d ga m l i t s o l e s i n u e, c l o s n o ox c n d c o nt b X Do dema high

E M A G

DECADES

TWO AGO,

when tthe first Xbox arrived, it used the internet for small-scale multiplayer, and every game came on a disc. Microsoft built a massive business selling consoles that grew to play games beyond those discs.

As the company looks forward to its next 20 years, it’s doing so in an industry shifting away from gaming brought to you by a single device, one where mobile inevitably will overtake Xboxes, and cloud gaming is eradicating

physical platforms entirely.

One where it’s easy to ask: does Microsoft need to make consoles anymore?

It’s a tempting prospect. Supply chain shutdowns and a global chip shortage – spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic – have made the Xbox Series X/S very hard to find without constant vigilance or overpaying a reseller. Meanwhile, the Xbox gaming app launched on Samsung smart TVs under its OMEN Gaming Hub at the end of June, allowing anyone with the right Bluetooth controller to stream Xbox titles without a console.

But for Phil Spencer, the man at Microsoft responsible for its household-name gaming device, hardware is still key. For him, the shift to the cloud has been about creating a hybrid approach, one that allows Microsoft to expand its market beyond Xbox fans. He told TheVerge in 2020 that he didn’t think the latest generation of consoles would be the last ones the company shipped, and his stance on the matter hasn’t changed.

‘We’ve lived through two years of real constraint in the market,’ he says. ‘Giving people more choice in how they can play games definitely has been a good thing, both for our business and gamers.’

Cloud-based gaming via platforms such as Google Stadia haven’t had the smoothest of

ESSENTIALS | TECHNOLOGY

launches, but companies including Sony and Microsoft are better poised to make this work. Sony just merged its cloud gaming service, PlayStation Now, with its more popular PlayStation Plus subscription. Microsoft has name recognition that makes the service easily identifiable over would-be competitors.

Spencer also notes that while cloud gaming can bring in new players, there will always be ‘people who are looking for dedicated, high-end devices to play games in the highest fidelity they can in their homes’.

For many of those players, that device is an Xbox, something even the head of Samsung’s service business team, Won-Jin Lee, agrees with: ‘The hardcore gamers will always play their games on consoles.’

The Xbox App will be available on Samsung TVs first, but not exclusively. The company says it’s exploring other partnerships.

Similarly, Samsung won’t end with Xbox. Lee says the idea wasn’t to build its ecosystem around Xbox, but rather to work with it and companies like it. ‘Working with Xbox really gave us the foundation in terms of how to build this service and how to move forward,’ Lee says. ‘From the get-go, our philosophy has always been to offer the discovery experience that is very open.’

Spencer points to the company’s library of games – as well as its recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard – as a key focus for the company going forward.

Indeed, it’s video games that make the sell, whether it’s hardware or cloud gaming. Without a strong lineup to woo players, it doesn’t matter how many TVs Xbox overtakes if no one wants to play.

‘IT’S VIDEO GAMES THAT MAKE THE SELL, WHETHER IT’S HARDWARE OR CLOUD GAMING’

– MEGAN FAROKHMANESH

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ESSENTIALS | ADEKUNLE GOLD

Nigerian superstar Adekunle Gold is setting his own rules when it comes to creating the music that forms his legacy Words by Shannon Manuel Photographs by Simon Thiselton at Dais Agency Photographer’s assistants Dan Landsburgh and Nicholas Freemand

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ESSENTIALS | ADEKUNLE GOLD

IF THERE’S

O N E T H I N G T H AT A D E KU N L E G O L D, also known as AG Baby, is passionate about, it’s unlocking new levels of his artistry and expressing himself on his terms. With successful albums and singles under his belt, the highlife singer, songwriter and graphic designer is one of the brightest stars in the Nigerian music industry.

His blend of Afro and soul over uptempo beats have made him a global favourite.

He recently released his highly anticipated album Catch Me If You Can via Platoon, his fourth studio album. Combining themes of the importance of growth, embracing the unknown, fame and success, and shedding expectations of others, the album is a layered experience into the essence of Gold.

‘Catch Me if You Can is my best work yet,’ says Gold. ‘I’m grateful for every moment that has led to each song on this album. The only way I can describe it is that this album is 14 tracks of awesomeness – they’re conversations about my life. It’d be impossible for me to choose my favourite because they all have their place. It’s my fourth studio album and the fourth level of my adventure game, which is how I view my musical career. Level one was my debut album Gold in 2016, level two was About 30, 2018, and level three was Afropop Volume 1.’

‘It gets really interesting at every level; there are new characters, villains, and challenges to deal with. And that’s how my projects are. Catch Me If You Can is really about how I’m not done, how I’ve only just started and a sort of challenge to those who think they’ve seen the best of me – quite literally, catch me if you can.’

T H E M U S I CA L J O U R N E Y Gold discovered his musical talent at a young age. ‘I grew up in a Muslim family, but my dad was a liberal man and allowed us to go to church.

I joined the choir very early, and that’s where I first picked up my interest in singing. Growing up, our home was always filled with music. My dad used to play a lot of King Sunny Adé and

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Ebenezer Obey, so I listened to those artists.

I listened to a lot of highlife and juju music, some apala and fuji, beautiful sounds from Nigeria, but I was also listening to Backstreet Boys, Westlife, Boyz II Men and Usher. When I was older, the first album I bought with my money was Overexposed by Maroon 5.

I didn’t have one style of music that I liked the most, I enjoyed exploring music in general, and all of these people have informed my writing today.’ He names Bruno Mars and Post Malone as two of his current favourite artists.

Gold has been on an upward trajectory since he first burst onto the music scene with his 2014 track release ‘Sade’, a cover of One Direction’s ‘Story Of My Life’, which enjoyed massive airplay from radio stations in Nigeria. After the release of ‘Sade’, Gold released his first official single titled ‘Orente’ through YBNL Nation, after signing a two-year music contract with the record label in 2015. However, the road to success wasn’t easy.

‘It was harder than tough, and I had to overcome a lot,’ says Gold. ‘When I was in the choir as a teen, nobody really believed in me as a bonafide singer. And when I was older, I encountered many closed doors when looking for opportunities. During that time, I also tried my hand at reality music talent search shows.

I auditioned for MTN Project Fame twice but didn’t qualify and was told I wasn’t good enough.’

He says that while he experienced a lot of disappointment and could’ve easily given up, he decided to double down on his goal. ‘It was time to focus on my reality, so I started working on my writing more. I found a sound for myself.

I did a lot of covers. I worked as a graphic designer and made music on the side until I discovered Olamide, one of the best Nigerian rappers. He’d just launched his label YBNL Nation and had signed two artists. I designed the logo for his label. He didn’t know I was singing.

I released my cover ‘Sade’, and he listened to it, liked it, and that’s what got me signed.

‘The struggle and hustle to get to here were really long and tough. The only right thing to do for me is win. I’ve had to prove to people that I’m capable of doing something great. It’s really crazy that many people didn’t get it then, some of whom still don’t get it now, despite what it may look like in terms of social media views. My only response to any adversity is to focus on the win, even if it’s not instant. I focus on whatever it takes to be the best version of myself. I make sure everything I do creatively surpasses the last thing I did. I read somewhere that you’re only as good as your last promise, so that always guides me.’ »

LEFT TO RIGHT Top own design; pants Salt Murphy; sunglasses Prada; earrings and necklace both Lovisa Top AKJP; pants, gloves and shades all o wn design; boots Zara

Top AKJP; pants, gloves and shades all own design; boots Zara

ESSENTIALS | ADEKUNLE GOLD

C R E AT I V I T Y AT I T S F I N E S T ‘I don’t think I’d be able to function if I couldn’t create,’ says Gold. ‘We express ourselves through creativity. As we create, we learn more about ourselves. We open ourselves to new ideas, build confidence to try new things and, by creating a creative space, you create a safe space to experiment and just be yourself. The fact that I can create a song in the corner of my room, the studio or wherever inspiration strikes, release it and have millions of people listen to and sing it back to me is mind-blowing. I’ll never be able to understand it. It’s also what I love most about being a musician – reaching people, having an impact, and allowing them to share my passion through my songs.’

When it comes to his creative process, he says he doesn’t follow a specific game plan. ‘I don’t have a set process. I make songs that are true to my current energy. I make sure that whatever I’m feeling in the moment – whatever my heart and mind are saying – is all that I do. This is the real truth of my art,’ says Gold.

‘If I’m feeling that I want to rap tomorrow, then I’ll do it. There’s no method to it. It’s not like I’m trying to find the perfect balance. The one thing that I cannot change no matter how hard I try is my voice; it’s the one thing that’s going to be constant in my entire existence and career.

I’m going to speak my truth. I don’t promise anything except that what I produce is going to be good. Just know that whatever I put out, I’m super-confident about it. And if you don’t like it, that’s okay. I like it.’

One thing he does keep in mind when making music is its long-term impact. ‘I don’t create for the sake of creating. I want all of my songs to outlive me, not in the sense that they’ll simply still be available after I’m gone, but they’ll still invoke emotion and affect people. I never want to create something that’s just disposable.

I want my music to be something you listen to for life, that new generations listen to. That’s how I think. It’s a longevity game for me.’

He explains he’s not one to produce within specific time frames and has never liked the idea of being pressured to make creative work. ‘For some people, having a time limit or a deadline works, but I’ll never put out any song that I’m not 100% happy with just because of a time frame. For example, it took me seven months to finish the track ‘High’ (ft Davido). Sometimes, if I’m looking for a word or feel I need to add something to a melody, I’ll leave a session and come back to it. I take my time to put out something because once I put it out, I can’t take it back.

I need to be able to

‘I don’t create for the sake of creating. I want all of my songs to outlive me’

say yes, that’s my work, and it’s good. All that matters is that I like it first. I don’t rush my sessions. On some days, I’ll write three songs in one session, but, on the other hand, if all I have after 12 hours is one line, then that’s okay too.

‘It’s always madness putting a project together. I started making Catch Me If You Can in 2020and had no idea what I’d call it then. But I knew I wanted it to mirror my feelings at that moment. I wrote so many songs, and it was tough picking the final 14. It was supposed to be out last September, but I wasn’t really satisfied, and felt I could do more, so we pushed back the date. I don’t really have places where I feel most inspired, but I prefer writing songs outside the studio, in the corner of my room and my own space.’

FA M E A N D T H E C R I T I C S When it comes to the downside of fame, he states that one thing he can say with absolute certainty is that the power of being unknown is underrated. ‘Once you’re in the public eye, your life isn’t your own anymore. People want to intentionally misunderstand or misconstrue what you say. Before I became well known, that wasn’t happening. You want fame but forget there’s no privacy, and I struggle with that.

But, hey, I’m doing well every day, and as time passes, you grow older, and you realise all these things don’t even matter. I don’t get sucked in, so it’s okay.

‘Nowadays, I don’t talk much on social media because it’s just boring when you say something, but people change it to suit some other narrative.

That’s not to say that if I have something to say, I won’t; I just don’t have the energy anymore to put myself out there for people who want to intentionally put me in the wrong. I put all that energy into my music. Music gives me an outlet to say anything, and I really enjoy the freedom of it. I also don’t put energy into what others are doing on social media. My time goes into my work, and I only compare myself to myself.

Music is my outlet to say anything and I really enjoy it.’

Gold has experimented with different sounds on each album, which he’s immensely proud of. But it hasn’t always received a favourable response from audiences.

‘The thing that amazes me most is how people are so reluctant to allow an artist to get into a new thing. People are so comfortable with the first version you put out, the thing they know. They don’t want you to change and sort of condemn you for exploring something new. We’ve all seen it happen to many artists when they veer off their “usual” path and try something different. As a creative, if you ever give into those criticisms, it’ll be the death of you.

‘Thankfully, I was smart enough to step outside the boxes people wanted to put me in.

When I came out with my first sound and album, it was pure highlife – that’s what I was enjoying at the time. It was the sound that was inspiring me and the space that was fuelling my creativity.

When my first album was released, I knew my next one was going to be a bit more pop. And when I released it, many naysayers said the first album was better, but I saw it coming. I knew it was going to happen, but I didn’t give up and guess what? Months later, people were saying that it was the best album.

‘It’s also crazy how people don’t want to discover this themselves, they want the opinion of others. They’ll follow what other people say in reviews, on social media and the radio, and only then will they give it a chance. If you’re a fan of an artist, you should trust in their work and discover for yourself if it’s good or not.

‘In 2020, I went full-on Afro-pop and got some people asking, why are you doing this?

When I look back at my career, I want to be able to say, I did everything, and I wasn’t scared to explore different sounds and be great at it.’

‘With each album, I’ve reached more people, increased my numbers, gotten on more stages, which screams growth. If you get too comfortable and set in your ways, you’ll never grow. Now I’ve released my best work yet that I know people will compare to my previous albums, but will that stop me? No. My next project is almost done and is going to be another upgrade.’ »

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ESSENTIALS | ADEKUNLE GOLD

C O L L A B O R AT I N G FOR SUCCESS Gold has collaborated with numerous highprofile artists. His latest album features Ty Dolla $ign, Stefflon Don, Lucky Daye, Foushée and Davido, among others. When choosing his collaborations, he says that the only thing that matters to him is the music, not the name.

‘When I write, I don’t collaborate much because sometimes collaboration can feel gimmicky or just about the numbers, which is okay, but you can’t forget about the music. You can get the best rappers and artists, and it doesn’t do anything. Collaborations between big names haven’t always hit the mark because the song mightn’t be as good. If you look at people I’ve featured in the past, they’re not always the most popular artists but complement the sound.

‘When I write music, I already have in the back of my mind who I think will take the sound to an entirely new level and balance it well. That’s how I choose my collaborations.’

The past few years, however, have seen a rapid evolution of the Afrobeat scene across Africa, and Nigeria is leading its explosion.

Afrobeats have not only captured a new Western audience, but influenced the sounds of some of America’s biggest artists. Asked about the rise of the Afrobeat wave that’s been taking over the US and other parts of the world, Gold says that while it’s great, the fact is that Africa has been making amazing music for a very long time.

