Munya Vomo
While folk singing is rare in South Africa, it is refreshing to see guys like Nathi and Bongeziwe Mabandla holding that fort. Joining their sacred space is Majozi (pictured) who has just released the EP Mountains, through Universal Music South Africa.
Yet music was not something the gifted singer always had in mind.
“I didn’t grow up in a musical family, but I developed a passion for music when I started learning guitar at the age of 13. I was trying to find my own music and trying not to sound like what I heard on the radio,” said Majozi.
For him, music was going to be a natural progression which saw him play at grassroots levels with no idea where he would end up.
“As time went on, I played in different bands and even attended several open mic events, but because of what society tells you, I never thought of making it a career. I played for fun, in my bedroom or at friends’ parties,” he said.
Majozi soon found himself in a day job.
“I went to work for a bank for a while and then I started working for a church, doing music there. Through that, I got to study jazz and popular music at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Then all of a sudden, I recorded an album for fun which came out well and I shared it on Facebook and other platforms… now I am a full-time musician.”
Cashing in on the fact that he had a unique sound, he kept getting gigs.
“Every step was a learning curve for me. I had to learn that radio has it’s own rules on what works. You may think that you have the perfect song for radio, but it’s not necessarily going to work. I have learned to ask for help with direction, and people in this industry are generally passionate about what they do,” he said.
After catching the attention of Universal Music SA, Majozi is happy that their relationship is a mutually beneficial one.
“The labels want to make money, but I found that my relationship with Universal was a good one because they have invested a lot in me. They guide me through stuff, but they let me be who I am,” he said.
In the past, Majozi has opened for acts like Mathew Mole and The Lumineers.
“It’s been really cool to open for major acts… each of them was a unique experience for me. Mathew Mole, for example, is probably the nicest in the industry and The Lumineers are perfectionists. I picked up a lot of these traits and learned a lot,” he said.
Majozi promised that his EP Mountains would be refreshing.
“It’s not a vast change from the one before… it is only different if you look at the people I worked with. I worked with a dance producer and tried other sounds. There’s an uplifting feel to it and I hope people like it,” he said.
Mountains is available on iTunes.