In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Tankiso Mamabolo, a singer and songwriter from Cape Town, has independently released a compelling album that seeks to dispel gloom with hope, replacing frowns with smiles. Titled Freedom Hurts Sometimes, the album, which contains 11 tracks, was released on April 14 to great acclaim. Ten of the songs were penned by Mamabolo herself, a multi-award-winning actor, composer, singer, writer and dancer from Mthatha in the Eastern Cape who began singing at high school. GLAMOUR caught up with the singer for an exclusive interview.
GLAMOUR: For people who don’t know you, how would you describe your sound?
Tankiso:
I'd describe my sound as being heavily lyric based, mostly influenced by my desire to unearth, understand and heal from pain. My sound is more theme based than genre based and I write about socio-political issues juxtaposed with topics like love, fun and triumph. However, I don't stick to specific genres when writing songs. This is the reason why when you listens to the songs I wrote, you can hear a combination of different genres such as Afro Soul, Blues, Contemporary R&B, Jazz, Pop, Indie etc. I enjoy experimenting, especially when I do live shows.
GLAMOUR: What does being a breakout star mean to you?
T:
It means having my dreams and goals realised. It means every single second, cent and sacrifice that went into pouring my heart and soul into this process was not for nothing. It also means paving the way for others who, like myself, went into this journey as independent artists who need the strength to continue like I did.
GLAMOUR: What local South African musicians, songwriters and/or artists do you see as your inspirations?
T:
Artists like Caiphus Semenya and Letta Mbulu, Samthing Soweto, Simphiwe Dana, Thandiswa Mazwai, Nakhane Toure, Thesis_ZA, Zolani Mahola, Bongeziwe Mabandla and Msaki have had huge influences on me.
GLAMOUR: Who in SA is on your radar to work with?
T:
I'd love to work with Nakhane and Msaki because of their style of writing.
GLAMOUR:
Who have you worked that we don’t know about?
T:
My music making process has mostly been just me but I wrote and sang for a single titled "Inenekazi" with female and Joburg based Dj and Producer Si_Jones. It can be found on most streaming platforms.
GLAMOUR:
Take us through the process of creating your debut album.
T:
This album has been in the works since 2012, when I wrote my first song “Playful Heart”. At the time I didn’t know the journey would take me here.
I began thinking of it as a body of work 2 years ago and that’s when I began making plans for a release. I am an independent artist and so I created a GoFundMe me account where some very generous friends and supporters donated for the cause. I’m also a trained actor and writer so I also used the money I would make doing Freelance work like theatre, television and teaching to pay for studio time and production. This meant that there we’re many pauses in the process but it was as rewarding as it was frustrating. These songs were created over many years and track my life and experiences since 2012. The music I write is always triggered by a specific moment in time. That moment could be something we are struggling with as a society or it could be an experience that I am having. In order to continue to the next phase of my music writing, I needed to release those moments of expression instead of sitting in them. This music has served me, It has been my therapy, my way of getting through certain hardships. It’s fulfilled its purpose as far as I am concerned and now it needs to go and live elsewhere.
GLAMOUR: What do you like to do for fun outside of working on music?
T:
I’m a huge day dreamer and I spend a great deal amount of time day dreaming about the past, the present and the future. I constantly fantasize about success and relive situations in my head. I really enjoy watching series and documentaries on history, politics and psychology. I also play music and choreograph silly dance routines for myself when nobody is watching. I also spend a lot of time learning how to write scripts for television. I’ve recently discovered that I have an interest in cooking and so much of my free time during lockdown has gone into experimenting in the kitchen.
Tankiso Mamabolo
T:
I’m hoping to begin collaborating with other South African artists. I’m hoping to begin touring my music around South Africa and outside. I’ve worked with a truly exceptional band and I’m very excited to see how my live performances will be received in the rest of the country and the world. I’d also like to expand into other art forms such as script writing for drama and comedy.
You can stream Tankiso Mamabolo's album on all digital streaming platforms.
