THERISING AFRICANSUN
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR This project is a celebration. A celebration of all the different elements that make one African, all the different elements that make us who we are. From the music we dance to with the in-built rhythm in our feet to the art that keeps us inspired and reminds us of who we are inside. It is hard to stay positive in a world polluted with negative energy, cruelty and hate but this project is a celebration of all those who are able to see past all that and share their talent with the world. Share a piece of themselves, their sanity and their life stories. I would like to thank everyone who took part in this project and all those who inspired me to put it together. To all the readers, i hope you learn something new about Africa and the beautiful people who occupy it. Thank You Tsuey The images used in this project were acquired from the web via search engines. No copyright was intended. The views shared by those who contributed are not the same as those of the editor.
PAGEGUIDE 4. EDUCATIONISTHEKEYTOUNLOCKING OURUBUNTU 5. DAVIDZINYAMATALKSALLTHINGS ARTSY. Africa Defined
7. FEMINISMINTHECONTEXTOFOUR AFRICANCULTURE Feminism in the context of African Culture Pan-Africanism in a modern world
African Lives Matter African Cuisines
9. TANYAMUSHAYIANDHERBRAND
8 African Recipes You Should Know Arts & Entertainment
11.ICEPRINCEZAMANITALKSALLTHINGS AFRICAN What does being African mean to me? Shingi Mangoma feature article
David Zinyama feature article
14. ARTISTSTOLOOKOUTFORINTHE FUTURE
Ice Prince Zamani on being an African artist Shop In Africa Babatunde (South Africa) Tanya Nerfertari (Zimbabwe)
15. AFRICANLIVESMATTER
Travel Travel BucketList About tsueysays.com
18. SHINGIMANGOMASPECIALFEATURE
Puzzles and Quizzes Test Yourself
20. BABATUNDE
EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO UNLOCKING OUR UBUNTU.
EDUCATIONISTHEKEYTOUNLOCKINGOURUBUNTU by Christopher
Charamba
When one thinks of Pan-Africanism some Pan-Africanism has gone to die. Most school of the first things that comes to mind are systems are remnants of the colonial period the names associated with the movement. and follow similar styles of teaching and Kwame Nkrumah, Jomo Kenyatta, Sekou curriculum. Private schools in Zimbabwe for Toure, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, Marcus example teach a Cambridge syllabus which Garvey and W.E.B Dubois are but a few. does little to grow students as African citizens. I only became familiar with these names and their movement a few years ago during my time at university. Since then, most of what I have learnt about Pan-Africanism has been of my own accord and initiative.
There needs to be a Pan-African agenda in our schools. The African Union and the other continental regional bodies talk about moves towards regional integration and a united Africa but this will never be possible if people remain ignorant about the continent they inhabit.
Lingala? Or Igbo perhaps, a language one would assume the multitude of Nollywood lovers might be interested in knowing. The politics of language is also extremely important when it comes to how people relate to each other. As the late African statesman Nelson Mandela said ?if you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart
A few weeks ago social networks were There are unfortunately a number of abuzz with shock at a BBC Africa quiz What is important is to realise from the onset is people skeptical about the Pan-African where a handful of students in South that setting a Pan-African agenda is not just dream. There is so much conflict and Africa where unable to answer what some about teaching African history and biographies corruption here, Africa is too diverse would consider relatively simple of founding fathers such as Nkrumah as some to be united the naysayers exclaim. questions about Africa such as who is might think. It is also about adapting the Such thinking is poisonous. Our Kenneth Kaunda. education system to fit the African context. diversity should not be something that divides us but something that we From the 7 minute clip some ridiculed the Economics and business studies should reflect celebrate and share. ignorance of the young South Africans but the reality of African business practices. rather than find amusement I pitied them. Understanding the informal sector for example Unfortunately ignorance and negative Not only did I pity them but I pitied myself should be a core element of the curriculum as stereotypes have helped to breed because at that age I possibly would have it is a massive contributor to livelihoods of afrophobia across the continent. To fared only marginally better. Africans. combat this we need to relearn what we know about Africa. The question then that one should ask is UN Women1 states that the