‘I think the world is late on the beauty that is African music, which has been around for a long time. It’s been the best genre for a long time. The percussion, the guitars, the melodies, the reading – African music has so much soul and diversity.

We have RnB, amapiano, Afro-pop and highlife.

African music is for any mood. The world is lit on it, and I’m glad they’re finally catching up, but it should’ve been happening years ago. And there’s still catching up to do because the genre is so broad.

‘African music hasn’t changed. I don’t think its success is based on the fact that international artists are featuring more African artists or utilising more Afro beats. African artists have always been doing the work, and the internet has made them more popular – there’s more access, exposure and sharing music.’

‘I’m living my best life at the moment.

I’m living by my own rules, making music that I love. It’s nothing but gold, baby’

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With added popularity comes crossover – most evidenced by remixes and additional verses added to already popular Afrobeat tracks.

Two of the most well-known tracks of late are WizKid’s ‘Essence’ featuring Justin Bieber and Fireboy DML’s ‘Peru’ featuring Ed Sheeran.

While these are direct collaborations, there’s been an increase in American artists showing interest in and using Afro sounds to elevate their sound and gain traction on the charts.

Sharing his thoughts on this, Gold says music will always have many influences and can never be considered singular and that a broader conversation needs to be had about giving credit where it’s due. ‘If you’re making something that’s Afrobeat, talk about it and say that you’re influenced by a Nigerian artist, or a Ghanain, or Kenyan. Acknowledge the African artist who has inspired you.’

Asked about the person who inspires him most, Gold says that has to be his wife, Nigerian singer-songwriter Simi. ‘She’s an amazing songwriter, sound engineer, vocal producer and creative. She’s the first person I play my songs for and really helps me produce the best I can. There are certain songs I don’t want to give to anyone except Simi because I know she has that touch.

She mixed my first album, part of the second, and a few of my best songs, including ‘Okay’ and ‘Mercy’. We work well together.’

After marrying in 2019, they welcomed their first child the following year, a daughter named Adejare. Speaking about the impact of fatherhood, he says that becoming a father has been one of his life’s greatest joys. ‘Being a father has made me grow so much more. Not that I was making bad decisions, but I feel I’m making better decisions now. I’m also more aware of being present. If I’m required to be away for two months because of my music, I find ways to beg my team, “Can’t we make it one month?”

As much as I’m a superstar, I also want to be a dad.’

Regarding the legacy he wants to leave his daughter, he says, ‘I want her to know that I did it all, that there are no limits to what you can achieve. People didn’t give me a chance, but I broke down all the doors, and my resilience paid off. I just want her to know that I lived and that she can too.’

Gold is excited about returning to London, where he’ll perform for the first time in four years. His last London performance was the sold-out About 30 concert in 2018. In October, he’ll play at the O2 Academy Brixton.

‘I’m living my best life at the moment. I’m living by my rules, making music that I love and setting my own standard. For a long time, I held myself to a standard people created for me.

Now I’m in a place where I feel free to say how it is. What I’m releasing now reflects this, and it’s nothing but gold, baby.’

Top AKJP; pants, gloves and shades all own design; boots Zara

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GE AR From coupés to SUVs made in Germany, Italy and

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LUXURY Must-haves, all things trending, and exclusive hands-on reviews of coveted items worth the splurge

S T Y L E Up-to-the-minute fashion and runway news,

daily style upgrades and exclusive behind-the-scenes action

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On the back page of every issue, we feature one last stylish image from our GQ cover shoot. Sun-El Musician was photographed by Niquita Bento.

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Parting shot

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beyond, read up on the newest cars we’re obsessed with

BMW

ELEC TRIC Words by Walter Hayward

LOVE

Combining a heavenly ride and tech-laden cabin, BMW has created the ultimate luxury EV experience

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LET’S GET THIS OUT OF THE WAY: THIS CAR IS A MASTERPIECE, A SUBLIME COMBINATION OF DRIVING DYNAMICS AND CUTTING-EDGE TECH. Say what you will about

its styling, but that all falls by the wayside when you’re blasting from 0-100km/h in utter silence.

I’ll confess, I wanted to dislike it based purely on its styling, yet, like most of BMW’s latest designs, it’s rather gorgeous in the flesh. What genuinely surprised me was how much attention this thing draws.

I was stuck in traffic next to a red Ferrari F8 Tributo, and guess who pedestrians were staring at? Cue sunglasses emoji.

BMW should compensate me for being an influencer with the number of times I’ve had to wax lyrical about the iX to random strangers. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it, and I believe I spread the EV gospel dutifully. But like any religion, its deities garner mixed followings.

Did I just refer to the iX as a deity? Possibly, but stick with me.

When it was first unveiled, it caused a backlash. The media called it an affront to all things holy, some even going as far as calling it the worstlooking BMW ever – I believe that prize goes to the F07 5-Series GT. The iX doesn’t come across as visually appealing onscreen or paper, but right here, the key in my hand, it’s stunning.

GEAR | BMW

I LHLO P UTSO TG RR AA T IPOHNY BSYU PS P IM L IOEND ABBY RBAM NW OWICZ

Our tester came in a sultry Aventurine Red shade with a snazzy Titan Bronze trim around its windows and enormous 22-inch alloy wheels. From certain angles – its rear three-quarters mostly – it’s striking. And I think that’s what BMW’s designers planned. It took me a while to get used to the front styling, the grille is divisive, and the lights are a bit awkward, but it works, especially in darker paint jobs.

Step inside the voluminous cabin, and you’ll soon forget those sinful looks. It’s positively futuristic, from its dual-screen setup to its buttonless dashboard and floating centre console.

Running BMW’s latest iDrive 8, the infotainment system is a doddle

‘IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I’VE HAD THIS MUCH FUN IN A LARGE SUV’

BMW iX xDRIVE50 > > POWER 385kW, dual-motor, all-wheel drive > > 0-100KM/H in 4.6 seconds > > RANGE up to 630km (WLTP figures) > > PRICE R2 225 000 (before options)

BMW.CO.ZA

and features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Our car came specced with a gorgeous red leather interior – dyed using olive extracts.

Sustainable! Also specced was its crystal switchgear – very glitzy but rather blinding when the sun hits at just the right angle…

Speaking of which, it has an airy cabin thanks to a giant sunroof. It’s unfortunately fixed and sans blind, but that’s where the next party trick comes in. It’s electrochromic, meaning at a touch of a button, I can dim it, blocking out unwanted sunlight – a smart solution but a pricey optional extra.

But let’s forget about aesthetics for a second. The driving dynamics of the iX are otherworldly. Because of its low centre of gravity – thanks to batteries in the floor – it’s perfectly composed and stays flat on corners.

It’s been a while since I’ve had this much fun in a large SUV. The acceleration alone will have you giggling like a child.

Once you reach your desired speed, the ride feels effortless and the cabin silent. Despite its massive kerb weight and wheels, it glides across rough surfaces with the poise of a – dare I say it – Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Blasphemy? Not at all.

Electrification and luxury motoring go hand in hand.

However, it’s not all smooth sailing. One criticism of the EV movement comes in the form of public charging infrastructure – or lack thereof. If you’re seriously considering an iX, ensure you can charge it at home and treat it like a smartphone – plug it in overnight and have a full charge by sunrise.

Relying on current public chargers will leave you painfully frustrated.

Put briefly, Mzansi desperately needs more DC rapid chargers.

Overall, this is the most polished car I’ve ever had the pleasure of driving. It’s all you could ever want from a luxury SUV; fast, comfortable and stylish. If you’ve got the dosh and charging capabilities, I’d say, go for it. Be prepared, however, to spread the EV gospel to eager listeners.

It’s a surefire way to make progress. Amen indeed.

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GEAR | NISSAN

POWER

An award-winning offering with a fresh face, Nissan’s updated Navara proves its worth despite having serious rivals Words by Nare Kekana

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P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y C O R N É L VA N H E E R D E N

NISSAN SELLS ITS NAVARA IN OVER 80 COUNTRIES AND HAS PRODUCED MORE THAN 15 MILLION UNITS. South

African motorists form part of the lucky bunch to have experienced this road beast. The locally manufactured pickup has become a true legend of the roads, scooping the 2022 Car of the Year accolade in the 4x4 doublecab segment.

The Navara’s reputation for reliability and power precedes it. And for local customers, the model’s availability in single- and double-cab options, in perfect engineering shape to perform on the country’s most rugged terrains, make it a classic buy for the typical 4x4 fanatic. With its steady on-road dynamics and hard-hitting engine, it competes with the likes of the Ford Ranger – which often lags in that turbo tug.

The ride quality is smooth with level braking and steering consistent in both on- and off-road driving experiences.

audio speakers (six in dual labs), Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming, easyto-use cruise control operations on the steering wheel and daytime running lamps for foggy overcast conditions.

When it comes to off-road credentials, the models boast a 12.5m turning circle, 224mm of unladen ground clearance, 600mm wading depth, a 32-degree approach, 22.9-degree ramp break-over and 19.8-degree departure angle. The interior is designed with comfort and style for any trip.

DESIGN

FEATURES

Nissan’s new model is designed to be tougher with advanced off-road capability and increased payload capacity (one tonne). Adding to that are its technical specs, supported by a full suite of safety features and a refined interior to top its road rivals, such as the Mazda BT-50, Isuzu D-Max and the popular Toyota Hilux.

Its 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display system is its first interior standout to support Apple Carplay and Android Auto. It’s packed with four

Notable safety features that come standard with the model range include forward-collision warning, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), a savvy driver attention alert, hill-start assist and trailersway control. A striking feature is its combination of high power with economic fuel consumption, making this revamped model better than its predecessors.

Additional safety features include an intelligent around-view monitor, lane departure warning/intervention capability coupled with a rear-cross traffic alert, high beam assist and blind-spot warning/intervention.

ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION Its premium four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine produces 140kW at 3 750rpm and

‘In perfect shape to perform on the country’s most rugged terrains, make it a classic buy for the 4x4 fanatic’

a tractor-like 450Nm of peak torque between 1 500 and 2 500rpm and its sequential turbochargers provide exceptional lag-free accelerator response.

The latter is an additional factor that contributes to the Nissan Navara having the best engine in the 4x4 double-cab class.

PRICE The all-new Nissan Navara models come with a six-year/150 000km warranty and a six-year/90 000km service plan. You can expect a starting price of R337 900 for the entry-level model, while the top-of-therange Navara variant 2.5D Pro-4X 4×4 retails for R740 000.

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V I TA M I N S, M I N E R A L S, H E R B S A N D A M I N O AC I DS ARE SOME EXAMPLES O F N U T R I E N TS T H AT C O U L D I M P ROV E O R C O M P L E M E N T YO U R D I E T. If you’re active,

you need more energy from carbohydrates, protein and fat to replenish what you burn off. Other ingredients such as caffeine, bicarbonate of soda and creatine can further alleviate feelings of fatigue.

Supplements can in certain situations be more practical, such as using a protein supplement rather than carrying three boiled eggs to the office for your protein fix at 10am or trying to eat an enormous amount of food in one sitting if you’re a hardcore athlete.

But a supplement should complement a healthy and varied diet, not make up for poor nutrition. Think about why you need it. Perhaps to help buffer lactic acid if you’re training at a high intensity, for example.

And are you already getting enough nutrition from real food? Many people think the more supplements you use, the better you train. The truth is, not everyone needs them.

For example, if your protein intake isn’t deficient, adding a whey protein drink won’t make a difference.

The jury’s out on whether you need micronutrient supplementation. If you eat good quality food sources to provide optimal energy, you don’t, but you do if you consume junk food with low nutrient density,

such as some sugary drinks.

Micronutrient supplementation may be necessary for athletes who eliminate specific food groups, those restricting food intake to manipulate their body composition (e.g. reduce fat), vegans, vegetarians or people with allergies.

Do supplements boost performance? Not directly.

They help you train better, and better training leads to better performance.

Finally, do your homework.

Base your decision on the science behind supplements using credible resources rather than the opinion of the company selling the product. And don’t assume every natural supplement is safe in terms of health and doping (more on that in FAQs).

HOW TO: PREP What are you eating at the moment? First, consider the quantity: if you’re not eating the energy your body needs, use a meal-replacement supplement.

If you’re deficient in macros – everyone wants to know about those – such as carbohydrate or protein, supplement with a carbohydrate drink or whey protein. Then, look at quality.

Consider a multi-vitamin-mineral supplement if you’re not eating enough wholewheat starches, fruit and veg, lean protein, and milk products. Timing is also crucial.

If eating real food before training causes you to feel nauseous, or if you can’t get to food soon enough

Drink this, ditch that!

Are training supplements a help, hindrance – or just plain pointless?

Registered dietician at Sports Performance Hub Nicki de Villiers shares the pros, cons, myths, how-tos and FAQs As told to Lisa Abdellah

SPORTS | OPENER

L-arginine, an amino acid that relaxes the blood vessels, allowing more blood to transport oxygen and nutrients to the exercising muscles.

Combined with a stimulant, it makes every muscle work harder and increase in size. Having bigger calf muscles is desirable, but an enlarged heart can’t pump blood as efficiently as one that isn’t, which may lead to complications such as a stroke or heart failure.

Some contain carbohydrates, others don’t, decreasing your perception of fatigue without fuelling your workout. Or manufacturers might add branch-chain amino acids (BCAAs) that the body converts to energy – but not as efficiently as carbohydrates. By all means, drink espresso with breakfast before training to decrease your perception of fatigue, but combine it with a meal to fuel your body.

DURING

afterwards, plan to replace it with a supplement.

P H O T O G R A P H B Y N ATA L I YA VA I T K E V I C H / P E X E L S . C O M

PRE-WORKOUT You need to eat for what you’re going to do, so your energy intake before a workout must align with how long and hard you’re going to train. Fuel every training session with carbohydrates and protein, such as toast with peanut butter or yoghurt with fruit.

There are pre-workout supplement pitfalls to consider. They often contain a stimulant, such as caffeine or Guaraná, whose chief function is to decrease the perception of fatigue, so even though your body is tired, you don’t feel sapped. Some contain

Most sportspeople have a decreased availability of carbohydrates during a workout. Carbohydrate serves as the preferred fuel source during highintensity training and the only fuel source during anaerobic activity.

