Tune Me What? Two Cats!
This past week was a bittersweet one in many respects. It marked the end of both Johnny Clegg and Jesse Clegg's tours of the US; the violent and tragic death of Johnny Clegg's backing vocalist Bongani Masuku at the hands of robbers; the self-inflicted death of Malik Bendjelloul, the remarkable young director who made Searching for Sugarman; and the cancellation of the Mango Groove tour of Australia and New Zealand which caused a great gnashing of teeth amongst 'Saffers' in that part of the world.
On the bright side, it was Leon's birthday and he got to choose many of the songs that are featured on Tune Me What #11.
Superficially the tunes on this week's show are just really great listens, but there are also some truly compelling stories behind the gloss. The one that particularly resonated with Leon involved the rise of Patricia Majalisa, who proved that patience is a virtue that sometimes pays off in spectacular fashion.
As a child in the Eastern Cape, the remarkably talented Majalisa dreamed of being a famous singer. After a move to Johannesburg and a stroke of serendipity in 1988, she met Dan Tshanda who inducted her into his Soweto-based group The Flying Sounds as a backup vocalist.
Her early career with the band tested her mettle. Money was scarce and success eluded the group, but they kept working and performing wherever they were given a stage as well as persistently chasing Gallo studios for a record deal.
Their big break came when Hamilton Nzimande, a seasoned producer from Gallo Records, heard their demo tape and decided to help them get a deal. Their first album wasn't a huge sucess but they had a taste for recording and the devotion of Nzimande. Ray Phiri apparently shared Nzimande's belief in the band and he suggested they change their name to Splash.
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Their first album as Splash, which was called 'Peacock', sold over 50,000 copies and gave Majalisa the opportunity to develop and record as a solo artist. Her rise outside Splash was meteoric. Her first two albums went Platinum with over 50,000 copies sold. The next two went double platinum with twice that number of unit sales. In South African terms she went Beyoncé!
Here's a clip of Patricia live in concert.
The lesson: Don't give up! The music business is no place for the easily discouraged and it is only those with the unshakable belief in their own talent and relevance and who refuse to be deterred that will find a measure of success.
So, young South African musicians, keep the great music coming. More importantly, remember to send your songs, news and schedules to the team at Tune Me What. There is a massive expat audience around the world who are waiting to hear you, and Tune Me What is one of the many ways to reach them.
Also featured in the show which you can stream and listen to below were Johnny Clegg, Maleh, Skeleton, Jeremy Loops, Jonathan Butler, Tasha Baxter, Pressure Cookies, Karen Zoid, The Parlotones and Marta Nel.
Tune Me What? is a podcast and blog by Brett Lock and Leon Lazarus that highlights South African music and artists at home and around the world. For more information, visit tunemewhat.com or facebook.com/TuneMeWhat.