contribution of what do our education systems do to women informal traders to national GDP The 1896 Berlin Conference worked to prepare us as Africans? The answer, amounts to 64% of value added in trade in divide and conquer us. Through nothing. Benin; 46% in Mali and 41% in Chad. dedicated educational reform we can work to unite and prosper us.am not Pan-Africanism is an ideology and It would be folly to ignore such an important na誰ve to think that the Pan-African movement that believes in the universal sector of the economy from an academic dream can be attained in my lifetime. oneness of Africans and works to achieve perspective. The problems that Africa faces run this unity in political, social and economic The same spotlight on Africa should apply in deeper than a broken educational spheres. In short it is an anglicised other disciplines. Why focus on teaching system. But the platform for change is Ubuntu. Shakespeare when Kenyan Ngugi wa Thiong?o there it is up to us to choose Ubuntu, If Ubuntu is something that is important to has a plethora of books and plays that one can to practice it and to teach it. us as Africans then this should be relate to easier than The A self-sustaining united Africa may reflected in we teach and learn not only at Why prioritise teaching only French, seem like an impossible utopia to home but also in schools Portuguese, Spanish and now Chinese and not most people but with a consensual, African education systems is where include Swahili, isiZulu, determined mind-set it is a dream we can one day make a reality.
DAVIDZINYAMA Who is David Zinyama and how woul d you describe yoursel f in 3 simpl e words? I?m a creative director & visual consultant involved in the Graphic Design industry as designer & photographer. I am also an image manipulator and retoucher. I can only describe myself as friendly, funny, and confident
Growing up what / who inspired you? Iwouldn?t say anything inspires me as such, it is pretty much the passion I have for what I do. I have always been a creative individual, I love to create and produce things. Art was just one of them things I was passionate about and was dedicated towards the most.
When did you decide t o become a graphic designer and what inspired your choice of t his l ine of work? I came from a music background where I needed artwork doing for my music but because I was not around any graphic designers or knew any, I had no choice but to create the artwork by myself by using a software called Photoshop. The more I used the software, the more I got better at it and it just so happened my peers wanted me to offer thisservice to them and they where willing to pay for it. It just happens I started doing more graphic design than I was doing music and as from there it took over as a day job and now I am here 10 years later, still creating.
What makes your designs unique compared t o ot her graphic designers and t heir work? I will like to believe that I am not your average graphic designer, the type of graphic design work that I do, not many in the world do it as far as I know. Theidea of constantly manipulating images, showing how far an image can be edited. A lot of people edit images, but I believe nobody takes it to the extent that I take it, which is what has made me stand out and known for.
What project s are you current l y working on?
What did you spend your f irst big paycheck on?
This is a question I never like to answer because I am always full of surprises but one thing I will want you to know is I am currently working on new work that I will like to be displayed at my very own exhibition, this will be very exclusive andwon?t be online.
I have spent every bigpay check on upgrading my equipment, I?m very much obsessed with photography equipment, especially lenses.
Where do you see yoursel f and your brand in 5 years t ime? In 5 years time, it is all about global domination. This is a dream for every artist, for the world to of who you are and what you arebringing to the table, which is the art that I create on a day-to-day basis.
Tel l us about a t ime you were st ar st ruck I have never been star struck, but I have been overly excited about celebrities following my works online such as Rihanna What woul d you say is your great est f ear? I will let you know the first thing that came to my mind, and that is death.
What woul d you want t o be remembered f or? What advice woul d you give t o ot her upcoming graphic designers? In every interview I always say, this doesn?t apply just to creative directors or individuals like me but to all. No matter what you do, no matter what it is, do it with your all. If it is a talent, make sure you practice every day without fail. The more you do it, the more you get better. Consistency is key. Be dedicated to what you do and have the passion for it, it will take you far.