A carbohydrate drink will supply this high-energy fuel to the muscles.

A repeated caffeine dosage can make a difference if you’re training for longer than two hours because it stays in the blood for around this time.

Another thing that can cause tiredness is dehydration. So, drink water. Adding some carbohydrates and electrolytes (salt intake) enhances fluid retention, leading to better rehydration. It’s not that you need to replace the salt you lose when you

sweat, but it does help you retain fluid better.

POST-WORKOUT We talk about the three Rs of recovery: refuel, rehydrate and repair. You have a very small window in which your glycogen stores recover at a faster rate after training, and that’s when you should refuel with carbohydrates.

Athletes might consume protein and forget about the rest. But your carbohydrates-toprotein mix during this window should be around 3-4g of carbohydrates (1-1.5g per kg of body mass) for every gram of protein (0.3-0.4g per kg of body mass). Consume a minimum of 20-25g of protein. You don’t need to rush your protein intake because protein has a longer anabolic window than carbohydrates.

The timing of protein through regular meals throughout the day, every two to three hours, enhances hypertrophy – but ideally not at the cost of carbohydrates.

(Biokineticist David Leith defines hypertrophy as strain or stress that causes a muscle to grow in size).

The recommendation for hydration is to replace what you’ve lost during training (a litre per kg), but not many people weigh themselves after every training session, so an alternative is to start drinking when you feel comfortable. Strawcoloured urine indicates adequate rehydration.

FAQ S GQ : Is creatine safe?

Sportspeople use this supplement to increase muscle mass, boost strength and enhance training. It’s safe to use in appropriate dosages, and if you don’t have a renal problem because whatever you excrete in excess happens via the

‘If your protein intake isn’t deficient, adding a whey protein drink won’t make a difference’ kidney. (Creatine doesn’t cause renal problems but can exacerbate existing ones.) More research is needed to understand its short- and long-term safety among under-18s.

Creatine also enhances recovery, so don’t be tempted to cut your rest short and overtrain just because you feel better, as that can lead to an overuse injury.

GQ : How soon after you’ve prepared a supplement drink should you consume it?

That depends on two things: preservatives and temperature. Some supplements contain preservatives that make them last longer, but most companies try not to use excessive amounts.

Usually, once you’ve mixed it, you carry it to work rather than store it in a fridge. So, the idea is to consume it within 12 hours, after which you should discard it.

GQ: Do fat burners work?

Nope. Fat burners usually contain a stimulant that decreases the perception of fatigue during training, so you lose fat because you work hard, not because of the pill. Ephedrine works, but it’s banned because it gives athletes an unfair advantage. It’s also bad for your health. According to Harvard Medical School, ‘just because a supplement comes from natural sources doesn’t make it safe. Ephedra can cause

a quickened heartbeat and elevated blood pressure.

Side effects include heart palpitations, nausea and vomiting. More than 800 dangerous reactions have been reported with use of the herb. These include heart attacks, strokes, seizures and deaths’.

GQ: Is it possible to take too many supplements?

Each micronutrient has an upper limit, which, if exceeded, can cause harmful side effects, either because it works against the absorption of another nutrient or contains ingredients, such as iron, that can be toxic. Extreme amounts of vitamin C can increase the risk of renal stones, and excessive caffeine intake, an ergogenic aid, can negatively affect sleep and heart rate.

The sensible thing to do is look at how the body excretes ingredients, some through the liver and others the kidneys. If you put the liver or kidneys on a double-shift, you’ll be in trouble in the long run, especially if the kidney is dehydrated. If you take supplements but don’t drink enough water, the kidneys must excrete an excess without enough water to help perform the task. According to the US National Kidney Foundation, ‘dehydration can also contribute to the formation of kidney stones and urinary tract infections, both of which can lead to kidney damage if left untreated’.

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‘Pressure is a privilege’ Veteran and CrossFit pro Chandler Smith chats to GQ about fasted workouts and representation within his sport

TA K E A LO O K AT T H E TO P C ROS S F I T AT H L E T E S O F T H E L A S T D OZ E N Y E A RS , and it’s

hard not to notice that white men have swept every CrossFit Games podium. Chandler Smith, a US Army veteran and Black athlete, wants to change that. He placed sixth at the 2020 CrossFit Games (an effort that included a 280kg deadlift) and is now working with the sought-after coach Ben Bergeron to take his alreadyintense training to the next level.

‘Being a competitive athlete in this space is very important to me,’ he said. ‘I recognise that if I wasn’t doing it, then there might not be a voice for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within CrossFit. I’m uniquely

qualified to talk to a large group of people, and that’s what gets me going every day.’

GQ recently caught up with the Puma-sponsored athlete to learn more about what he eats in a typical day (or maybe more of what he doesn’t eat), just how much goes into performing at this high level and his go-to sneaker for almost every workout.

GQ : How do you usually start your mornings?

Chandler Smith: Most days, I’m up at 7:30am. The exceptions for that are on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I’ll wake up at 6:45am because I go swimming in the morningson those days. I’ll do those swimming sessions fasted, but

on the other days, the first thing I do is work to get breakfast started.

Or, I say work, but that’s a gross exaggeration: I make a bagel and eggs. Then the next thing I eat will be a carbohydrate source during the middle of my first workout session.

GQ : How long is your first workout?

CS: Usually from 9am to 11am or 11:30am, during which I’ll have either a carbohydrate powder or apple sauce to keep the energy levels up and myself fueled for the afternoon session. After that, I’ll shake up some protein powder or have some biltong.

GQ : Will you eat lunch between the two?

SPORT | PROFILE

‘I recognise that if I wasn’t doing it then there might not be a voice for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within CrossFit’

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF CHANDLER SMITH

with what you put in your body – which isn’t surprising considering your physique.

CS: The funny part is that I didn’t focus on my nutrition before moving to Boston. I came here to visit in the summer of 2020 and trained with a group of athletes.

During that time, I was, like, man, this is the healthiest I’ve eaten in a good long while. And everyone around me was pretty surprised that I was a pro athlete but not focused on my diet. Before, I was eating a lot of fast food, which in terms of kilojoules, I was able to justify.

I remember there was a time I bought three litres of Ben and Jerry’s because they were half price at the supermarket, and my roommate was, like, ‘that’s just not going to fly anymore.’

CS: Lunch changes between ground beef, rice, brussels sprouts, chicken and potatoes with mixed frozen veggies – not a lot of variety, but enough to keep me interested.

Once I’m home from the second training session, I’ll look for more carbs, really whatever’s around the house. Last week it was mango sorbet. I know this makes me sound boring, but then dinner is anything I didn’t have for lunch. I make a lot of salmon and rice. I also have a chicken burger recipe that’s great.

GQ : Any dessert preferences?

CS: It’s usually yoghurt before bed.

GQ : Barely counts! It sounds like you’re quite diligent

GQ : How does it feel to be eating better now?

CS: It’s good. I wrestled when I was younger and that definitely breeds a bad relationship with food.

I didn’t ever want to be someone who diets again, after all the weight-cutting. But, I realised that being a professional means that it’s something that you’re focused on 24/7. That includes what you put into your body. So here I am, newly focused on that.

GQ : What are some other small changes you’ve made since you’ve been eating healthy?

CS: Something that’s been huge for me is not having juice or cool drinks around. I didn’t necessarily drink cool drinks before, but I’d have them fairly regularly. And orange juice? Man, having orange juice is like eating eight oranges in

a row. So I’ve stopped with that.

Instead of using a lot of butter in my cooking, I’ll use a spray of olive oil or another alternative. I’ll have a bagel instead of a muffin. I don’t think I’ve completely changed everything, but I do believe that everything when practised can be improved upon.

GQ : What’s the difference between the two training sessions you do?

CS: Within CrossFit, we’re asked to do combinations of movements or exercises that come from what can broadly be defined as three different areas: monostructural, weight lifting, and gymnastics work. So the morning session usually focuses on improving those modalities in isolation, and each session involves multiple workouts.

The afternoon session is what I think most people typically consider ‘CrossFit’– the breathing super-hard, ending up on your back and being dramatic, all that stuff.

GQ : If you had to pick one shoe to do all of that, what are you reaching for?

CS: It’s the Puma Fuse. The soles are a little softer than what I’ve had in the past. I can do a lot more running workouts in them without experiencing foot pain but can still lift in them too.

GQ : Now that you’ve retired from the army, how does it

CHANDLER SMITH CrossFit athlete @blacksmifff

feel to put all your energy into CrossFit as a career?

CS: There’s a huge lifestyle change.

All I’ve known in my adult life is the army. I graduated from high school, went to the United States Military Academy, and then spent 10 years in the army or doing army-related work. The norms and lifestyle you live within the organisation are very different from the ‘real world’.

In my life, I have five controllables: sleep, recovery, nutrition, training and mindset. I’ve never had full control of them before because of my service. Now that I do, I have the opportunity to maximise my inputs and outputs.

GQ : Is it a lot of pressure to be one of the few men of colour competing at this level?

CS: I could be viewed as a negative, but one of my favourite things I’ve been saying out here is, ‘pressure is a privilege’. You have to do the best with what you have.

GQ : Where does your mind go when you’re pushing your limits physically?

CS: Firstly, I think that I gain strength from these things – and that I’ve done way worse. In training, you push yourself super hard so that in competition, there isn’t anything that you haven’t seen before. I have an extremely high threshold for what my body is capable of handling.

So as long as I remember that no one’s actively trying to hurt me, which has been the case in other situations, then it can’t be that bad. Another thing that comes to mind is how privileged I am to be able to represent many communities. There aren’t a lot of African Americans and other people of colour in CrossFit. There are also not a lot of veterans right now. All these groups want me to succeed. So the best thing I can do is honour what they’ve taught me. By expressing my fitness at the highest level, I’m representing them and working hard to share their stories, as well as the lessons I’ve learnt along the way.

– EMILY ABBATE

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THE B US I N E S S O F

Navigating the music industry can be challenging. From record labels to ownership of music and making money, we shed light on what constitutes the business of music

M OS T M US I CA L A RT I S TS Words by Shannon Manuel

will tell you entering the music industry isn’t for the faint-hearted. With competition in the industry at an all-time high, carving your space takes hard work, thick skin and a high level of understanding of the various parts of the music industry and being an artist. »

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GQ: When should an artist consider signing with a label?

MC: Ideally when it comes knocking on their door. I say this because record labels are a business. Many people chase record labels, but I feel you’re always in a better position if the record label is chasing you because you can negotiate a finer deal. If reversed and you have to chase the record label, it may offer you a deal where you have very little leverage to negotiate and benefit from its terms.

Record label vs. independent artist

GQ: What do I need to know before signing a record label deal?

MC: Since the internet, labels aren’t actively developing artists as much as they used to because it’s given the power to creatives who can use it to build their fan base and release music and other content. Artists can develop their brand and,

with data, make improvements to their strategies, and because they’re independent, labels don’t need to develop artists as they used to. But thanks to the internet, record labels can now source creatives doing the above well. And use their muscle to amplify what’s already there.

GQ: What are the pros and cons of joining a record label?

MC: With a record label, you work with a team of experienced music industry experts who promote, market and develop your brand. They understand the dos and don’ts of building artists in your genre and can help you grow your audience and support your image. Record labels put resources behind promotional releases, videos and photo shoots to ensure your music gets in front of the people you want to hear it. They also ensure it’s up to mixing and mastering standards. Through their networks and depending on how

This is the biggest decision most new musicians face, says Munya Chanetsa, founder of Master Of The Industry (MOTI) and South African musician Musa Keys.

GQ: What’s the purpose of a record label?

Munya Chanetsa: It’s imperative to distinguish that in the music industry there are record labels and publishers. You mustn’t confuse publishers with digital distributors or aggregators. Record labels deal with performing artists – those you see on television and the ones you hear on the radio – whereas publishers work with songwriters and producers.

Record labels offer licensing deals, direct artist deals and, if you’re an established or big enough brand, you can explore a joint venture.

Record labels offer distribution services, and provide marketing and promotional support that includes digital strategies and artist branding.

They also have the finances, muscle and channels to promote material properly, and can provide financial support for video and photo shoots. They subsidise studio production costs, including mixing and mastering, which are often overlooked. They can also bridge the gap between local and international acts.

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MUNYA CHANETSA Founder, Master Of The Industry (MOTI) moti_africa

‘RECORD LABELS HAVE THE FINANCES, MUSCLE AND CHANNELS TO PROMOTE MATERIAL PROPERLY’

your market consumes music, they can have it placed on popular radio or TV stations and digital service providers such as Spotify and Apple Music. Once you’re with a label, there are rules of engagement, so you must abide by what your contract stipulates – you can’t suddenly start operating independently and doing what you want contrary to the agreed contract.

GQ: Talk us through music ownership and record labels.

MC: Here’s how music and masters ownership works.

Whoever covers production costs owns the masters. When you sign with a label, you’ll probably have access to other facilities, studios and equipment, which come at a cost. Technically, a studio covers those fees and therefore owns the masters.

GQ: When it comes to contracts and agreements, what should you expect or avoid?

MC: A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and recording artist, who makes music, which the label sells and promotes. If you’re a creative, your job is to create. You shouldn’t handle agreements of that nature because, as a creative, you’re not qualified to do that, whereas a lawyer is.

I advise finding the right people to assist you – and they’re out there. Some companies I’d like to mention that offer legal services to creatives include Tailor Made Legal, Yatelatata Services and Dwaba Legal Consulting. Instead, reach out to them to avoid getting caught up in legal jargon you can’t understand and end up signing an agreement that doesn’t work in your favour. Unfortunately, a contract is binding, so the minute you sign it, you indicate you’ve understood it. It’s difficult to terminate one simply by claiming you didn’t understand what you were signing. I wouldn’t encourage any artist to handle agreements by themselves. Seek legal help.

