LUNGELO BRINGS A FRESH NEW SOUND - BUT ARE THE MASSES READY FOR IT?

Gugulethu native, Lungelo, has come full circle. Not too long ago, he was grinding and hustling like any other artist in the notoriously unreceptive Cape Town underground music scene.

His charisma, hunger and determination (not too mention the tight voice and production skills), have however catapulted him to the national stage with the big dawgs of Mzansi’s music scene, where screaming honeys bay for a peek of his six-pack and playing-hating fellaz pray for his downfall all at the same time.

Our publisher, Nick Kaoma, sat down with the man behind the controversial “Dirty Girl” song for a chat, mano a mano, about the struggles of life, the meaning of success and exciting new projects such as Spazashop.


Q: So, when and how did your love affair with music begin?
A: It started when… its actually one of my big life stories, I was about nine years old growing up with my uncle, right after my father passed and we’d go to this hotel/casino, the Amathoya Sun, and while having supper with the family I noticed a pianist playing and I was immediately smitten with what he was doing.. and that’s where the love began, I was really interested in it.

After that everything became about a piano. At home, I started asking if they could buy me a keyboard; they were reluctant but I cried and begged until they let in. So when they got me the keyboard I booked the very same guy who was playing at the casino for lessons.

At first he said, “I don’t teach”, but I offered to pay him R5 per lesson if he agreed. So he reluctantly took me on and he became my first music teacher. After that it was on. I started playing at church, while creating and writing my own stuff.

So it grew on me, until I realized that it was my calling. At school, it became my claim to fame; you know I started getting attention from chicks because of it. It became the only thing that made sense to me and I loved it to bits.

Q: Did you study music?
A: Yeah, I studied composition in jazz; I studied piano as well. I went to P.R.O.M.T.


Q: Would you say that you gained a lot from studying music academically?
A: Yeah, they taught us a lot. We learnt about stage dynamics and many other important musical things. That’s where [P.R.O.M.T.] most of Cape Town’s musical talent went to and was honed before people started rebelling against it all because it was being run by a British guy.

On a personal level, music school helped me with the discipline, the technical theory and because of that I’m a better musician.


Q: Why name your debut album Collision?
A: Because that’s how it happened. I met Ryan [co-producer] from Soniclab and we one day found ourselves in the studio. We started jamming and before you knew it, we had four tracks in the bag, and they were hot.

I put them on a CD and gave them to a couple of club DJ’s and the feedback I got was that people were feeling them. Soon one of the tracks made its way to the Top 10 at Good Hope before I even had the opportunity to mix it properly.

So everything was like… (does smashing motion with his hands). Even our mode of working, we wouldn’t come with a planned way of doing it. We would just go with the flow. Everything was just boom, bang hence the name Collision.

Q: You were obviously in the Cape Town underground music scene for a number of years; how was that period for you?
A: It gave me a lot of character bra, and I always know what goes down in my hometown. And through it all, I picked up some very important lessons. I learnt that you really have to struggle and strive for what you want and that’s the reason I decided to do Spazashop.

Q: Spazahop! Tell us a little about that.
A: It’s basically a collaborative compilation album with various peeps, mainly from Gugs (as in Gugulethu, for the ignorant). All of the underground hip-hop cats would just come to the studio and I would just put the beats to go. We have cats like Driemanskaap, Kritsi, Soldier, Spencer, and a whole lot of other talented peeps on the album.

Q: Sell your album to us, why should we bother with the album? What does it have to offer me as the consumer?
A: It’s a collision into the stereotype that to be respected in Mzansi you have to be on that exact local sound or flavour; it is well-balanced album with a sound that has global appeal.

MTV, Channel O… jeeez, all those cats are loving it! It’s really a collision, I don’t care who you are or what you listen to, there’s something for everyone on the album. It’s like nothing that is out there; it’s definitely a fresh sound!!

Q: How’s everybody receiving it (the general public, the media etc.)?
A: I’ve been very humbled by the response and I appreciate all the coverage and respect that I have garnered. At the end of the day this is my first album, so there are still people that don’t know yet what I’m about.

It’s cool when I’m ekasi and hear a car passing by with full blast on “Dirty Girl”; I just dig that! And the live feedback that I get when I perform at shows like the Kanye West concert is also incredible; it’s an amazing thing being able to move a crowd of 20 000 people.

Otherwise, to those who still don’t know who or what I’m about, they will certainly find out very soon!

Q: What were the highlights for you in 2006?
A: There is a couple. Of course I have to mention performing alongside internationally renowned acts like Pharell, Snoop Dogg, Sean Paul and Kanye West, and actually meeting them. I mean I’m still in touch with Snoop Dogg’s bass player.

Rubbing shoulders with these cats does something to you; it’s like a pat on the back that ‘bra, you did it’. I got a lot of inspiration from that crowd in those numbers; just seeing those hands waving side to side was an adrenaline rush for me. Other highlights were the Miller Music Tour, we toured everywhere with that. You know with that tour it was the first time I saw a Jacuzzi erected ekasi joe and peeps were digging it, so it was definitely a cool thing to be part of.

But I think 2007 is gonna be bigger for me, it’s the 7 baby, Lungelo is after all 7 letters.


Q: What is favourite track on the album?
A: My latest single, “cheri kabani”, which has been released to radio and start promoting full on.

Q: Why “cheri kabani” out of all the songs on the album?
A: I love the concept of the track and the inspiration behind it. I really dig the hook on that soon; I also like “Collision”, for similar reasons. I also love “Where I’m from”; I like what it represents and I featured some of my best friends on it.

Q: Tell us about your controversial video of “Dirty Girl”? What went into it?
A: Obviously, some people see it as very controversial and I always have to explain the meaning of that track. Be that as it may, peeps need to understand that I’m growing up and I’m exploring my sexual side, I’m just expressing myself; the track is simply a sexual expression from LUNGELO.
On the video, I teamed up with Groundglass, a local film production company; it was real cool, everybody was nice and tipsy. And I must blow my own horn here, right after that video many peeps start taking the black and white direction.

Q: Being a Capetonian yourself, how do you feel about the notion that CT cats are unreceptive and unsupportive of new music?
A: My take on that is that Capetonians will not just bite any wack shit that is given to them. Capetonians are very good and discerning music listeners. You have to throw a really good bait if you want them to listen.

I saw that when I introduced my music to them, it was different but they got it. Cape Town is the only place where you’ll find a club playing four different types of music genres in one night, from trance, house to hip hop.

Q: In closing, who do you genuinely look up to in the music industry?
A: Oliver Mtukudzi, the guy can pack up a stadium anywhere in the world. Abdullah Ebrahim, my favourite pianist and former teacher.