Who are in your t op 3 as your f avourit e musical art ist s? I wouldn?t say I have any top 3 musical artists but at the moment I have currently been listening to a lot of Zimbabwean Dancehall Music, there is an artist there that has caught my ears by the name of Tocky Vibes, I really enjoy the messages in his music.
What woul d you say you were in your previous l if e? In two words? A Soul.
A f ew guil t y pl easures of yours? Oh wow, nothing comes to mind for this one. .
I will like to be remembered for my works, when people speak of me they haveto be like "oh yeah, David Zinyama? The image manipulator"
What does being Af rican mean t o you and what do you appreciat e t he most about it ? I am very proud to be African because as a young creative it is reallyit is really liberating to know that the art that I create can get worldly recognition with the click of a button. I?m sure you know coming from an African household, parents have high hopes of their children becoming doctors, engineers, lawyers, etc. I am just happy for the works that I have brought in to the world and the massive support that I get from fellow Africans which is very rare for someone in my field, for the fact that me being African inspires someone else elsewhere who is African to believe that they can also do it, because I?m a living truth.
What are you current l y doing t o make sure Af rica wil l be a bet t er pl ace f or f ut ure generat ions? At the moment there hasn?t been anything that has come to me as I have been heavily concentrating on my last year of University, but in the future I do wish to get in touch with some charityorganisations and movements like you said. Helping sometimes can take you a very long way.
FEMINISMIN THECONTEXTOF OURAFRICAN VALUES
FEMINISMIN THECONTEXTOF OURAFRICAN CULTURE BY:
KOMBORERO CHARAMBA
My favourite African female author, Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie, describes a feminist as, ?a person who believes in the social, political and economicequality of the sexes.? I can see my deceased grandmother, may she rest in peace, Ma Ngoni frowning at that. How can a woman and a man be equal in this life? God forbid! I very much agree with Chimamanda, I think feminism couldn?t have been anymore broken down after that besides leaving sexually out too! Oh yes I went there. African society is actually afraid to talk about sex but that?s a story for another day. In Zimbabwe, the current ruling party has one of its themes ?empowering women? which I truly appreciate but I think it?s a half done job. We cannot teach our women to empower themselves through crafts and whatever when we haven?t taught them the value of being yourself, the value of loving yourself, without knowing that your sexual satisfaction matters too, without knowing that the ultimate goal in life is not to be married but to have something to your name, your own maiden name. Why are we still having situations where if a girl fails to ?make it? in life, the next best thing is to be swept into marriage? Because that?s where woman should end up? And then when she is battered and spat on because in his eyes she is nothing she must embrace it because, you have to stick it out for your kids? Walking out WITH your kids is an option but only if you have something to your name, only if you are independent and emancipated in socially, economically and politically! Within my peers, feminism mostly covers the economical part. One of my friends often says, ?I am going to date a feminist so that she covers the bills..? Oh! How they love to be economically independent these women aka feminists. I have been in a bunch of conversations and possibly real life situations where because I have more in my wallet and I am a woman, but human instinct me and my partner CANNOT talk about our financial position. We can?t contribute money for groceries because I will obviously contribute more, so it?s better I just come back home with the groceries. This is mainly because as it were manymany generations ago, the male is the alpha, the sole bread winner of the family. I wonder if we were still stone age and now that we are trying to introduce women empowerment, would women also go hunting? I hear MaNgonie again, God forbid she said! But feminism doesn?t diminish the male role, noticehow I avoided the term emasculate, it only introduces an atmosphere of partnership, unity. I have another colleague who occasionally points out how she cannot be with someone because they are not moneyed enough to ALWAYS be the provider in the union. WHAT!!?? Girl, you don?t know the half of the feeling of self love. When I pay the (my own/ our) I think it?s also acknowledging that I have eaten, its also acknowledging that I have done something I have enjoyed.Yes, I think feminism teaches us a great deal of self love, which in African society sometimes translates to pompous. A woman in African society is almost incapable of loving herself, she needs a man around to feel that kind of love. Oh Lord, free your people! Baby girl, as J Cole would say, ?killing yourself to find a man that will kill fo ya? isn?t the life you