‘MY ADVICE IS NOT TO LOSE FAITH, EVEN WHEN THINGS GET TOUGH’

MUSA KEYS Musician musa.keys

GOING INDEPENDENT There’s no straightforward definition of an independent musician.

But a description that more or less captures the essence of these artists is, ‘musicians with a DIY approach to recording and publishing music’. In recent years, more artists have decided to go it alone. South African musician Musa Keys writes and records his music and distributes it through his record company, Keys Records. He wants his songs to reach a big audience and have a lasting effect on the amapiano genre, and music in general, in South Africa.

‘I took the independent route because I wanted the freedom of being my own boss. I don’t want anyone to tell me when and how to make and drop new music. I prefer having things my way and doing things at my own pace because I know I take time on my craft. Being independent has allowed me creative freedom, and complete control. I can venture into new ideas for my music.

It hasn’t been easy because I’ve had to handle everything myself and still find time to be an indie musician. The biggest challenge I’ve encountered coming up as an independent artist is not having access to the right things when I need them due to finances. Marketing is another challenge for independent artists. You don’t usually have the right resources, people, playlists, radio and TV plugs, and all the necessary channels to move as you would if you were with a major record label. I think many artists who want to go global need to work more on their rollout plans and how they market their music. Having good management is also fundamental – you

need people who’ll lead you properly and help navigate when necessary.

The benefit is that all your hard work pays off for your benefit, not other parties. Being independent is sometimes draining because you don’t have time to be a fulltime musician or creator, you always have to be hands-on to make sure things go right and are handled how you want them to be. Being independent requires you to wear many hats. When it gets overwhelming, I pace myself and set short-term goals, so I can get through everything I need to.

More new artists are considering going the indie route, signing with nontraditional record labels, testing novelrelease strategies and otherwise trying to forge a path alone.

I think this is happening due to numerous eyebrow-raising stories of people ripping off successful artists. You also wouldn’t pull the trigger of a gun knowing it could kill you.

There’s also a trust issue concerning co-ownership and royalties. Many artists cite these as problem areas within the industry, which have become contentious topics. Musicians have ripped me off before, so I know the feeling. It’s not nice when that happens, knowing how hard you worked. My advice to new artists is to be hands-on with their royalties and anything related to finances. Create convenient systems that work for you and a way to help you stay on top of your finances.

To found and run an independent record label, you need a great team that’ll do anything to bring your vision to life. Always broaden your network. Keep delivering new products. We live in an era when music changes and the masses get over personalities quickly. So, stay relevant.

My advice to anyone who wants to be a successful independent artist is not to lose faith, even when things get tough.

Keep working, be consistent, try new things and reaching new people. And always be a student of your craft. »

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Ownership of music Stephen Hollis, a partner at Adams & Adams, the largest intellectual property firm in Africa, breaks down copyright law

GQ: Explain copyright law relating to music in South Africa.

Stephen Hollis: It’s a bundle of exclusive rights that enables the creator of an original new work to decide how it’s commercialised and made available to the public. Copyright subsists automatically if certain conditions are met, including that the subject work must be recognised in the Copyright Act as a work in which copyright can subsist and the work must be an original creation (i.e. not copied slavishly from another’s work) and expressed in material form (i.e. written down or recorded in some way). Copyright doesn’t protect ideas or concepts, only their material expression.

In the field of music, the Copyright Act recognises statutory copyright protection for song lyrics, musical compositions, sound recordings of music and cinematograph films containing music, including music videos.

Copyright is a creative’s most important business asset. In the music business, you can leverage it to secure investment from recording companies in production, recording and distribution projects. Musicians can also decide to release their music independently, managing and controlling the rights to their works or making some of them available to the public without any charge. Copyright gives them a choice. It’s the only line of defence a creator has against rampant, unlicensed and unremunerated use of their works, especially in the online environment where users have become accustomed to music made available for free on user-upload platforms.

GQ: What are the most important copyright rules in music?

SH: Copyright grants a musician, who is also the copyright owner of their music, whether song lyrics or musical compositions, a bundle of exclusive rights to do the following: t Reproduce the work in any manner or form t Publish the work t Perform the work in public t Broadcast the work t Cause the work to be transmitted in a diffusion service t Adapt the work If a third party were to perform any of these exclusive rights without the licence of the copyright owner, that could amount to unlawful copyright infringement. The copyright owner could institute legal proceedings to prevent the infringing actions from continuing and potentially claim damages from the infringer.

As a general rule, copyright can only be assigned or transferred to another party through a written agreement. When entering into musicrelated contracts with third parties, whether record labels or music publishers, musicians should be aware of the commercial consequences if they agree to assign or transfer their rights of copyright to a third party for the lifespan of the copyright (instead of a shorter, limited period for commercialisation activities performed under the contract). Through a comprehensive copyright assignment, a musician can sign over all of the exclusive rights aforementioned, meaning they lose all control

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over how the work concerned will be commercialised moving forward, and any leverage to renegotiate terms with respect to works that become commercially successful over time. Musicrelated agreements can cater for more flexibility nowadays, given all the avenues that are now available through which you can commercialise musical works and performances, whether online or otherwise. Artists should refrain from putting pen to paper on any deal affecting their rights of copyright, unless they’re clear about the legal consequences of signing it.

GQ: How long does copyright last for music?

SH: Copyright in song lyrics and musical compositions lasts 50 years after the author’s death, provided they commercially released it during their lifetime.

After copyright expires, it falls back into the public domain, so others can use it without needing to obtain permission from or pay a license fee to the copyright owner. Another artist can’t claim to own a new copyright when performing or re-recording the song, as the requirement for originality won’t be met. For copyright to vest in a new work, it needs to be original, i.e. not copied from a prior work. If, on the other hand, you create an original work by making an adaptation of the first work in which copyright expired, this could give rise to a new copyright in the adapted version, but only in the parts that are new and original with respect to the earlier version.

GQ: Talk us through the rights for music.

SH: In South Africa, there are three key rights of copyright to consider concerning recorded music, namely, copyright in song lyrics (if a song has lyrics), musical compositions and sound recordings. A different party can control each of these rights. The person who writes the original song lyrics owns the literary copyright, the person who composed the music, beats and arrangements owns the musical copyright, and the party who

STEPHEN HOLLIS Partner, Trade Mark department, Adams & Adams adams.africa

‘COPYRIGHT IN SONG LYRICS AND MUSICAL COMPOSITIONS LASTS 50 YEARS AFTER THE AUTHOR’S DEATH’ arranges for the song’s recording (typically a record label or a producer) owns the copyright in the sound recording.

The fact that numerous persons can own exclusive commercialisation rights in respect of the same piece of work, namely, a recorded song, adds multiple layers of complexity, often resulting in disputes. At any point in time, unless contractually obligated otherwise, every individual copyright owner has a veto right to withdraw permission for other copyright owners to continue commercialising the work to avoid a dispute. This is one of the reasons record labels look to take an assignment of copyright in music to unify the rights in a recording and avoid potential scenarios that could prevent further commercialisation of a recording. The same goes for the film industry – the unification of rights in multi-authored works is crucial for effective commercialisation of the works for the life of copyright.

GQ: Talk us through ownership of master recordings.

SH: The Copyright Act determines that the party by whose arrangements a sound recording is made the first owner of the copyright.

This is typically a record label or producer; however, if an artist pays for the studio time and commissions and pays a producer to create a master recording, then the artist could also be the first owner of the copyright in the recording.

An artist can obtain full rights of copyright in a sound recording from a record label by concluding a written copyright assignment agreement.

Most record labels will invest heavily in the creation of master recordings for artists signed to their label and most recorded works

won’t yield a net profit. Losses made on some recording projects are mitigated by profits yielded on others. In the music business, where records are commercial assets, it’s not uncommon for record companies to wish to retain rights of copyright in works they’ve funded, to balance their profits and losses across all projects, especially as they’ve assumed the entire financial risk by investing in the productions up-front.

Artists should be more concerned with retaining their rights of copyright in their music.

Even though a label may own the rights of copyright in a particular recording of a song, the artist will still be able to re-record and re-release the song in the future if they haven’t transferred the copyright in their music for the life of copyright to the first label with whom they enter a contract.

It makes sense for the label that invested in a recording to be its owner. Musicians who control the rights in their music tend to be the most successful over time.

GQ: What about digital?

SH: The use of recorded music by online platforms, especially user-upload ones, has been one of the biggest challenges for musicians since the dawn of the internet. When an artist’s music is made available online for users to access and enjoy for free, most will be less inclined to buy the album. Also, users often upload copyright-protected music onto social media channels or online platforms without permission from the rights holders, resulting in unremunerated uses of the music. The compound effect of online infringements, unfairly remunerated uses made by streaming platforms, and userupload platforms that extract massive commercial value from music through ad-placements around popular songs, has become known as ‘the value gap’.

This is the disparity between the value that music-streaming and user-upload platforms extract from recorded music and the revenue that creators and those who invest in creating music content, such as record companies, generate from use made of recorded music on most online platforms. This is a global problem, and the tech companies that shaped the laws of the internet in the digital era have profited most from the online use of music. Lawmakers worldwide have been grappling with the issue for years.

Local government is updating its copyright laws to meet the challenges of the digital age.

Unfortunately, the Copyright Amendment Bill currently before parliament will put creatives and musicians in a worse-off position than before.

It proposes to weaken rights holders’ positions by introducing a broad range of new copyright exceptions, and a ‘fair use’ legal defence users can rely on to avoid paying royalties or license fees in unspecified instances.

The Bill doesn’t adequately address online infringements.

The Trade Union for Musicians of South Africa (TUMSA) had marched on Parliament on numerous ocassions in recent years to protest the threats it’s enactment poses to South African music and other creative industries. The Copyright Coalition of South Africa (CCSA), a collective of at least 17 major industry associations representing the broadest group of creatives in local copyright industries, have also vehemently opposed the enactment of the Bill in its current form. To date, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), which developed the Bill, has remained unperturbed in its efforts to push it through parliament, no proper economic impact assessment studies were performed by the dtic to assess the impact of the Bill on affected industries, and the President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa rejected it in 2020 based on a broad range of constitutional reservations which haven’t yet been fully resolved.. »

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REVENUE STREAMS for music artists include performance and touring fees for performing artists, merchandise as a form of revenue, session, appearance or producer fees, sponsorship and endorsement, and streaming and music publishing.

Royalties are license fees payable for the authorised use of copyright-protected works. Given the complexities involved with tracing usages of music by a broad range of third parties in the music industry, including broadcasters (radio and TV), online user-upload and streaming platforms, advertisers and establishments that use recorded music to enhance the mood of consumers’ experience (hotels, gyms and shops, for example), musicians, their publishers and record companies typically engage royalty collection agencies to collect and distribute them on their behalf. Also, musicians engage music publishing companies to negotiate license fees for particular uses directly with the end-users (e.g. placement of a song in a feature film or TV series).

Collective management organisations (CMOs) have specific usage tariffs that inform how much end-users should pay. And

they typically negotiate blanket licenses with most large-scale users, which allows them to use recorded music for an annual fee payable to the CMOs. Then, the CMOs deduct an administration fee and distribute the remainder of the collected money to their members (musicians, publishers or recording companies, depending on their mandate).

CMOs form part of a broader, international network of similar organisations under the umbrella of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC). They have reciprocal arrangements. Money collected for using foreign artists’ music recorded in South Africa is paid

to them via their overseas CMOs and vice versa.

In South Africa, the types of royalties and most established CMOs are:

Performance These are paid to songwriters and their publishers in exchange for the right to broadcast or perform a copyrighted musical composition in a public environment and include radio airplay, TV broadcasts, live performances in venues such as bars and clubs and, last but not least, interactive digital streams. The South African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) collects performance royalties for authors (of lyrics and musical compositions) and their publishers.

Mechanical This royalty is due for any reproductions made of a music recording, and for ‘formatshifting’, e.g., when a recording is streamed or downloaded from an online service or used in a feature film or other audiovisual work, which the Composers, Authors and Publishers Association (CAPASSO) collects for authors and composers.

Needle time

Money matters The payment of royalties is fundamental for the global arts to survive. The production chain involves songwriters, musicians, record companies, distributors, and more 5 2 GQ.CO.ZA | A U G U ST 2 0 2 2

The South African Music Performance Rights Association (SAMPRA) collects performance royalties, also known as needletime or pay-for-play, for record labels and performing artists.

Any working recording artist or label in South Africa is entitled to needle time rights. Probably the lesser-known of music royalties, particularly for the novice artist, it involves receiving payment, a royalty, for any commercially released public performance.

According to SAMPRA, you can define a recording artist as a lead or backing vocalist, drummer, pianist, or anyone else who contributes to a recorded performance, including the studio producer.

That means session musicians are entitled to needle time royalties each time you perform a song you’ve commercially released in public.

overall success. That means adequately handling all business functions and ensuring everyone fulfils their role.

‘MY RELATIONSHIP WITH FOCALISTIC GOES BEYOND MUSIC. WE SHARE LIFE LESSONS’ T H E A RT I S T B E H I N D T H E A RT I S T Behind every musical artist is a team of individuals that strategise and execute money moves to raise their profile. Reba Shai, Focalistic brand Manager and Label Manager, gives us a glimpse of what she does.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GALLO/GETTY IMAGES, SUPPLIED

GQ: How did you get into the music industry?

Reba Shai: ‘It’s a crazy story. I was doing an internship at an online publication, Livemag, as a community manager. I’d do these cool Twitterviews with musicians to grow the publication’s Twitter presence and followers. After that, I was interested in working in the music industry, connecting with managers and getting artists on Twitterview. I wrote a motivational letter and approached several record labels asking for a chance to be part of their team.

Only two of them responded, one of whom was Cap City Records, where I was a junior label manager, working with Tshepiso Poho, who’d become my mentor.

GQ: Describe your role as a manager.

RS: As a brand manager, I oversee all campaigns, in terms of collaborating and/or partnering with brands. I’m responsible for managing relationships between artists and brands to ensure they benefit both. Before establishing those relationships, I pitch collaborations and partnerships to brands that align with the artist and team’s goals. I oversee the effective roll out of campaigns and monitor their success against all parties’ creative plans. As a manager, it’s crucial I participate in and often lead negotiations for deals.

