Johannesburg - Bubele Booi knew he needed to take a risk.
If he was to take the next step in his music career , there was only one thing he could do- move abroad.
So the Joburg born BMus Music Technology graduate wasted little time.
He packed up his bags, grabbed his keyboard, and jetted off to Brooklyn, New York, to chase his dreams.
“I left South Africa to do my masters at New York University. To me this was the easiest way to get to the USA and buy myself time to figure out the music space,” says Booi.
“I left for the USA because it felt like the next big exciting challenge. I struggle with the lack of movement - New York is a city that never stops moving , so it seemed like the right fit for me.”
Aside from completing his masters, the emerging music producer moved to New York with the hope of meeting influential people in the music industry.
“I was hoping that this would lay the foundation for having a career in the global music market.”
“I knew it wouldn’t be easy. It proved to be ten times harder than I even imagined. New York is a tough city. The values of the city are the direct antithesis of “ubuntu”.”
“I felt, however, that with the small successes we’d had in music in the South African market it was important to keep growing. New York was the next big step.”
And New York has really proved to be the next big step for Booi.
Just months after arriving in New York, Booi landed the opportunity to work with global superstar Beyoncé .
The 25-year-old has co-written and produced a song for Beyoncé , which features in her new album The Lion King: The Gift- an album curated by Beyoncé which is inspired by The Lion King remake.
Booi has written and co-produced the song “Find Your Way Back” together with Beyoncé and Robert Magwenzi.
So how did the 25-year-old end up working with one of the biggest artists on the planet?
Booi says: “My publisher had been trying to get me a meeting in the New York office of Universal Music Group for a few months and eventually Ari Gelaw, who had recently moved to the company from another label, agreed to take a meeting with me.”
“I played her a few tunes and within minutes she had whipped out her phone and what I thought was boredom was actually her setting up another meeting for me at Beyonce’s imprint.”
“Monday morning I met with Mariel Gomerez who’s an incredible A&R at Beyoncés label and the journey began.”
Booi is one of the many African artists that feature on Beyoncés newest album.
While Booi wasn’t lucky enough to meet Beyoncé while working on the song, he says working with an artist of her magnitude was an honour and privilege.
“Working with Beyoncé’s team is an unbelievable experience.”
“They’re so good at what they do, and they’re incredibly aware of the responsibility they have. That being said: everyone was just human in every sense of the word.”
“I didn't get to meet Beyoncé this time around. I missed her in studio by two hours when we were in LA.
“I can’t speak too much on the process but I can say the Bey is completely clear of her vision.”
“There is no detail that’s left to chance - every person involved catches the vision almost instantly, and when things start flying around the room, and between studios and locations, it’s all held together by her vision. And she stated it very clearly - a love letter to Africa.”
Booi says he always believed that he would one day work with an artist like Beyoncé, but never did he ever imagine it being Beyoncé herself.
“To survive in the music industry, I think that one has to possess a certain sense of belief.”
“I believed that one day i would work with an artist like Beyonce, but never did I think I'd work with Beyonce. If you’d told me a year ago that in 12 months I'd have a cut with Bey - I would’ve laughed.”
The producer says he owes a lot to the superstar for giving him a chance.
“I can't even begin to express my gratitude.”
“She took a chance on me and now there’s a large part of me that feels like I owe it to her to be the best I can possibly be and work harder than I've ever worked before. it’s humbling and I know this is an extraordinary circumstance. im so excited to be part of it.”
He believes that working with Beyoncé will open many doors for him.
“I've already seen glimpses of that. Her support means a lot more, people are suddenly paying attention. I like to think the work put in over the years has sharpened my skill set enough that I won’t drop the ball.”
“I left home with a suitcase and a keyboard and the dream is to use those tools to make music that really speaks to people.”
“I have no dreams of being on stage but when I'm in the studio with people that I love spending time with: that’s the dream for me. Doing the things that I love with people that I love.”
But while his collaboration with Beyoncé has been a dream come true for Booi, he admits that living abroad has its challenges.
“The first two months are amazing. Everything is shiny and new. Every corner is exciting and every night brings new possibilities.
“Then, at month three, the realties set in. It’s hard. its expensive. You're alone. No one gets your jokes. You don’t have mates. There are 27 different brands of bread on the shelf but none of them are Albany.”
“So it’s really a long process of figuring out life and finding a groove that moves with the city , rather than against it.
“The past year has been filled with really high ups , and some intense lows. The funny thing is they often happen at the same time - it’s emotional whiplash.”
Meanwhile Booi says that his family are incredibly proud of his collaboration with Beyoncé.
“They’re beyond thrilled. They know the whole journey so I think it means even more for them.”
“My family has sacrificed so much for me to be able to pursue this. My parents have given me every opportunity and resource , at great personal cost. And now they’re seeing the fruits of that sacrifice. I'll never be able to repay them but if I keep working, maybe I'll come close .”