want. Go into a store and love you, buy yourself some heels, put on some make up, show off your body, put on that expensive weave FOR YOU! Being woman is the most beautiful gift we have been given by the Almighty, embrace it. Why does a woman that has a lot of male counterparts turn to be a whore? Why is it okay for a man to go out in the world and satisfy his loins with as many women as he wants? I recently watched a very disheartening video of a woman who was caught cheating and cried her eyes out as she was being banished from the family home for this. I am not condoning sex out of marriage, but how mantwomen have been cheated on but have been told to return to their homes and smile like nothing happened? In the younger generation, I saw just recently Erica Mena being ruthlessly bashed on the Twitter timeline for her ?outrageous? body count. Again why is it okay for a men to "forget" his body count but a woman's must be so minimal or non existent? Social injustice is my problem as well as yours. I'm a woman, you're a man. We're both human. Such hypocrites! This also brings me to the practice of female genital mutilation in some cultural African rituals. ?It is seen as a method of reducing the sexual response of women in order to make them less likely to become sexually active before marriage or to seek extra-marital affairs after marriage? I cannot begin to explain how angry this makes me but in the words of Chimamanda, ?Why can we not teach girls to be sexual beings in the way that boys are?? Feminism is after all not the elephant in the room at all, it is not a dark object but it is the realization of the importance of our own, the efforts of our livelihood, the African princess, the living black African princess! Let us welcome it and address it in our homes, schools and wherever else it lacks!
TANYA NEFERTARI Tanya Mushayi is the young Zimbabwean designer building her brand through social media. The fashion fanatic started out making clothes for herself, wearing her own designs and blogging about them. Now her label is one of the favorites with regards to Zimbabwe's style savvy crowd. This Zimbabwean beauty is all about bringing uniqueness and individuality to a world that is otherwise ruled by fashion clones. We caught up with Tanya and she told us a bit about her clothing label and her main source of inspiration.
"Nefertari means Beautiful Companion. We make clothes for people who want to feel and be treated like royalty. We make clothes for people who aren't afraid to be fashionably stand out. I?m inspired by the art deco movement; I love the clean lines, print, geometry and African undertones within it. I'm driven to promote everything that distinguishes us as Africans, be it bright colours, textured fabrics, the shape or loud prints. I intend to bring uniqueness and individuality to a world otherwise ruled by fashion clones, and to prove that African designers can start trends too." You can view Tanya's entire catalogue by clicking on the links below www.lookbook.nu/ nikkofrikko www.tanyanefertari.com www.facebook.com/ TanyaNefertari
ICE PRINCE ZAMANI ALL THINGS AFRICAN IN THIS SPECIAL FEATURE
Who is Ice Prince and how woul d you describe yoursel f in 3 simpl e words? Ice Prince is a musician from West Africa, Nigeria. In 3 words, I will describe myself as a Dreamer, Believer and Hustler. What does your name mean and what are it s origins? Panshak means ?Hold each other? What does being Af rican mean t o you and what do you appreciat e t he most about it ? I feel blessed and proud to be African and I will always be. How do you incorporat e and showcase your cul t ure in your music and videos? Judging from the choice of lyrics, style of beat, slangs on the songs to the dances, costumes and general art direction in videos, you can always tell that I?m African. Which Af rican count ry has given you t he most l ove and energy whil e you were perf orming l ive on st age? Besides Nigeria which is obviously my home country, I don?t know which to pick between Malawi and Rwanda. I will love to go back there. Of al l t he col l aborat ions you have done wit h Af rican art ist s, which one is your f avourit e and why? Whoa!!! This is so hard. I have done way too many collaborations for me to be able to pick a favourite. It will be easier if I am asked to mention my to 10 in no particular order but to mention a few, I love ?N Word Remix ft AKA from South Africa?, ?Shots on Shots ft Sarkodie from Ghana?. What ?s your f avourit e Af rican dish? First I?ll say I?m a foodie. My favourite African Dish is Wowop. It's a native dish from Jos in Plateau state Nigeria Do you t hink Af rican art ist s can penet rat e t he int ernat ional music indust ry and if so, how? Definitely, there?s a lot of African artists already flying the African flag internationally. Slowly but surely, African artists will be getting nominations in the same category as A-list artists worldwide. With the help of the internet, it has become easier to connect with people all over the world. Being on the right team is an added advantage. 9. Is there an African dance that you like and are good at?