As a label manager, I look after the business affairs, which involves but isn’t limited to matters concerning publishing, royalties and the type of deals required to distribute music.

Additionally, I oversee the overall backend of music distribution and how it penetrates various geographical markets. Monitoring penetration is vital, as it informs other aspects of business functions, such as investment and public relations. Our label is small, so, at this point, its daily operations drive music and brands’

GQ: What lessons have you learned from your career so far?

RS: That the music business and the business of music aren’t only business because it’s personal.

Your team becomes a family.

Strategising around being ahead of the game, from a marketpenetration perspective, requires creative, innovative thinking. The South African music industry isn’t as big as other markets, which adds a competitive element to getting fresh sounds out there first. So, your team must trust each other and work on a non-disclosure code because leaks in the industry are common and can hinder success.

Strategising with your team is crucial, and as in any competitive business, you should always keep roll-out plans to yourselves.

GQ: What are artists’ biggest misconceptions?

RS: That we make all the decisions all the time. Managers are often blamed for all outcomes, even if they’re nowhere near the artist. The artist is also human and sometimes operates spontaneously, which is often unavoidable. A manager’s job is to respond to the effects of decisions that don’t align with the original plan. Those outcomes aren’t always harmful. But I want to highlight that creativity sometimes has a life of its own.

The manager-artist relationship is a unique dynamic because it has to work on a personal and professional level.

The relationship I have with Focalistic goes beyond music. We not only share ideas about music but also life lessons. Building a relationship with an artist is critical. A great partnership should be transparent and share a vision and work ethic. Managers must understand the artist and their craft. Familiarising yourself with the artist’s story and brand limits misunderstandings.

Listening and respect are also vital. Managers sometimes want

to force artists in a direction they’re uncomfortable with rather than suggesting and sharing the pros and cons for all parties involved to be happy with their strategies.

Some think music managers are only out for themselves or their artists.

Money is a means to an end, a necessity, so chasing it is normal and a part of success. We started before the money, pushed the agenda, and money came later.

The presence of managers and their influence frees the artist to do what they need to do – produce and deliver a quality product their managers can convert into distributable value – without focusing on the business side. I believe artists should still understand their business. As a team, we capitalise on each other’s strengths and grow as individuals in the industry to better understand our value.

GQ: What challenges have you faced?

RS: Men often overlook or misunderstand women’s role in the industry. Other challenges include travelling arrangements, such as legalities and VISAs. Then there’s getting music out there.

Keeping a song in the charts requires staying power. And balancing local and international markets means I have to remain focused. Having systems is vital in my line of work.

Artists can undermine you, which is an intriguing dynamic.

The genres of music with which I work are male-dominated, and it’s not common for male artists to have female managers.

Sometimes micro-agressions are more explicit than you’d expect.

Male managers don’t have to think about that. Being a member of the LGBTQI+ community also has its challenges, especially in markets that have laws against the community. These are places where being a lesbian is seen as illegal, resulting in adjustments that make me uncomfortable.

Even more worrisome is fearing for my safety when working in a different country. Sometimes, I’m frightened I won’t get out alive.

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IN

THIS ISSUE: • KNITWEAR F O R DAYS

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Cosy, Extra P H OTO G R A P H Y : E R I C W H I T E ; S T Y L I N G : K E A N O U S H Z A R G H A M ; P H OTO G R A P H E R ’ S A S S I S TA N T : S T E V E N C O N T R E R A S ; P R O D U C E R : J E S S E V O R A ; C A S T I N G D I R E C TO R : B R E N T C H U A ; FA S H I O N A S S I S TA N T : B E L L A PAT T E R N E ; G R O O M I N G : L I M U R I L L O AT T H E B R O O K S A G E N C Y ; M O D E L : M I C H A E L M A R T I N AT D N A M O D E L S .

M I C H A E L W E A R S J A C K E T PA L A C E , T R A C K J A C K E T D I E S E L , J E A N S D O L C E & G A B B A N A , S N E A K E R S VA L E N T I N O

Extra

Dress for the back row, but be comfy in the process Words by Jason Alexander Basson

THIS MONTH, WE’RE ALL A B O U T T H E S E N S E S – from

the bells, whistles, frills and (no) chills to the haptic quality of our clothing – how it makes us feel. Think of yourself as a pleasure cat, lounging around in your finery, luxuriating in top-quality fabrics while dripping in shiny objects.

• OV E R S I Z E D E V E RY T H I N G • FA S H I O N J E W E L L E RY • H OW TO D O EMBELLISHED • C O SY S W E AT E R S • BOLD O U T E RW E A R • P L AY F U L P R I N T S • S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

< Bomber jacket, tank top, shorts (inside trousers), trousers and shoes all Versace; necklace, earring and ring all model’s own

< Knit top The Elder Statesman; bucket hat Mans Concept necklace model’s own

It’s not fashion if it’s not fun, so make sure you play with all the toys: colour, print, texture, branding, embellishment, layering and proportion Words by Jason Alexander Basson Photographs by Ana Abril Fashion styling by Caterina Ospina

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< Shirt and trousers both Gucci; necklace model’s own

< Knit top Bottega Veneta; trousers Mans Concept; boots Jil Sander; ring model’s own

< Jumper, shorts and boots all Dior Men; socks Falke

< Bomber jacket, shirt, overalls and boots all Kenzo; necklace, earring and ring all model’s own

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S T Y L I S T ’ S A S S I S TA N T : R U B É N C O R T É S ; HAIR AND MAKEUP: ANTONIO ROMERO; M O D E L : L U I S C H É R C O L E S AT U N O M O D E L S

STYLE | INVESTMENTS

Pushing boundaries

06

Fashion is an expression of freedom and progress. What is menswear really about today, where do its boundaries lie, and should they even exist?

Words by Luke Diva

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05 1. Ring pack R199 H&M 2. Bracelet POR Louis Vuitton 3. Ring R339 Zara 4. Logo cuff with braided leather and chunky chain R1 600 Hugo Boss 5. Safety pin earrings R6 100 Versace 6. Stainless steel earring POR Diesel

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BLING OUT ‘Real men don’t wear jewellery’. Statements like this have gone out of style. Wearing bold accessories will help you express your personal style while providing a welcome change from the ordinary. But they’re often overlooked. Luckily, in recent years, men’s jewellery has evolved beyond watches. You

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may be wondering about the difference between high-end costume jewellery and fine jewellery. Costume jewellery uses less expensive or simulated stones and plated metals, whereas fine jewellery is made using precious metals and genuine stones. The truth is, it boils down to style, thanks to fashion icons such as Harry Styles and A$AP

Rocky, and fashion brands including Versace and Gucci, who’ve pushed the modernisation of men’s jewellery and embraced styles and materials once reserved for women. There’s no better time to try something new.

STYLE | INVESTMENTS

B E B O L D O R D O N ’ T B OT H E R The key to wearing a bold jacket is confidence. Men tend to be afraid of breaking away from what they know, but don’t be one of them! This season, outerwear has a highly directional feel, with bold

colours and prints that add personality to an otherwise conventional ensemble. Expect a variety of patchwork, prints and detailing sure to make your outfit pop. The trick to wearing bold patterns or colours is a subtle approach to the rest of the look.

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1. Jacket R9 999 Diesel 2. Jacket R3 199 G-Star Raw 3. Jacket R4 799 Scotch & Soda 4. Quilted jacket R1 999 Zara

I LHLO UTSO TG RR AA T IPOHNS BS Y P U PSPI M L IOEN D ABRANOWICZ

5. Heritage warmer POR Burberry 6. Puffer vest R1 999 Levis x The Simspsons

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STYLE | THE COLLECTABLE

Extra MAL

Unique,sustainably produced local knitwear for the style extravert IF YOU’RE A SUCKER FOR KNITWEAR, like I am, and enjoy artsy

murals or motifs for a down-the-rabbit-hole look and feel, then I’m delighted to introduce you to this incredible local brand doing the most by being extra. MAL produces knitwear – blankets, throws, sweaters and wall pieces – made from 100% cotton for the body and home, which it designs and makes from scratch using a network

of local artisans. Each of its designs are unique and its product offering is ever-evolving. In addition, a portion of the proceeds from purchasing MAL products goes towards the MakeALibrary project. The brand has helped build 18 libraries in under-resourced communities so far.

You can find MAL at We Are EGG. (This MALhuis Lull blanket retails for R 1 999.)

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Bring a sense of playfulness and lightness to your winter staples. It’s time to embrace a mood that welcomes you right back with cosy knits and warm fits Words by Luke Diva Photographs by Eric White Styling by Keanoush Zargham

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TOP LEFT Balaclava Marc Jacobs; underwear Calvin Klein; trousers Palace; sneakers Diesel BOTTOM LEFT Necklaces, blazer and trousers all Alexander McQueen BOTTOM RIGHT T-shirt, trousers and shoes all Balenciaga

OPPOSITE PAGE Jacket, trousers and shoes all Bottega Veneta

PREVIOUS PAGE Sunglasses, turtleneck, jacket, bag, skort and trousers all Marc Jacobs; boots stylist’s own

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P H OTO G R A P H E R ’ S A S S I S TA N T : S T E V E N C O N T R E R A S ; FA S H I O N A S S I S TA N T : B E L L A PAT T E R N E ; P R O D U C E R : J E S S E V O R A ; C A S T I N G D I R E C TO R : B R E N T C H U A ; G R O O M I N G : L I M U R I L L O AT T H E B R O O K S A G E N C Y ; M O D E L : M I C H A E L M A R T I N AT D N A M O D E L S

TOP RIGHT Shirt, cardigan and trousers all Jil Sander BOTTOM RIGHT Necklace, shirt, bag and shorts all Valentino BOTTOM LEFT Jacket, sweater and trousers all Dior Men

OPPOSITE PAGE Vest Diesel Jacket and trousers both Ermenegildo Zegna; sneakers New Balance

Wo rd

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Sanelisiwe

Ma liz a

Photograp hs b y

Creative direction a

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Niqu

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by Luke Diva

SUN-EL MUSICIAN DREAMED OF SPORTING FIELDS. BUT LIFE HAD OTHER PLANS. WE SIT DOWN WITH THE ACCIDENTAL DJ, RELUCTANT CELEBRIT Y AND AWARD-WINNING SOUND DESIGNER AND GET TO KNOW SANELE SITHOLE

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RITING ABOUT A MUSICIAN IN THE INTERNET AGE FEELS A LOT LIKE DRAWING BLOOD FROM A STONE. There are hours and hours of interviews

online, and social media gives people unfettered access, but you still have to find something new to talk about.

As someone who was converted to Sun-El Musician embarrassingly late, I’ve had a lot of catching up to do to get to know the artist. Even discovering him was a happy accident.

I knew about ‘Akanamali’, but I foolishly always thought it was a Samthing Soweto song.

At the beginning of this year, the person I was dating at the time sent me a link to the Msaki song ‘Tomorrow Silver’, featuring Sun-El Musician. Then I discovered ‘Ubomi Abumanga’.

And then a friend used ‘Zube Nami’ as the background music to an Insta story post. Slowly but surely, I lapped up everything with the name Sun-El Musician on it.

I feverishly listened to his albums, watched many interviews and spent a lot of time getting to know the artist to find the thing that made him special.

And it’s easy to see why he’s successful. His chiselled face, beautiful smile and ear for good music make him a marketing dream. He’s talented, but because he’s the understated shy guy you won’t find in the Sunday tabloids or at every event, it’s easy to dismiss him as just another DJ. After all, we produce many supernova DJs in South Africa, who for a brief period sparkle brightly and then disappear as if they never existed. With hits including ‘Akanamali’, ‘Higher’ and ‘Tomorrow Silver’, Sithole isn’t going anywhere soon.

‘It’s [been] a beautiful journey. It was hard. But it was beautiful. I feel if I’d been on it earlier, I’d have messed up, definitely. There are so many lessons that have disciplined me and put me in a very appreciative space,’ he says when we meet in person.

Sun-El Musician’s life has been filled with a series of mishaps, hard lessons and a few failures.

An excellent athlete, he dreamed of ending up on the sports field.But an injury thwarted his big dreams.

He tried to get back on the field after his recovery, but it was never the same.

‘The hardest [rejection I’ve ever experienced] was not getting into Michaelhouse and failing my matric.

Those were really the hardest, hardest, hardest,’ he says repeatedly.

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The rejection completely changed the trajectory of his life and led him to music.

Now, with several South African Music Awards and platinum-selling hits under his belt, he’s destined to be where he is right now, even though music wasn’t his plan. But it’s been a long, winding road to getting here.

Sun-El Musician was born Sanele Sithole in March 1989, in the town of Mooi River in KwaZulu-Natal, and spent a lot of time in nearby Rosetta.

‘My childhood was the best, I won’t lie.

I had the most fun. There were five of us from my mom and dad and a cousin from an aunt. We stayed on a farm where my grandmother and aunt used to work. There was so much playing. That’s all I remember. Just being free, being a kid.

‘I was rolling. I was dirty. It was such a beautiful space. There was so much love, even though it was hard. I didn’t like school much because it took me away from playing,’ he laughs. ‘I lost my parents at a very young age, but I didn’t really feel that gap because my grandmother was there. She filled that gap so beautifully. The only time I felt it was in my late teens and twenties.’

After redoing matric, Sun-El Musician was accepted into the University of KwaZulu-Natal but dropped out shortly after. University just wasn’t for him.

And then came the music. In 2009, he started remixing songs and creating mix tapes. Demor, record-label owner and member of music group Shona [Shana], signed him under his record label Demor Music. Sithole worked as an in-house music producer for five years in the studio with Bucie and travelled the world as her DJ. In 2015, he began to create his own music. His debut song, ‘Akanamali’ featuring Samthing Soweto, was released in 2017 (under his record label EL World) and sparked his meteoric rise. The song reached number one on Shazam that year and went platinum.

Even as a young child, Sun-El Musician always fought against being ordinary. He was a prefect and a cricket and soccer captain. He isn’t one of those people who just does the bare minimum. And he refuses to do that with his music career.

