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Thandiswa Mazwai “She is the leader of the past, which is now the future” ‐ Hugh Masekela on Thandiswa THANDISWA MAZWAI Thandiswa Mazwai is one of the most influen?al musicians on the South African music scene today. She began her career in 1994 with Bongo Maffin, one of the pioneering bands of the Kwaito era. AJer 6 award‐winning albums with Bongo Maffin she ventured onto a solo career. Her first project, Zabalaza (2004), reached double pla?num status and won numerous awards, including a Kora award for Best African Female and four South African Music Awards, including Best Album. It was also nom‐ inated for the BBC Radio 3 Planet awards. Her latest album, Ibokwe, reached gold status within a few weeks of its February 2009 release and has been on the top of the na?onal charts since. Born the year of the revolu?on (1976), Thandiswa has always felt that she has the soul of a rebel. Though she was born in a small town on the Eastern Cape, she was raised in Soweto, and is now living in Johannesburg. Both of her parents were journalists and poli?cal ac?vists, filling her child‐ hood with books, ar?cles and thick poli?cal discussions. It was this environment that ul?mately nur‐ tured her perspec?ve as an ar?st. Her work is greatly influenced by the wri?ngs of thinkers such as Bantu Steve Biko and Franz Fanon, and is informed by the philosophies of black consciousness and decolonizing the mind. She says, "My work gave me an opportunity to share my thoughts and have a meaningful conversa?on with my genera?on about blackness, African‐ness, and about some of the social ills that plague us, also about freedom and joy. Music gave me an opportunity to feed my revolu?onary self.” Born in the Eastern Cape, raised in Soweto, and now living in Johannesburg, Thandiswa’s personal journey is reflected in her music ‐ which travels through the village into the ghe_o and raises the roof in the city. Her composi?ons today include tradi?onal Xhosa rhythms, upbeat Mbaqanga, a touch of reggae, thumping Kwaito, funk and jazz. Through this, Thandiswa straddles the urban and the rural, effortlessly melding the tradi?onal with the modern. Some of her musical influences she says include the great Miles Davis, Fela Ku?, Busi Mhlongo and Bi Kidude, Dr Phillip Tabane. She is also drawn to the music of the tradi?onal healers, which givers her music that spiritual charge. Thandiswa has performed all over the world, at venues ranging from the Apollo theatre to Radio City Hall in New York and fes?vals in Brazil, West Africa, Europe and many venues around the world. She has shared the stage with Salif Keita, Skunk Anansie, Cesaria Evora, Stevie wonder, Angelique Kidjo and many others. Her crea?vity has also led to collabora?on with stellar ar?sts across the world. For instance, Thandiswa collaborated on two songs with US bassist/singer/composer Meshell N’degeoCello, in an album that was eventually nominated for a Grammy in 2007 ('The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams'). At home, Thandiswa has collaborated with several musicians like Hugh Masekela, Phuzekemisi, S?mela and Busi Mhlongo, infact she is one of the most coveted ar?st for collabora?ons in any genre. Thinking about the future, she says “I would like to play all over the world to new audiences and share my music and perspec?ve. I also want to make albums that will merge the sound from my part of the world with the sounds of Mali, Jamaica, the jazz underground in the USA, Brazil, Cuba, and the Congo. I am also interested in exploring electronic music, dub and funk, even punk…I guess I want to do it all.” Hear Thandiswa’s music and watch her videos at: www.thandiswa.com and www.myspace.com/thandiswaofficial.
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