Is t here an Af rican dance t hat you l ike and are good at ?
What is your go t o sit e f or new regional music?
*giggles* I?m not a very good dancer but at some time or the other, I have been infected with the ?Skelewu? and ?Shoki? virus. I love these two dances and I can only dance them fairly.
These days, a lot of music pre-release, release and post-release activities are done on social media networks like Twitter, instagram and several others platforms. Being an active lover of social media, I get music updates and download links on there.
Which Af rican count ry woul d you l ove t o visit ? Tanzania.
What are you currently doing to make sure Africa will be a better place for future generations?
How do you t hink we can bridge t he gap caused by l anguage barriers?
I have my Zamani Foundation. The primary aim is to create opportunities and restore hope for that young boy or girl that has nothing but just a dream with limited or no opportunities. I hope to touch as many lives as possible.
Music is one language that is understood by everybody. The elements of good music have never been determined by language. That?s why a song like ?Khona? can tear up the airwaves in Nigeria. What we need are more people to lend their voices in preaching peaceful coexistence. A positive result will reflect on music too. How many l anguages can you speak? I speak English and Hausa, Angas. That?s 3.
SILASMIAMI Who is Sil as Miami and how woul d you describe yoursel f in 3 simpl e words? Silas is a singer/ songwriter, a filmmaker, a photographer and actor and ?on a good day- a dancer. I dabble in it all. I am an old ball and a lover of happy things. Me in 3 words? Your Classic Overachiever. What does being Af rican mean t o you and what do you appreciat e t he most about it ? Being African means being free? and knowing the value of it. I love the fact that we are resilient. We get going even in the toughest of times. And when times are great , we celebrate like nobody?s watching! We laugh from the heart and know what true, unadulterated, joy is. How do you incorporat e and showcase your cul t ure in your music and videos? Africans are storytellers by nature. We can captivate audiences with the stories of our lives and take them, wholly, on a journey through our experiences. We share ourselves freely in this regard. I try and do the same thing with my work. It?s not enough to just sing. It has to be a story. Do you t hink Af rican art ist s can penet rat e t he int ernat ional music indust ry and if so, how? Yes. But why would we want to? I think I?m more invested in fostering the idea of homegrown appreciation. Sometimes, it feels like we are either too shy or too embarrassed to love our own people?s work. It feels as though an African Artist can only be recognized at home after the rest of the world acknowledges him/ her first. I find that a little problematic. I?d rather have the music I create be appreciated by our people first? the rest of the world will come and find it eventually
How do you t hink we can bridge t he gap caused by l anguage barriers? Again, why would we want to? I find that sometimes the appeal of African music lies in its diversity. We often say that music speaks to us universally, regardless of language: I agree. I?ve found myself singing Xhosa and Zulu songs so freely these past few months and that feeling has been liberating. The rush to standardize and streamline a sound that we can package as ?African?strikes me as a little false. I reckon, the only way to bridge that ?gap?is to acknowledge that it exists and embrace it. Wonderful things can and have come from a space of cultural and linguistic collaborations.
B.M.E Who is B.M.E and how woul d you describe yoursel f in 3 simpl e words? B.M.E is more than an artist or a persona, its who i am Me in 3 words? I'm Just Honest How do you incorporat e and showcase your cul t ure in your music and videos? The culture is mainly in the beats thanks to the incredible samples from my producer and team mate Louis Chivat. Lyrically not so much. I forever talk about the city though (Harare). Videos are coming soon. We want to put the right material out because quality is better than quantity, right? Do you t hink Af rican art ist s can penet rat e t he int ernat ional music indust ry and if so, how? I don't think about that. i think we should be more focused on our own. How do you t hink we can bridge t he gap caused by l anguage barriers? I don't see any other solution besides English. however listeners tend to prefer their own language which makes it hard to bridge the gap. In Zimbabwe rapping in English can be met with all sorts of stereotypes but will people across the boarders understand Shona though?