‘For me, music is everything. A space for me to heal, to let go of hardships,’ he says.

It’s over a decade into his music career, and the hits haven’t stopped. The singles ‘Sonini’, »

Jacket and jeans both G-Star Raw; shoes Louis Vuitton PREVIOUS PAGE Trench coat Scotch & Soda

Puffer jacket Dolce & Gabbana; pants Zara

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Jacket Louis Vuitton

‘Bamthathile’ and ‘Ntab’Ezikude’ have all gone platinum. In 2018, his single ‘Akanamali’ earned him three awards at the South African Music Awards, including best collaboration, highest airplay song and highest airplay composer. His debut album, Africa to the World, was nominated at the 25th South African Music Awards in June 2019, and certified gold by the Recording Industry of South Africa (RISA).

‘I’m a designer who loves designing [music]. I love having fun. It’s never been about [making hits]. It’ll never be about that. I love getting to a space where I can be honest with myself. If it works, great. If it doesn’t work, I feel bad. I always go back to figure out what I did wrong. I actually have an album that I can drop, but then, I’m, like, that’s not the point. The point is to shock myself and the people who listen to it.’

As is clear from his stage name, and evident in the quality of his music, Sul-El Musician is a musician, not a gimmick. Not an overnight celebrity. He may not be loud, but his music speaks.

It’s impactful.

To truly comprehend Sun-El Musician’s impact, I recommend you meet one of his fans. You’ll realise how unordinary he really is.

In Botswana, a woman fainted when she saw him.

I got to experience his influence at Abantu Music Festival at Cabo Beach Club in Cape Town earlier this year. As we fetched our tags to enter the venue, my friend, Thebe Montse, briefly slipped away. When we looked back, he was following a crew who’d just walked in. He wanted to sneak a peek or maybe even greet Sun-El, but the crew was quick on its feet.

Montse returned looking slightly disappointed but excited. ‘That was Sun-El,’ he whispered. We walked in and found our way to our table. While we comfortably hung out in the VIP area, he rushed off to the crowd to fully immerse himself and experience Sanele Sithole.

Sun-El Musician’s songs are about more than just entertainment or for dancing. They’re jam-packed with emotions. In his darkest time, Sun-El Musician’s music helped Montse push through. ‘‘Ubomi Abumanga’ is particularly moving for me because it reminds me there’s no one like me, or you, for that matter. Over the past few years, I think Covid-19 and the lockdown have challenged us all in unique ways. I found myself questioning my dreams and my worthiness. ‘Ubomi Abumanga’ has been my clarion call to believe in myself,’ says Montse.

‘Ntaba Ezikude’ is a love song that reminds me that love liberates and yet somehow hurts just the same.

‘Into Ingawe’ is another love song, but this time the love of my dream, my hustle – the sort of love that pushes me to persevere through challenging times to reach for my dreams,’ he adds.

Creating music that inspires him is intentional.

‘I’m always blending [genres]. I always say that my formula is more like a river where there are rocks and stones. You know when you can hear the water passing through the rocks? That’s not me. I don’t want that part. I want the part where it’s deep. When you look at it, it looks as if the water isn’t moving at all. As soon as you dive in, it’s deep and moving. I like that,’ says Sun-El Musician about his layered sound.

As successful as his career has been, it hasn’t been without disappointments.

‘When I worked with Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz, I feel I didn’t do my best. I feel I choked – I was young at the time. It wasn’t about my age but the experience. But I learned so much from Swizz.’

Sun-El Musician blames many things for his disappointing experience. He wasn’t ready. He didn’t get a chance to learn more about US culture before working with them. They just didn’t gel because they didn’t have enough time. But he learned a lot. And that’s what inspires his future.

‘My dream is to speed up the process for other aspiring musicians and artists and make it easier when they doubt themselves or think they’ve made the same mistake before.’

Chatting to Sun-El Musician, you realise his longevity occupies his mind a lot. He’s not interested in taking shortcuts. He does things, even when they’re difficult.

‘It’s the passion. For me, it’s never been about driving this car and being looked at that way. Maybe that’s why I struggle with photoshoots and those types of spaces.’

As much as he wishes he could be a reclusive DJ who focuses on their music, he forces himself to get out of his shell, do radio interviews and market himself because he knows that’s what it takes to remain in the music industry.

He recognises the importance of hardships and failures in building you and helping you prepare for success. That’s why his star sometimes seems as if it’s burning slowly. He’s pacing himself, preparing for the next great thing.

‘I want to take the African sound to the world.

That’s my biggest mission as a musician.’ He plans to reach an international audience. We look forward to seeing him take over dance floors worldwide.

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Words by Nare Kekana

G Q T U R N S U P TO T H E G R O OV E O F S I X M U LT I - G E N R E M U S I C I A N S M A R C H I N G TO T H E B E AT O F T H E I R OW N D RU M S . W E E S TA B L I S H W H AT F U E L S T H E I R PA S S I O N S A N D C H AT A B O U T T H E I R CA R E E R H I G H L I G H T S , G OA L S A N D D R E A M C O L L A B S

UNA RAMS Hometown: Makwarela, Limpopo Key Track: ‘Nobody’ unarams

YO U N G , F R E S H FAC E D, A N D F U L L O F D R E A M S, Una

Rams is set to be a star of his generation. Having released hits such as ‘I love you’ and ‘Nobody’, the multitalented producer, singer, and rapper is on track to launch his art beyond our borders.

GQ : What has inspired you to follow R&B music?

I’m generally known for making love songs, and I like to create what speaks to me in a moment or season.

As the winter season was approaching, I wanted to make a soundtrack lovers could enjoy in each other’s company.

I didn’t think any other sound would better encapsulate the mood I wanted to set.

GQ : Who would you say is the target audience for your music?

People at different stages of their love journey, from those still looking for a companion to those dealing with a broken heart.

GQ : What can your fans look forward to in your future projects?

Expect the unexpected. I’ve been carelessly creating and experimenting with a wide range of sounds, which has been fun and fulfilling. I’m currently carefully curating and crafting these songs into groundbreaking bodies of work that’ll be a sonic journey.

Brace yourselves.

GQ : Who’s your dream collaboration, both locally and internationally?

I heavily believe in collaboration because I think it allows artists to learn so much from one another and grow outside of their comfort zones. I’ve always wanted to work with Lira and I hope the universe allows

‘I WANTED TO MAKE A SOUNDTRACK LOVERS COULD ENJOY IN EACH OTHER’S COMPANY’

GQ : What inspired you to pursue music?

No big event. Life sort of led me down a path where I first accepted that I’m a creative, a visual artist, and music started flowing from there.

us a chance to fulfil this. Internationally, I’ve always spoken about how much Drake influenced my style and approach.

He’s like the newage melodic rap Godfather, so it’d be a dream come true to work on something with him.

GQ : What’s one thing you’d like your fans to know and always remember about Una Rams?

My little brother Matt reminded me of a post on my Facebook page back in 2016, and it goes something like this: “This music thing?

It’s not just for my own benefit, it’s for my family, community and generations to come. I want to serve as an ambassador for my hometown and let the world know that diamonds still come from the rough. I want to be an inspiration to kids my age who aspire to fulfil more than what classroom education offers without forgetting its value. Yes, I want to be heard, but my desire for your ear and attention is fuelled by the passion I have to be the voice of many young people who still believe that dreams come true.” I still stand by that.

MSAKI Hometown: East London, Eastern Cape Key Track: ‘Limfama ziyabona’ msaki_za

WHEN HER F I RS T A L B U M ,

Zanelisa: How The Water Moves, debuted to critical acclaim with hits ‘Limfama ziyabona’ and ‘Dreams’, Msaki became an instant household name.

The songbird has continued to be a regular feature on our playlists, stamping her magical artistry on the music scene.

GQ : What do you consider to be your biggest hit to date?

‘Fetch your life’ has done pretty well, but it seems when it comes to numbers ‘UBomi Abumanga’ has surpassed that. It’s really helped us feel connected to people in a way Sun-El Musician and I couldn’t have fathomed.

GQ : What do you hope fans take from your music?

I hope that some songs I’ve written encourage or soothe them and help them express things that aren’t always easy to find words for.

GQ : What’s your favourite part about being a singer?

Hiding little codes via poetry in my songs.

GQ : What has been your biggest lesson in the music industry so far?

Treat people well. »

‘I FIRST ACCEPTED THAT I’M A CREATIVE, A VISUAL ARTIST, AND MUSIC STARTED FLOWING FROM THERE’ A U G U ST 2 0 2 2 | GQ.CO.ZA 8 1

Brit-pop, Afro-rock, and ’60s and ’70s psychedelic rock movements.

Hometown: Cape Town, Western Cape Key Track: ‘Yellow Brick Road’ theworldofbird

T H R E E- P I EC E CA P E TOW N BA S E D BA N D,

The World of Birds, is a cocktail of talent, nostalgia and style.

Formed in 2019, they’ve successfully marked their territory, performing in Europe, opening for key local bands and featuring in momentous playlists.

GQ : How would you describe your music, and what are your influences?

We usually shy away from this question, as we’ve been slightly sporadic with our musical explorations, and when listening to our music find it hard to pinpoint a certain sound or direction.

So, we’ll leave it up to you to decide.

But we’re currently feeling inspired by the

‘WE HAVE A UNIQUE SOUND THAT PINCHES JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF INGREDIENTS FROM THOSE WHO HAVE INSPIRED US IN THE PAST’

GQ : What’s brought the band together, and what keeps everyone in sync?

The McCarthys (Ben and Conor) were brought together by their parents many moons ago and have been creating sounds ever since. I (Nic Preen) met them backstage at various venues in Cape Town, performing in other projects until, ultimately, The World Of Birds was born through shared conversation, friendship and admiration of one another’s work.

GQ : What’s the band’s biggest song?

We’re not sure if we have a breakout single just yet. I think that with our sporadic exercises in finding our genre, we wrote a few different songs that have appealed to numerous audiences.

‘Open Up’ was the first song we released that paved the way for us globally; however, more recent releases, ‘Yellow Brick Road’ and ‘Wish You Were Here’, have gained the most streams online.

Nic Preen and Conor and Ben McCarthy form The World of Birds

GQ : What can fans take from your music?

I believe we have a unique sound that pinches just the right amount of ingredients from those who’ve inspired us in the past.

This hopefully creates a feeling of modern nostalgia. Something the world can find

both explorative to the ear and relatable to the mind. That and a banging live show!

GQ What’s been your biggest struggle as a band?

With the influx of content on social media and the algorithmic demand

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for quantity over quality. We’ve found our competitive natures have a tendency to hurry releases and off-brand content that doesn’t paint the pictures we see of The World Of Birds in our heads.

It created confusion internally and left us not enjoying the process. We so hoped to make a dream reality. This pandemic highlighted that, so we’re now taking the time to ensure what comes next is exactly what all three of us set out to accomplish. Don’t expect any TikToks too soon.

AYMOS Hometown: Tembisa, Gauteng Key Track: ‘Lyf Styl’ aymos_shili

F RO M T H E MOMENT HIS H I T, ‘ E M C I M B I N I ’ D RO P P E D, we

could all tell there was something exceptional about Aymos.

GQ : What inspired ‘Emcimbini’?

It was inspired by the new-age generation (Ama 2000) who, compared to the older ones, have had more freedom or flexibility and the majority of whom go to parties, jamming to the fast-growing amapiano genre.

GQ : What did you do differently in your subsequent album Yimi Lo, released in 2021?

I defined amapiano in my own interpretation, hence the title of ‘Yimilo’: this is me. I’m a very loving, warm soul –

that’s exactly how the album differs from the other amapiano songs.

GQ : What attracted you to amapiano?

One thing is the fact we own the sound as Black South Africans.

It’s one of the best expressions of our language, dance and lifestyle.

GQ : Who’s your dream collaboration?

One of my biggest dreams was and still is to collaborate with Black Coffee on an Afrotech song.

GQ : What do you think sets Aymos apart from other artists in your genre of music?

Aymos doesn’t chase but creates the wave.

GQ : What’s been your biggest lesson so far?

I’ve learned seasons change, as do people’s perceptions of you. Today you’re everyone’s favourite, but tomorrow you might not be. »

‘I’VE LEARNED SEASONS CHANGE, AS DO PEOPLE’S PERCEPTIONS OF YOU’

‘I BELIEVE SOUTH AFRICA HAS SOME OF THE BEST JAZZ MUSICIANS IN THE WORLD’

Hometown: Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Key Track: ‘iSegazini’ @zoemodiga

ZO E M O D I G A’ S FRESH I N T E R P R E TAT I O N O F JA Z Z M US I C

has landed her on festival stages countrywide, catapulting this pop-princess-turnedjazz-diva into a name music lovers with multiple tastes have come to cherish and adore.

ZOE MODIGA

GQ : Following your participation in The Voice South Africa, did you anticipate your career to take off the way it did?

That was six years ago – it’s crazy how time flies! The Voice South Africa was the first of its kind at the time, and it was a beautiful experience meeting and working alongside incredible coaches, talent and crew. The real work began after the show, and I think I rose to the occasion.

Being able to release two successful albums as an independent artist and have my work recognised and appreciated by music lovers worldwide has been so rewarding and fulfilling. I’ve always felt guided to be an artist and acknowledge the privilege and sacrifice as I continue to seek more ways to exist authentically on my path and create honestly.

GQ : Where do you draw inspiration for your style?

By observing people, collaborating with exciting local designers and intuitively expressing myself.

GQ : What’s the inspiration behind your direction in music?

Sharing the human experience, reflecting on the times, and

celebrating culture, language, and storytelling.

GQ : What do you think separates you from other jazz artists?

I believe South Africa has some of the best jazz musicians in the world, many of whom I’m proud to call my family. As for me, I’m a singer-songwriter and performer who finds joy in exploring all music has to offer.

I fell in love with various soundscapes when I was young and continue to be curious.

GQ : If you could influence anything in today’s music landscape, what would it be?

I’d like to be impactful in telling the modern African story from my perspective to the continent, diaspora and world. Using music, fashion and storytelling to make my mark by just being my true self and sharing that with the world.

