Johannesburg - It’s clear that Thapelo Lekoane has an unrivalled love for the vibrant township of Alexandra.
Having spent most of her life there, the musician says her best memories were made in her home town.
“Growing up in Alexandra township was an adventure,” Lekoane tells the Saturday Star.
“Alex holds a special place in my heart …The constant buzz of people moving, taxis hooting, kids playing in the street, competing sound systems from neighbours blasting their favourite songs, and the sense of community is like nothing I’ve experienced since my family and I moved out of Alex. I learnt about the best spots to get township takeaways. At a young age, I learnt how to take taxis to school with friends and how to be streetwise.
“I learnt the difference between life in the suburbs and the township whenever my friends and I walked home from Athlone Girls high school on Friday afternoons saving our taxi money. Those were some of the experiences that nudged me to imagine the life I am journeying towards.”
So it comes as no real surprise that one of Lekoane’s biggest goals is to inspire the younger generation of Alex.
Having come from a township that has produced some of South Africa’s most influential individuals, Lekoane, wants to follow in the footsteps of some of the greats by inspiring the community through her music.
“It has a rich list of people who blazed trails and made unforgettable contributions to the community and beyond,” says Lekoane.
“To mention a few, former president Nelson Mandela, Linda Twala, Caiphus Semenya, Condry Ziqubu, Bra Jika Twala, Hugh Masekela. My hope is that the work I produce, much like those who came before me, would inspire people to dream bigger for themselves and nudge them to tap into their God-given talents and use them to serve others well.
“If I have achieved that in some small way, shape, or form today then I am honoured to be on that list. I believe that there is still a lot for me to do and give, and I will keep working on it.”
The musician, who made a name for herself on local hit reality music show The Voice, is hoping her debut album, Tapestry, which was released recently, will prove to be a catalyst in inspiring the community.
Lekoane’s album has 10 tracks and is sonically an organic work of musical expression with the tasteful use of live instruments in songs that were beautifully and carefully arranged.
Lyrically it explores the themes of purpose, faith, love, hope, heritage and relationships, and is influenced by her life in Alex.
“The music is a combination of folk, soul and jazz. It’s a timeless body of work that can be enjoyed by people from different walks of life. Tapestry, in essence, is about the journey of becoming the best versions of ourselves that God created us to be and the experiences that sharpen us along the way.
“It explores the themes of love, faith, hope, forgiveness and heritage. To help me put this project together I worked with an accomplished musician and friend whom I respect very much, Llewellyn George, who co-wrote and produced the songs on the album.”
Lekoane, who has performed around the globe in countries such as Belgium, France, the UK, Swaziland and all over South Africa, says she’s pleased with the way her debut album has turned out.
“My goal with this project was to give people, from anywhere in the world, music they could engage with at a heart level. Music that will make them reflect and introspect. Music that will draw people to ponder the beauty, importance and purpose of life. Music that will speak for itself. The feedback I have received so far has reflected that and I am grateful that this is something my team and I valued and have been able to achieve.”
The musician, who also worked with the likes of Loyiso Bala, Karen Zoid, Lira, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Siphokazi, Oliver Mtukudzi, Kabelo Mabalane, Mi Casa, The Soil, Flavour Nabania, Omawumi, P-Square, The Muffinz and others, credits her musical success to her parents in particular.
“I am fortunate to have parents who believed I could have a career in music. This is a sentiment not many people shared in my world/community. The arts were often viewed as hobbies that people attend to at their leisure. I can say though that the main challenge for me was knowing that resources were limited and as a child who loved music there weren’t music institutions within my reach where I could go and learn music.
“I think that as a young girl my parents thought starting me off in the church choir would satisfy my need to exercise my musical gifts until I was old enough to pursue a music career independently.”
While she is now living her dream as a musician, Lekoane admits that wasn’t always the dream.
“As a pre-teen I wanted to be an ostrich farmer. I don’t think I fully understood what that was about and I am still not sure what could have brought me to this feeling of purpose and a promising future with a farm and ostriches in it. Even though music was like decor in our home and my family and I recognised my singing gift years before, I realise that I had a keen interest in pursuing a career in music in my teenage years.
“The more I found myself around musicians, the more I wanted to understand what a life in music was about and live purposefully in it. Being in the Rhema church choir nurtured my singing talents and how to engage with other creatives. This is a place that exposed me to many opportunities that I am grateful for, but I also wanted to understand how instruments work and how to use chords. That snowballed my interest in becoming a musician and it still does.”
She says her journey has been a dream come true.
“It has been my music dream of steady growth, that came with its pros and cons, and wonderful highs and difficult lows. As curious as I have always been, my desire besides singing was to learn music production. With the lack of resources when I was younger, the direction of my music journey became singing.
“I’ve lived my life in music as a music student and performer during my years in varsity and after I graduated from school I worked as a session vocalist, a music director and a production co-ordinator for a music production company called Thatch Music. I became worship and outreach music minister for most of my life under Rhema Bible Church and a performing arts missions organisation called C-Kruis. As a freelancer, I have worked as a vocal trainer, songwriter, musician, producer, vocal arranger, music consultant, and now as an independent recording artist.
“It’s been a packed and adventurous journey. There have been many lessons I have been able to take with me into each new chapter of my musical career.”
She says she dreams of collaborating with a number of local artists.
“There are a few local artists that I would love to collaborate with when the opportunity presents itself. However, I’d love to work with Themba Mkhize. Since I learnt of his music in 2010 and come across industry peers who have worked with him, I believe it would be an honour and musically enriching experience.”