AFRICANLIVESMATTER Remembering BOKO HARAM VICTIMS || GARISSA ATTACK VICTIMS || AFROPHOBIA VICTIMS || XENOPHOBIA VICTIMS || DECEASED LIBYA MIGRANTS || EBOLA VICTIMS AND ALL OTHER AFRICAN LIVES THAT WE HAVE LOST. Forever in our hearts, forever in our prayers.
For too long Africans have stood by and watched our continent disintegrate before our eyes. Africa is falling apart. Religious conflict ensures that the blood of innocent individuals runs through our African soil; our children have greater knowledge about how to use a gun, instead of the letters of the alphabet; our women are denied their fundamental human rights, raped and even murdered when they dare speak up against the gender inequality perpetuating our land; our governments continue to deny or even downplay the human rights violations at United Nations Meetings. Furthermore, our governments continue to spend our civil contributions and our resources for their own personal endeavours. While these cases may not be the reality in all African countries, they represent the daily lives of the majority of Africans. Despite the sad realities of our continent, it is evident that the Western World continues to deny our existence. Do African lives matter? Furthermore, the denial of our existence is perpetuated by the fact that our very own leaders treat us as commodities or numbers, instead of humans. Our very own leaders allow our human rights to be denied and cast aside the deaths of our fellow Africans by pushing attacks and violence under the rug. Do our lives not matter? The time has come for Africans to unite against this complete disregard for our lives. Humanity matters. African lives matter. Our lives matter. Let us unite as the powerful and vibrant African youth that we are and speak to African and World Leaders. Let us raise our voices on behalf of those who have become voiceless as a result of our reality. Let us raise our voices for those who died while fighting for their fundamental human rights in our reality. Let us speak up. Let us unite and tell the world that we do matter. We will no longer be cast aside. Our problems will no longer be swept under the rug of ?African problems?. We live in a global community and together we need to combat ?global problems?. Africa is a diversity of people. Let us use our diversity to appeal to the humanity of others. Let us remind the world to choose humanity ? Africans are humans too. Contextualisation: On the 7th January 2015, the offices of Charlie Hebdo were attacked in France resulting in the death of 17 civilians. The news of the tragedy flooded the media all around the world, and hashtags of # JeSuisCharlie demonstrated the solidarity of the global community against the attacks and for the Freedom of Speech. On the 8th January 2015 reports emerged of dead bodies lying in the streets of Baga. Boko Haram murdered up to 2000 civilians in Baga, Nigeria. The trending hashtag was # JeSuisCharlie.
