club NOVEMBER 2018
EDGARS CLUB MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2018 EDGARSCLUB.CO.ZA
SUMMER STYLE BRIGHTS, PRINTS & BREEZY FABRICS
CLUB MEMBER BENEFIT
SHO MADJOZI SHOW TICKETS
FOR LESS
SHAPING THE WORLD OF MUSIC & FASHION
MY OH MAYA!
I N T ERVI E W
YOU KNOW AN ORIGINAL WHEN YOU MEET ONE, AND MUSICIAN SHO MADJOZI IS JUST THAT. SHE CHATS TO NKGABISENG MOTAU ON THE SET OF HER CAMPAIGN SHOOT WITH EDGARS
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t’s an early Sunday morning, as I walk into a gorgeous studio space in Johannesburg. There are neon-coloured beads on a table, unicorn tassels being sewn onto a garment and all sorts of accessories organised carefully before a production crew, who are hard at work already. I sheepishly say hello and introduce myself before a familiar face shows me to the room where my interview subject is standing waiting for hair and make-up. I am interviewing the Sho Madjozi (real name Maya Wegerif), and there she is, right before me in living technicolour. If you have been living under a rock, allow me to dust the
earthworms off your shoulders and introduce you to the brightest, boldest new act on the music block. She describes her music as ‘best life music’, and I wholeheartedly agree. ‘Huku’, her current smash hit, splashed colour all over the music scene in March 2018 and we (anyone who has not been under afore mentioned rock) have been blasting it ever since. ‘I did a Kiswahili song that was targeted at East Africa, at countries like Tanzania and Kenya, and to my surprise, South Africans were like, “Huku!!!”. People felt it so much more than I expected. Now I can’t go to shows without performing the song,’ she says. EDGARSCLUB.CO.ZA
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Do you think studying screenwriting in the US influenced how you write music now? Yes, it did. I have always wanted to be a writer. My parents named me after Maya Angelou and they fed me books from quite a young age, so I believe it was always meant to be. Many other parts of my upbringing also contributed to the way I create; for example, the years I spent living in Tanzania. I came to age there and I love it; it is still one of the safest places I know. Tell us about your first experience with fame... When I was living in Tanzania, I was accidentally cast as a presenter on a TV show when I was sixteen years old. A friend who was a presenter
I WAS ACCIDENTALLY CAST AS A PRESENTER ON TV. THE AUDIENCE SAW ME ON THE SHOW THAT ONE TIME, AND THEN DEMANDED I BECOME A PERMANENT FIXTURE
on the show at the time asked me to be his guest star, one of the many he alternated weekly. The audience saw me on the show that one time, and then demanded I become a permanent fixture. And that’s how I got my first TV gig. How did you come to incorporate Tsonga traditional attire into your iconic style? When I was young, that was how women and girls used to dress for special occasions; it became what I understand to be beautiful. I grew up and started to think that my affinity for bright pink and yellow was my choice, but when I look back at old photographs of my mom and aunts, I see those colours dominating their clothing too. I make my outfits in collaboration with my aunts, grandma and tailors. I was really inspired when I saw other Africans wearing their traditional attire daily. For instance, Senegalese people dress like Senegalese people all the time, and not only on Heritage Day. I really wanted to find a way to be a whole version of myself all the time. I reject the notion that I have to take off my tradition to be palatable. I have experienced pushback from both worlds that I have fused in my style; for example, the hyperpatriarchal groups saying I wear my shibelane [multi-coloured tasselled skirt] too short. But I’ve stuck to my style. This is my version that I have modernised to maintain practical wearability and relevance. What part of your success do you attribute to luck, and what part to talent and hard work? I think I would rank all three equally. I am naturally quite talented when it comes to language. I speak seven different languages but I also studied language and writing. I do, however, acknowledge that anything in the entertainment industry requires luck, and I have had a great share of it. For example, one of this year’s most widely broadcast events was the Nelson Mandela Lecture by Barack Obama, and during a glitch in the live broadcast, the broadcaster
I N T ERVI E W
LOVE HER STYLE?
OWN IT!
PHOTOGRAPHY: ALEXA SINGER, STYLING: MELISSA HENDERSON, HAIR: PRINCESS, MAKE-UP: KARABO, MODEL: SHO MADJOZI
switched to my song, ‘Huku’. That is unbelievable luck. How did your partnership with Edgars come about and what is your role in the campaign? I was approached by Edgars to be the brand co-creator on the big rebrand. Serendipitously, this ties in nicely with the launch of my new album in terms of timing and fit. Part of my role in the campaign is to design a collection of clothing that I would enjoy wearing. The collection is mostly targeted at the youth, but there is definitely something there for everyone. I am mostly designing the clothing myself but have consulted with one of the head designers of Butan, an athleisure brand I love to wear – which again ties in with my new album entitled Limpopo Champions League. League The clothing will be fun, sporty and completely rooted in my style.
I REJECT THE NOTION THAT I HAVE TO TAKE OFF MY TRADITION TO BE PALATABLE
Shop the Sho Madjozi collection in store and online at edgars.co.za
What advice would you give to budding musicians? I am still unsigned because I want the freedom to make really good decisions that will benefit my career in a meaningful way. So I would say do as much as you can by yourself so that you can have a better pick of offers from record labels by the time you choose to sign. For the first time in history one can achieve a lot by being independent, so I would advise young musicians to hold out and try to garner a following before choosing a record label. We went on to chat about her performance at a festival in Brooklyn earlier this year called Care Free Black Girls,, creating frivolous art as a black artist, how life should feel like a permanent party, her first time acting and so many other fascinating topics. Sho Madjozi is brightly coloured, both inside and out. And this marks only the beginning for this talented woman.
<device> Love her style? Own it! Shop the Sho Madjozi collection in store and online edgars.co.za
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