Gallo Record Company yesterday announced that Thandiswa is back working at the studio on her second CD. After the success of Zabalaza it must be said that anticipation of the sophomore has already started growing.
The CD is due for release in October and Thandiswa hopes to work with Me’Shell Ndegeocello as one of the collaborators. She will also serve as co-producer with Sipho Sithole, the man credited with signing Skwatta Kamp to Gallo while he was still deputy CEO. I do believe Thandiswa has immense talent when it comes to song and over the years she has proven this over and over again with Bongo Maffin, BOP and other projects she has supported. Not particularly known as a hard worker, some of her colleagues always complain about her lateness to show up in studio, and as one who has chased her for interviews before, I can testify to that too.
The other strange thing about some artists is their tendency to leave their tried-and-tested label producers when seeking solo sounds. I didn’t mention any of the KaLaWa Jazmee crew in my production credits because I’m told so far none of them have been confirmed to work on the Thandiswa project. Why is that? Is it a case of her looking for a different sound? Surely a company able to produce a range of sounds, from house to kwaito to hip-hop to Afro beats can make a “different” sound? Or is there another reason?
My own personal thought, informed only by experience, is that Thandiswa just wants more control of her sound, thereby gaining a better representation of herself through music, and ultimately controlling any musician’s lifeblood on her own: the mighty royalties. You see at KaLaWa, teamwork overrides individual stardom, something you’ll notice on their cover sleeves “produced by the DCC”. The DCC includes Mandla “Spikiri”, Zaine “Mahoota”, Oscar, Bruce and Don Laka. Now imagine having to share all that royalty cash with so many other peeps. It’s like being part of Skwatta Kamp!
The CD is due for release in October and Thandiswa hopes to work with Me’Shell Ndegeocello as one of the collaborators. She will also serve as co-producer with Sipho Sithole, the man credited with signing Skwatta Kamp to Gallo while he was still deputy CEO. I do believe Thandiswa has immense talent when it comes to song and over the years she has proven this over and over again with Bongo Maffin, BOP and other projects she has supported. Not particularly known as a hard worker, some of her colleagues always complain about her lateness to show up in studio, and as one who has chased her for interviews before, I can testify to that too.
The other strange thing about some artists is their tendency to leave their tried-and-tested label producers when seeking solo sounds. I didn’t mention any of the KaLaWa Jazmee crew in my production credits because I’m told so far none of them have been confirmed to work on the Thandiswa project. Why is that? Is it a case of her looking for a different sound? Surely a company able to produce a range of sounds, from house to kwaito to hip-hop to Afro beats can make a “different” sound? Or is there another reason?
My own personal thought, informed only by experience, is that Thandiswa just wants more control of her sound, thereby gaining a better representation of herself through music, and ultimately controlling any musician’s lifeblood on her own: the mighty royalties. You see at KaLaWa, teamwork overrides individual stardom, something you’ll notice on their cover sleeves “produced by the DCC”. The DCC includes Mandla “Spikiri”, Zaine “Mahoota”, Oscar, Bruce and Don Laka. Now imagine having to share all that royalty cash with so many other peeps. It’s like being part of Skwatta Kamp!
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