demonstrated the solidarity of the global community against the attacks and for the Freedom of Speech. On the 8th January 2015 reports emerged of dead bodies lying in the streets of Baga. Boko Haram murdered up to 2000 civilians in Baga, Nigeria. The trending hashtag was # JeSuisCharlie. World leaders fled to France to join the mourning nation in solidarity. Yet, very few of these World Leaders visited Nigeria, let alone sent their condolences. Africa did not matter. Africa was irrelevant. And yet the attack on Baga is a direct infringement on the Freedom of Religion, the Freedom of Association and the same Freedom of Speech. Both events were terrorist attacks. Similar dates. France had 17 deaths. Nigeria had 2000 deaths. France dominates the media, including African media. Nigeria is mentioned in passing as an ?African problem?. Do we not matter? On the 4th April 2015, 147 students died in the Garissa University Massacre in Kenya carried out by Al Shabaab. Innocent African students who aimed to better their education to significantly contribute to the revival of the African community and economy, died. Media coverage worldwide and in Africa remained somewhat minimal. The response of world and African leaders is unheard of. Do we not matter? How Do We Make our Lives Matter? We need to make our voices heard. We can no longer afford to live in silence. Freedom of Speech and Expression is a powerful tool and the 21st century has equipped us with the resources to ensure that our voices reach the ears of the global community. What points can you raise? ? Express yourself regarding any topic that deeply affects you and other Africans around you. Some examples of points are: The humanity of Africans Media coverage Gender Inequality Aspects that Governments must improve on The United Nations and its role in Africa Why we are not irrelevant to the global community The human rights atrocities Child Soldiers Slavery Education Agriculture . With each of these points you can start with ?Dear Africa? or ?Dear World/ Global Community?, or ?Africa Matters? ? Facebook Page ? posting your views on the page ? Letter to Africa or the Global Community ? write a letter and post it on the Facebook page or email it to dearafrica@gmail.com ? Make a Video voicing your views or showing your reality ? post it to Youtube, or share it on Facebook or twitter ? Twitter - # AfricanLivesMatters # AfricaRises ? Instagram ? Pintrest ? create emotive posters and share ? Tumblr ? express yourself through blogposts ? Newspaper Articles ? Academic Journals ? Television Interviews To raise the start up awareness of this project, please make a video or Facebook post or tweet or Whatsapp status saying the following: ?My name is ? I am an African. My life matters. # AfricaRises # AfricaMatters # AfricanLivesMatter.?
by
FARAI M UBAIWA
SHINGIMANGOMA Who is Shingi Mangoma? Shingi Mangoma is a singer/ songwriter. Me in 3 words.... Multi-faceted,Bold and perceptive. Growing up, what / who inspired you? Growing up my parents inspired me, they were super, smart and quirky. They never limited themselves even in highly constrained or judgmental environments, they did them.
When did you decide t o become a musician and what inspired your choice of t his l ine of work? I have always been very musical growing up but always in very structured, organized and group oriented way. I was heavily involved in choirs and duets, trios, quartets etc. I started recording professionally as a solo artist 2013...it was after we had finished recording Christmas Carols as a youth project at church and I carried on going to the studio by myself afterwards. The recording process intrigued me so much....I was so intrigued.
What makes your music unique compared t o ot her musicians and t heir work? My music is different because of the different elements I fuse. My arrangements are also quite unique.
What project s are you current l y working on?
I am currently working on a debut album. It's so challenging and exciting because it's the first one...you want to make sure its everything you want it to be. Where do you see yoursel f and your brand in 5 years t ime?
You know right now I live each day as it comes. Five years ago I had no clue I would be making music for public consumption. So I leave room for greatness, leave room for my flamboyant mind to fly free. There are definitely basic admin goals though.. I definitely would have laid foundation to my empire as a brand by then I will also have gone international by then. What advice woul d you give t o ot her upcoming musicians?
Its all on you!! I have been approached by a lot of upcoming artists asking me to help them take their stuff to radio..or help them give them access to people etc. It was never like that for me, I just did what I had to do and came into this industry without knowing anyone. You have to trust your product, trust yourself. I dropped off my first single Run personally at radio stations. Left it at reception without knowing anyone. Only heard it playing like 3 weeks later. But I made sure my product was of a high quality and hard to ignore. Sometimes people wait on other people to help them get a foot in but really the most reliable person is yourself and you have to believe you are good enough to get where you want. Mentors and influential people gravitate to those who have put in tonnes and tonnes of groundwork for themselves. Another thing is you have to always have the heart to try once more even if its the hundredth attempt. So many opportunities have pulled through at like the 80th dying attempt.
BABATUNDE Babatunde is Gareth Cowden. A 36 year old former fashion stylist who was born and raised in Johannesburg. He gets most of his inspiration from everyday life, music and the ocean. When it comes to incorporating his culture in his work, he works with African prints so his culture is highlighted in an easy yet very noticeable way. For orders and more details, visit www.babatunde.co.za. We promise, you will not be disappointed.