LADIPOE Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria Key Track: ‘Feeling’ ladipoe

LADIPOE HAS B EC O M E T H E P I O N E E R who

P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y Y U S U F S A N I , AT E N DA C H I D O R A , S U P P L I E D

restored public predisposition to the popularity of Nigerian rap. Signed to Nigeria’s reputable Marvin records, the ‘Big Energy’ hitmaker continues to break stereotypes and records.

GQ : What inspires your music?

My existence on Earth. Being African.

My upbringing, raised in Lagos, Nigeria, and the unique perspective that gives me. I’m from a place so hostile to creativity but, in turn, fosters it because we keep finding new ways to get around the wall.

GQ : What do you consider the biggest highlight of your career so far?

Getting to perform in more places globally has been amazing.

My international and local nominations have been nice. And my growing fanbase brings me great joy. But my biggest highlight has been paying my bills with the money I make from music. Being able to support my family. I can’t explain how priceless that is.

GQ : What impact do you hope your music has on your fans?

I hope they discover something new bout themselves.

A new insight. A new perspective. Maybe even unlock another layer of capacity they never knew they had.

I want them to never feel alone in whatever they’re going through.

GQ : Being a rap artist in Nigeria, where the genre isn’t that popular, what’s been your biggest struggle?

It’s less of a struggle and more of a challenge, i.e. it’s not a burden but an opportunity. It’s expanding the idea of

‘A SONG FOR ME IS BIGGER THAN A GREAT RAP VERSE. DESPITE ITS IMPORTANCE, THAT’S JUST ONE PART’

what rap music is. It’s no longer confined solely to the borrowed blueprint of hip-hop music. It’s a fusion of indigenous and global sounds and styles.

Dynamic cadences and narratives are unique to life here.

Updating old software takes time. This question should be asked differently. It should be, how have you made rap music in Nigeria popular again?

GQ : What’s your favourite part

about being a rap artist today?

The artistry. I enjoy finding and arranging the right elements to create what I’ve heard in my head. A song, for me, is bigger than a great rap verse. Despite its importance, that’s just one part. It brings me just as much satisfaction to create all the other elements.

To put something into the world that didn’t exist before. Tell my story.

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SOUNDTRACK

i

During apar theid, freedom songs played a pivotal role in fighting for human rights, social change and emancipation from oppressive rule Words by Shannon Manuel

IN THE 46 YEARS THAT THE LEGAL SYSTEM OF INSTITUTIONALISED RACISM, apartheid, was in

place in South Africa, liberation music refuelled and united a movement against it. Whether subtle or forceful in their contempt of the apartheid regime, freedom songs were vehicles of protest and often changed over time to express evolving concerns.

Artists who spoke out either saw their music removed from the shelves at stores or the apartheid government punished them for protesting the human rights atrocities in the country.

Legendary South African musician Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse says, ‘Music has always been central to profiling or highlighting societal issues.

In fact, artists in general, particularly writers, those who wrote books or poetry, and musicians, because they could reach many people. In our case, during the Black consciousness era, we were conscientised in ensuring songs became part of profiling the struggle as it was.

‘And, of course, we’d sometimes write songs covertly. But those who were brave enough would do so overtly. I mean, in our case, we understood what our role should’ve been. So we were overt in terms of how we wrote our songs, which we’d be invited to perform at major protest concerts.

‘We were touring Zimbabwe during the ground swelling of the arms struggle in Zimbabwe, Angola and Mozambique. So, we were very aware South Africa required the arts to play an intensified role, particularly musicians, to advance the struggle – we did that through our music.’

You can roughly divide the movement against apartheid into five stages: the Defiance Campaign of the ’50s – brought to an abrupt halt by the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960 and the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela in 1964; suppression and exile of the liberation leaders marked by underground

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movement and activity from the countries bordering South Africa in the ’60s; the rise of the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) and student uprisings in the ’70s; total disruption and increased international pressure in the ’80s; and negotiation toward democracy culminating in the release of Mandela in 1990 and holding free elections in 1994.

Throughout each of those stages of opposition, songs were a communal act of expression that shed light on the injustices of apartheid, and an instrument of organisation that helped to maintain the struggle during its most trying times. Music, ultimately, played a prominent role in the eventual reform of the South African government.

It also accompanied celebrations, funerals, student rallies, religious revivals, cell meetings, training camps, union meetings and many other social gatherings. And it was combative and rebellious in tone, making specific references to life under apartheid. Music was increasingly accompanied by toyi-toying, a repetitive, energetic, militant form of singing and dancing demonstrators performed as they moved through the streets.

To this day, the toyi-toyi stands out as a powerful resistance against the status quo at protests and gatherings countrywide.

During apartheid, people often sang songs of protest in groups accompanied by toyi-toying, which ANC exiles learned from Zimbabwean guerrillas when they joined forces with the Zimbabwean African People’s Union (ZAPU) in the late ’60s. The ‘bark’ of the toyi-toyi, however, is said to have originated from the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) training camps in the North African states of Algeria and Morocco.

Though there’s a long list of musicians who used their music, and popularity, to push back against political oppression, a few, in particular, symbolise this time. Artists Hugh Masekela, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Miriam Makeba, Johnny Clegg and Brenda Fassie used their music to campaign against the profound injustice of apartheid and continued to enjoy global recognition long into the new democratic dispensation.

‘Music has a way of awakening the senses and sparking people’s curiosity.

You can share a stirring speech or well-written, compelling message and the population might be responsive, but there’s something unique about the unifying experience of song and music that connects to something deep within people, often reminding them of their humanity in revolutionary ways,’ says Dr Lindsay Michie, an associate professor at the University of Lynchburg in the US who teaches students about music and its impact in revolution and social change.

‘If someone hears a song with a message that’s also catchy or compelling, then they might want to know its background and what it’s about.

I remember hearing the song ‘Nelson Mandela’ by The Specials when I was a student in the ’80s – it was so memorable, its message straightforward. »

OF STRUGGLE

I think it became popular not just because it was a tune you could dance to, but people like me felt drawn to the message behind it,’ she says.

‘And there’s no doubt music energises and inspires people at marches and demonstrations. It’s a great way to motivate people when their energy or attention starts to drag – you see this with many movements, which two excellent films highlight: Amandla, about the role of music in the antiapartheid movement, and Soundtrack for a Revolution, which explores the role of music in the civil rights movement. I love teaching about both those movements in terms of music because they share many parallels. Plus, activists and musicians from both struggles would communicate across the Atlantic.’

In addition to teaching, Dr Michie has authored numerous works relating to the role of music and social change, her passion stemming from a love of music and an interest in social justice movements. ‘It makes sense that I started to notice the intersection of the two and how powerful music can be in drawing attention to issues and as a catalyst for action,’ she says. ‘This was particularly true when I lived in the former Transkei and witnessed the powerful connection between struggle and music.’

As a photojournalist in South Africa during the final years of apartheid, she witnessed firsthand the impact music had on the spirit and movements of oppressed citizens during that turbulent time.

‘It was such an exciting era, but fraught at the same time because nobody really knew how things were going to turn out. One minute, there’d be events of great magnitude and hope, such as Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu

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and their comrades’ release from prison; but the next minute, there’d be violence, crackdowns and tragic deaths, such as the assassination of Chris Hani. It felt as if the country was teetering on the brink of something enormous, and, living in Mthatha, I felt it was somehow incredible that an ordinary person like me (and a foreigner) was getting a firsthand glimpse of a historic event,’ she recounts of her experience.

‘There were many protests and demonstrations at the University of Transkei (UNITRA, now Walter Sisulu University (WSU)), where I was teaching, and in Mthatha and Butterworth (now Gcuwa) where I also taught; and what I couldn’t get over was the electric energy of the marches and demonstrations I attended – people were clearly determined and driven, but also somehow joyful. They not only sang as they demonstrated; they danced – which was new to me. There might be singing and dancing at demonstrations and marches in the US, but that’s nothing like toyitoyi. There’s something so powerful about that combination of music and physical movement that reaches way back in South Africa’s history and seems to come from the very bones of its people. So, I began to understand how that sort of emotion could create fearlessness when facing the intimidating weaponry of the apartheid authorities. In fact, it seemed those driving the tanks and holding the guns were in many ways more intimidated than the dancing singing crowds they faced.’

In the early years of apartheid, famous composers and poets such as the ANC activist Vuyisile Mini, who was executed by the apartheid authorities, churned out songs tested in the crucible of public protests. He’s remembered for the songs he composed and delivering them in his powerful bass voice,

sometimes militant and at other times nostalgic. He’s remembered for composing one of the most popular liberation songs of the ’50s, ‘Pasopa nansi ’ndondemnyama we Verwoerd’ (meaning, look out, Verwoerd, here are the Black people), a song directed at politician Hendrik Verwoerd, who’s commonly regarded as the architect of apartheid.

Protesters and ANC organisers composed hundreds of other songs at the time, but they were never committed to tape. Those songs became community property, acting simultaneously as oral history and inspiration and sometimes even as a means of planning future protests right under the nose of the oppressors.

By the late ’50s, that early defiance was beginning to shift. In 1960, South African police gunned down dozens of peaceful protesters in Sharpeville, rounding up or imprisoning artists and leaders or forcing them into exile.

Open defiance became a thing of the past in South Africa. Instead, songs of mourning spilt out into the public sphere: songs including ‘Thina Sizwe’, which lamented the loss of the land to the white man and questioned when it’d be won back.

In ‘Nonqonqo (To Those We Love)’, Letta Mbulu voiced the fear and sadness of countless women whose men were in jail, naming the ANC leaders, Mandela and Sisulu, who were rotting in the New London jail.

Then there’s ‘Senzeni Na?’, also by Mbulu, sometimes described as the South African equivalent of ‘We Shall Overcome’. It repeats the phrase “What have we done?” over and over as a beautiful, poignant question with a double meaning: “What have we done to deserve this treatment?” but also, “What have we done to fight and end this oppression, and what more should we do?”

People would sing ‘Senzeni Na?’ at funerals, protest marches and rallies during apartheid and the post-1994 dispensation.

‘I associate it with that time in the ’60s when it seemed the apartheid regime had successfully cracked down on opposition. And many people were mourning anti-apartheid leaders’ deaths, imprisonment and exile. But this turned out to be merely a short period of re-grouping as the BCM began to emerge in the late ’60s,’ says Dr Michie.

‘Shona Malanga’ is another powerful, organising song that became prominent in the tumultuous years of the ’70s and ’80s when the struggle reached new levels, and comrades would sing about meeting, organising and fighting. It’s hard to find decent versions of many of those struggle songs on YouTube and the internet because they were grassroots songs shared in training camps in the border countries or among activists marching in the streets.

‘There are many wonderful jazz songs too, such as ‘Scullery Department’

by Kippie Moeketsi, an instrumental he wrote out of frustration and played at white clubs with fellow musicians – but they had to enter through the back door, usually the kitchen.’

If music was the heartbeat of the liberation movement in South Africa, no song was more familiar to all involved than what became known as the African National Anthem, ‘Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika’. Early on, the song evolved into a symbol of resistance and unity that often served as a prelude and coda to all anti-apartheid meetings and demonstrations.

‘Our songs raised people’s hopes because once we were brave enough to say things as they were, it encouraged listeners to stand up for themselves and say, forward we go, backward never,’ says Mabuse.

‘Musicians would be at every political event. Of course, those who were conscious and brave enough – remember, whether you’re a musician or not, if you did something that could be considered as adverse, chances were you’d be locked up. Some musicians were locked up.’

When Dr Michie lived in Mthatha, there was a small group of Xhosa women who worked on the hospital grounds and took her in hand and made it their business to teach her ‘Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika’ when it was the anthem of freedom. ‘I hardly knew any isiXhosa, and they made me repeat all the words and get the tune right until I had it down pat. I’ll never forget that nor the version they taught me.

They worked as cleaners and cooks in the houses on the compound and had families to take care of, so you’d think they’d have a hard time including activism in their lives. But I saw that revolutionary spirit in them, which was inspiring,’ she says.

‘I also remember how a group of us would be having a serious discussion about politics (everything we talked about then was political), and someone would spontaneously break into a song that was somehow relevant to our conversation. It often expressed what we were trying to say, only better.

‘I recall attending a rally held on the outskirts of Mthatha for Mandela just after he was released, in which chanting, music and toyitoying dominated. Iimbongis praised the antiapartheid leaders and celebrated their release.

The music and rhythm of the movement were pretty electrifying and felt very much a part of that region. Some British volunteers tried playing a Beatles song on their car radio, ‘Give Peace a Chance’, but it really didn’t fit in. The contrast seemed awkward. It was good they were there to witness it, but it wasn’t their struggle; the music for that rally had to be South African.’

The aim of apartheid, as with most oppressive regimes, was to create division to maintain control. Music had a way of transcending many of the bitter divides colonisation and apartheid laws had manufactured. It combined various elements and often local languages, which had a uniting effect.

‘During my first week in Mthatha, my friends took me to a Lucky Dube concert with Stimela as the opening act. There was a lot of tension at the time, as the South African government was manipulating division among activists and pushing the narrative of Xhosa versus Zulu.

Although the audience was predominantly amaXhosa, numerous other nations and identities were present. With suspicions and emotions running high, it could’ve turned ugly.

But the music was so good that it rose above those divisions,’ says Dr Michie.

‘I was blown away by the performances and the crowd’s energy in the crowd – it seemed as »

m o r f e m o c to s m e e s ic s ‘T h a t m u the very bon es of its peo ple’ A U G U ST 2 0 2 2 | GQ.CO.ZA 8 9

if everyone felt united at that moment and enjoyed their experience. I think it was also significant because, in many ways, it was an event outside the influence of the apartheid government, in a homeland that was supposed to support the geographic segregation the system had created but instead had become a sort of headquarters of resistance associated with the ANC. ‘Besides uniting communities, music played a prominent role in communicating messages to local people. South African artists concealed messages in their songs. For example, Johnny Clegg and Juluka wrote and performed songs with anti-apartheid messages, one of which he borrowed from a Zulu proverb demonstrating how a small bull can defeat a large one using superior weaponry. Yvonne Chaka Chaka recorded a song called ‘I’m Winning My Dear Love’, which all her fans understood as “Winnie Mandela” and would sing those words at her concerts. The song ‘Shona Malanga’ turned a song about domestic workers into an invitation to protest. And Dorothy Masuka helped transform a children’s song, ‘Khauleza’, into a freedom cry, ‘“Hurry up, mama, hurry up!’” giving it a new meaning in the context of the anti-passbook protests.

