EXPERIENCING NOSISI NGAKANE

Words: Qhama Dayile

Pictures: Sello

Nosisi Ngakane was locally and internationally appreciated for her robust voice and conscious scripts in the band Kwani Experience. Kwani has traveled to Holland, France, Germany, most of Europe sharing their music, they are 2007’s winners of the “totally jazzed” overseas competition and If you’re still dancing out of tune when it comes to the South African music Industry updates then eh ‘let me learn yah’. Nosisi Ngakane is no longer part of the band Kwani Experience and is now creating her own life through her past and present experiences. Amongst other chit chats we’ve had in the past we decided to have a proper sit down over some tea on a freezing Cape Town afternoon and talk about her new life, her music, her plans and try to pinch out some of the reasons why she decided to leave such a promising group for a dreaded 9-5 job.


You seem to be quite a traveler, where did you grow up?
My family and I moved around a lot, you can call me ‘the exile baby’. My family is originally from South Africa, they left for England when my mom and her sisters were in primary school, they then moved to Lesotho where my mother met my dad and they had me. My family and I, excluding my dad, moved to Zimbabwe when I was two. We lived in Zimbabwe until 1989; I was six. My mother came back to SA with the rest of my family. I reunited with my dad in Canada; I stayed there for two years then came back to SA. While I was here, I lived between DBN and JHB but I guess most of my conscious life was spent in JHB and I consider that my home, and the music has been with me ever since I can remember my journeys. Now, I’m living in the Mother city, Cape Town.


Two albums in the bag, you’ve left and there’s a new lead vocalist at Kwani. How is life after Kwani Experience?
‘Nothing new under the sun’, I am discovering myself everyday and it’s a challenge at times but it’s beautiful. I have new friends, new people to explore music with, and a new home… its change, major change and adjustment. I am now working an 8-6 job in Green Point at Instant Grass, a youth trend forecasting and word-of -mouth marketing company. Different, yes! But the beauty of marketing is that it fits everywhere; there is not one industry that doesn’t need marketing, the world we live in is 90% marketing.

I am building and honing my skills and at I.G. we get to work with big clients such as SABMiller, Unilever, First National Bank, Distell, MTN, Vodacom, MTV, Levi Strauss, Microsoft, Adidas, Red Bull, Coca Cola and Kellogg's. Versatility is the name of my game!

What are some of the great memories and lessons that you learnt while you're with Kwani?
I’ve learnt tolerance, patience and knowing how to eat some serious humble pie. Working with so many different characters and having to spend most of my time with the boys would get trying at times, but we loved one another so there weren’t any major grudges or fights like some journalists have tried to exaggerate. We went through some major financial and personal dives but we still had to maintain and remember our passion, our salvation - the music.

With Kwani you worked with greats such as Pops Mohammed, Madala Kunene, a group from France called the “Trouble Makers”. In your personal capacity, who have you worked with?

On my own, I worked with Bianca Le Grange, an artist from the Netherlands called Hind, a hand full of rap artists from Joburg and Cape Town, I did a song for the IEC election campaign and a number of musical voiceovers. I don’t know if I can call those highlights, but they paid the bills at times so they definitely contributed. I also worked with this dude called Shimane… yeah I think that’s about it.

I guess I didn’t want to work with too many people and be a “band slut” as the music would puts it at times, I was in a band, I wasn’t a freelance artist so It wouldn’t be good for me to do too much with too many different people. I’m still making music in Cape Town and will keep Encore updated when the time is right. I make good music, for a niche market. There is very little good music being promoted and supported in South Africa and I’m for the goodness.

What are your favorite Cape Town bands and Kaap hangout spots?
I don’t have a favorite Cape Town band yet, I like Freshlyground but I love the beach more, (giggle). Trust a Jozi head to say that, but I really do, and I love Zula Sound bar, it reminds me of the old Horror café in JHB and Lola’s, I know people say they have terrible food, but yho dude, I love their food and their whole vibe and it’s vegetarian dishes.

Which artists and music are you feeling at the moment?
Zubz- Head phone music in a parallel world; Fifi - upcoming album, I know it’s going to be dope; Soweto Kinch, Dudly Perkins and Gorgia Anne Muldrow.

Seeing that you’re an attractive woman, do have a man or are you one of those intimidating conscious, voodoo sisters with a lot of shit to say about the world but your love life?
I guess I could say I have a “man”. My boyfriend and I deal with each other via the internet and phone; if it wasn’t for technology, we would be screwed (pun intended). On the real though, I talk about my love, my life freely and my concerns.


What are your concerns Nosisi?
Sho, I’m concerned that no one is concerned about anything; people have stopped thinking about how they can better themselves. The world we live in, it’s all so fake and we are all so cool. If you are a thinker, then you are “DEEP” or “RASTA”. There are terms out there for people who think about the world or who are interested in politics, its weird. And black women, jeez don’t get me started on my sisters; to cut a long story short, we have lost ourselves to some external forces, aliens or something, or maybe we are aliens, I don’t know, but it is going to take a long time to get out of this rut and that is also what my music echoes.

You’re young and for the average South African youth you’ve achieved a bit for a musician your age. What are you grateful for?
I am grateful for living, everyday, everything about my life is a blessing, the people I know, the places I’ve been, my mother, my sisters, my aunts, my gran, everything, my work and the people that inspire me daily. I still have along way to go. It’s all gravy.


Quickies
What are you reading?
I’ve been reading ‘The Wrenched Earth’ by Franz Fanon for years now

Chop sticks or fork?
Fork or fingers

Jeans or leggings?
Jeans, any day

Kelis or Macy Gray?
Erykah Badu

HHP or Pro kid?
HHP

Weave or dreads?
Dreads

Car or scooter?
Car, Cape Town wind, yho!