‘I like sharing the story of Lucky Dube’s song ‘Liquor Slave’ with my students, which was supposedly about alcoholism, but at his concerts, he and the audience would sing ‘legal slave’ to highlight the oppression of Black people in South Africa. It’s one example of how people would use music to speak in code, operating below the radar of authoritarian regimes.’

‘The song ‘Meadowlands’ was sung about the forced removals of people from the dynamic township of Sophiatown. It has a happy sound to it with a pennywhistle accompaniment. To white people who couldn’t speak the language, it sounded like the residents of Sophiatown were happy about moving farther beyond the outskirts of Joburg to the soulless township, Meadowlands.

On the contrary. The song contained additional lyrics targeting white people with phrases such as, “We’ll shoot you, we’ll kill you. Be careful what you do” and that serious but comedic act of rebellion went over white people’s heads.’

‘When evaluating music during apartheid, some have pointed out saying “selective pockets of resistance” define the protest movements, and liberation music fails to tell the entire story.

It relates to the fact the “luminary names” of exiled musicians who found success abroad are often considered prominent revolutionaries in the struggle. But they eclipse the influence of musicians and activists within the country, who didn’t become internationally acclaimed voices and had to do things underground but were equally vital to the struggle.

‘There’s no doubt more well-known musicians, such as Makeba and Masekela, who were in exile, played a crucial role in keeping the issue alive overseas through their music and activism. And although they could enjoy the privileges of popularity and freedom within the democratic countries where they lived, I think the burden of alienation from their region of birth, roots and loved ones and disconnection from the struggle as it played out in South Africa took its toll. But, yes, there were people involved in the resistance connected to music who consciously decided to stay and deal with the country’s enormous challenges. Those who may not be as wellknown are Patrick Pasha and Dudley Tito. And the Freedom Fighters, who wrote and composed music to bolster the spirits of the people at the training camps in MK. Masekela invited the jazz musician Pat Matshikiza and his band members to perform with him in the US. But they decided not to join him because they saw remaining in South Africa as a form of cultural resistance and a way to maintain artistic freedom, holding onto their unique form of African jazz.

‘One of the issues I address in my book about music and spoken word in the Eastern Cape is how this region has produced a vast number of extremely talented musicians and is an area with a long tradition of fierce resistance to oppression. Some of the most well-known activists are from there, including Mandela and Steve Biko. But past and present musicians from the Eastern Cape have often struggled to gain recognition. They’ve often faced the dilemma of either leaving for more prosperous opportunities or staying and using their music to highlight and deal with the continuing challenges of this historically impoverished region, which has been hit hard in recent years – first by AIDS and then Covid-19.’

MUSIC’S MANY FUNCTIONS

‘In class, we often look at different roles music plays within a movement – whether it’s telling a story, communicating in code, uniting and energising people at demonstrations and marches or, in some cases, such as punk music, causing chaos and disruption.

‘Preserving identity is another; for example, indigenous people in the US held pow wows and maintained their languages through song and dance in the face of numerous policies that sought to erase their culture. Another example is the song ‘Plyve Kacha’, an old Ukrainian folk song that caused a great stir of emotion when sung in the Ukrainian version of The Voice as an assertion of their identity in the face of Russian encroachment. The entire audience rose to its feet as soon as they heard the familiar tune.

‘Calling to action is another – you often hear it in songs used in demonstrations in the anti-apartheid and civil rights movements. Civil

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rights songs such as ‘Woke up this Morning with My Mind Stayed on Freedom’ and ‘Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around’ motivated demonstrators and, by the way, like many of the songs used during the civil rights era, these songs were old gospel songs revived for the movement of the ’60s and were originally coded messages for the underground railroad during slavery.

‘South African musicians in exile often used songs that told a story to educate the outside world about the experiences of Black people in South Africa. An example is Hugh Masekela’s ‘Coal Train (Stimela)’, about the role of the train in separating Black men from their families and taking them into the mines.

‘Another thing that interested me was the development of South Africa’s punk music in the ’70s and ’80s, similar to the one in the UK, which connected Black and disaffected white youths by combining punk and reggae music. South African musicians added local influences, such as the ghoema and African guitar music.

‘All these movements follow a distinct pattern, including how threatening authorities find music and how quickly, and sometimes violently, they try to shut it down. This demonstrates how powerful music can be as an organising tool.

‘During apartheid, it was illegal to perform ‘Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika’ – you could get up to eight years imprisonment just for singing it. In the ’80s, apartheid authorities poured tear gas into the air conditioning at one of Roger Lucey’s concerts, and the South African Bureau of State Security destroyed his career because it considered his lyrics a threat to the state.

Mzwakhe Mbuli had a hand grenade thrown into his house and was shot at. In Chile, Victor Jara was beaten, shot and killed by Chilean authorities under the dictator Augusto Pinochet for singing liberation songs. ‘Those are extreme responses to a song that started as a hymn and prayer calling on blessings for South Africa, musicians who merely sang about police brutality and oppression here, and a folksinger whose music championed unity among the working classes.

‘Another intriguing element is how strong a weapon music can be, even in seemingly subtle ways. Songs can be purely instrumental but still awaken

a response, such as Jimi Hendrix’s distorted rendition of the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ at Woodstock, his guitar screaming echoes of war that reinforced the anti-Vietnam war sentiments of American youth. Then there are South African songs ‘Mannenberg’ and ‘Ndinovalo Ndinomingi (Pondo Blues)’.

Audiences at jazz events would roar in recognition of their significance to their identity and struggle.’

The fight against apartheid reached a fever pitch in the ’80s, and – finally – the rest of the world took notice. It started with Peter Gabriel, whose ‘Biko’ brought the little-known story of murdered activist Steve Biko to western ears with a stark, arresting vocal track bookended by clips of the actual songs sung at Biko’s funeral. South Africa’s cause took centre stage as artists worldwide started recording anti-apartheid music.

Struggle music, and the feelings and memories it embodies, continues to have an impact, as evidenced in one of South Africa’s most beloved films Sarafina! 30 years later, a musical film that inspires a spirit of hope and perseverance. It’s a fictional retelling of the youth-led 1976 Soweto uprising, when many young people died protesting the unfairness of the Bantu Education Act that dominated in the apartheid era. One of South Africa’s most iconic symbols of the struggle for social and political freedom and justice, Sarafina! was conceived and directed by Dr Mbongeni Ngema, who wrote and arranged the music and lyrics with additional songs by Masekela. The film also starred Whoopi Goldberg and Leleti Khumalo. The crown jewel of the timeless soundtrack is ‘Freedom Is Coming Tomorrow’, a rousing call of hope.

‘Mandela was in prison when Johnny Clegg wrote a song about him.

Clegg could’ve gone to jail for talking about Mandela, but we’d reached a stage where that didn’t matter anymore. People had already sacrificed so much of their lives to liberate us. Garnering support was an incentive for our struggle. It wasn’t just Black musicians. A group of Afrikaans musicians also wrote protest music,’ says Mabuse.

PRISON, MUSIC AND WOMEN’S VOICES

Historical musicologist at the University of Cape Town and founder of Music Beyond Borders (MBB), Dr Janie Cole, explores the impact freedom songs had in apartheid prisons. MBB preserves cultural heritage, builds archives, and produces publications, documentaries and innovative multimedia digital projects rooted in music history centring around themes »

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of oppression, crimes against humanity, and cultural encounters, from the early modern period to contemporary times, and explores the power of music as resistance, for survival, against trauma, to create community, identity and memorialisation, and as an archive. It captures the rich cultural heritage and diversity of the human experience by using real life stories to promote public awareness and incite civic engagement to defend humanitarian values.

‘I was inspired to found MBB to focus on the role of music in social change, surviving trauma and supporting human rights after interviewing former political prisoners of apartheid in 2011. I conceived of MBB as a platform for cultural heritage, preservation and signalling the importance and power of survivor and perpetrator testimony for creating a compelling voice for raising awareness and education. After surviving 9/11, I couldn’t listen to music for a long time, which, as a musicologist, I found surprising and baffling. So, I became interested in how you can link it to trauma, memory and healing.’

MBB is currently making an educational film about music and resistance in the apartheid prisons, with a specific focus on Robben Island and women’s jails, against the backdrop of the broader anti-apartheid struggle.

‘Music was a critical source of resistance and propelling social change in the anti-apartheid struggle. Against a backdrop of popular

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uprisings and violent protests, it became an integral part of the liberation movement, tracing the history of the struggle for democracy and racial equality and evolving in response to the changing political climate and conditions nationwide. It united people from different walks of life, political affiliations and ethnic backgrounds. As Anthony Suze, Robben Island political prisoner 501/63, said in our interview: ‘Songs were inspirational, they created the mood. If you want to go into a fight, you sing. That song becomes the opium that takes over the body, mind and soul.

‘Studies chart the development of so-called freedom songs from the ’50s period of non-violence, countered with the armed struggle of MK, the Soweto uprising and the ’80s revolutionary spirit of the BCM, culminating in the state of emergency. Broader social histories of Black South African musical styles, traditions and performance genres from this period provide further invaluable analyses of the musical soundscape, political consciousness and Black identity developing before and during the apartheid era in relation to the evolution of colonial and apartheid society and their ambiguities. The apartheid prisons, arguably an extension of the struggle, reflected this musical soundscape of Black identity, but we still know little about the role music played as resistance for political prisoners, and yet, it’s a central chapter of apartheid history.

PHOTOGRAPS BY GALLO/GETTY IMAGES

‘I hope our work will fill these historical gaps. It’s also important to note that political prisoners not only drew on freedom songs for inspiration but all sorts of musical genres and styles; hence, the musical soundscape reflected the prison space melting pot of political prisoners from many different walks of life and musical backgrounds.’

Dr Cole explains the real strength of her organisation’s film is the intimate interviews with former political prisoners, especially women, and their accounts of prison and struggle music, which is moving, often humorous and defiant. Another highlight is the film’s soundtrack, which includes new songs recorded by former Robben Islanders and a repertory of previously unrecorded ones by former women political prisoners.

‘We hope the film will be a significant historical documentation of apartheid and music’s critical role as resistance in prisons and the broader struggle at the time. Our biggest responsibility is to do justice to the lives of former political prisoners and the country’s music and struggle history. We hope it’ll make a difference using testimony – itself an act of resistance – to educate and engage universal themes of tolerance, diversity, non-racialism and justice to prevent history from repeating itself.’

MBB is concentrating on capturing the vibrant musical heritage and struggle stories of apartheid to preserve the heritage and raise awareness. Dr Cole explains one aspect of her vision for a film about music and resistance in the apartheid prisons, for example, is to raise consciousness about past and present gender-based violence.

‘Race, gender-based violence and division is the South African apartheid story, but it’s also an international one; #blacklivesmatter, the #metoo movement, and so on. If there was ever a time and responsibility to expose a shameful history and capture its heritage before time runs out, it’s now. By exposing the history of societal violence against women, we can draw attention to gender-based violence that plagues societies today, especially in South Africa. Those women must be heard, and their abusers held accountable.

‘When I first started researching the role of music and resistance in the apartheid prisons, focussing on Robben Island and women’s jails, I was most impacted by stories of abuse, torture and conditions there. I’d read Mandela’s now famous comment, from his 1994 autobiography, on the conditions in South Africa’s apartheid prisons, which reflected the reality of thousands of political activists: “It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones – and South Africa treated its imprisoned African citizens like animals.” The accounts I heard verified the worst of Mandela’s statement, especially those of women who suffered gender-based violence. The women’s struggle stories during apartheid and imprisonment are particularly overlooked historically, but their treatment at the hands of the security police was different to men’s, in that it was misogynistic, very harsh and devastating.

‘We’ve aimed to concentrate on the unknown ‘foot soldiers’ of the struggle, as opposed to its liberation leaders, whose stories have already been told countless times. A large portion of our film centres

on women’s struggle stories and music, as those are the most historically overlooked, and offer a fresh, woman’s perspective on the traditional struggle narrative, which tends to favour and celebrate men’s centrality in the struggle.’

Through her research and documentary, Dr Cole seeks to answer questions about how music expresses the dynamics of subjugated communities, especially those where communication is repressed by censorship or forbidden entirely, and effectively acts as resistance and prevention in the face of an oppressor. And how music-making can function as a space where those marginalised by an oppressive regime find a voice to express their identities, experiences and grievances.

‘Music is an integral part and manifestation of cultural identity. Music and songs were a means of communication between people of different ethnic backgrounds and political beliefs to come together and served as identifiers of culture and identity. The apartheid state systematically attempted to stamp out and degrade Black, coloured and Indian culture, including traditional songs, many of which were readapted and became the basis of struggle songs. The protest songs were thus strong signals of identity and had political impetus.’

Mabuse agrees, ‘Music is absolutely political.

I think it’s misguided to believe it isn’t significant.

Because if we look at struggles worldwide...

I mean, it wasn’t until musicians in Europe started performing that even young people were aware of the struggles there. Musicians made people aware there’s poverty in Ethiopia. So, the power of music is much, much bigger than many people think.’

Dr Cole concludes, ‘It was an integral part of the fight against apartheid, so you can’t separate it from the history. Especially in South Africa, singing is the primary cultural expression, so it was only natural it’d become a popular form of expression, especially for an oppressed, marginalised community. It’s inconceivable to think about resistance to the apartheid regime without a musical soundtrack. It’s impossible to say what it would’ve been without one.’

‘P ro te s t so ng s we re sy m bo ls of iden tity and had poli tica l imp etus ’ A U G U ST 2 0 2 2 | GQ.CO.ZA 9 3

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