the rising african sun

THE RISING AFRICAN SUN

This project is a celebration. A celebration of all the dif ferent elements that make one African, all the dif ferent elements that make us who we are. From the music we

dance to with the in-built rhythm in our feet to the art that keeps us inspired and reminds us of who we are inside. It is hard to stay positive in a world polluted with negative energy, cruelty and hate but this project is a celebration of all those who are able to see past all that and share their talent with the world. Share a piece of

themselves, their sanity and their l ife stories.

I would like to thank everyone who took part in this project and all those who inspired me to put it together. To all the readers, i hope you learn something new

about Africa and the beautiful people who occupy it.

Thank You

Tsuey

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

The images used in this project were acquired from the web via search engines. No copyright was intended. The views shared by those who contributed are not the same as those of the editor.

Africa Defined

Pan-Africanism in a modern world

Feminism in the context of African Culture

African Lives Matter

African Cuisines

8 African Recipes You Should Know

Arts & Entertainment

Shingi Mangoma feature article

What does being African mean to me?

David Zinyama feature article

Ice Prince Zamani on being an African artist

Shop In Africa

Babatunde (South Africa)

Tanya Nerfertari (Zimbabwe)

Travel

Travel BucketList

About tsueysays.com

Puzzles and Quizzes

Test Yourself

PAGE GUIDE4. EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO UNLOCKING

OUR UBUNTU

5. DAVID ZINYAMA TALKS ALL THINGS ARTSY.

7. FEMINISM IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR AFRICAN CULTURE

9. TANYA MUSHAYI AND HER BRAND

11. ICE PRINCE ZAMANI TALKS ALL THINGS AFRICAN

14. ARTISTS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN THE FUTURE

15. AFRICAN LIVES MATTER

18. SHINGI MANGOMA SPECIAL FEATURE

20. BABATUNDE

EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO UNLOCKING OUR UBUNTU.

When one thinks of Pan-Africanism some of the f irst things that comes to mind are

the names associated with the movement. Kwame Nkrumah, Jomo Kenyatta, Sekou Toure, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, Marcus Garvey and W.E.B Dubois are but a few.

I only became familiar with these names and their movement a few years ago

during my time at university. Since then, most of what I have learnt about

Pan-Africanism has been of my own accord and init iative.

A few weeks ago social networks were abuzz with shock at a BBC Africa quiz where a handful of students in South

Africa where unable to answer what some would consider relatively simple

questions about Africa such as who is Kenneth Kaunda.

From the 7 minute clip some ridiculed the ignorance of the young South Africans but rather than f ind amusement I pit ied them. Not only did I pity them but I pit ied myself because at that age I possibly would have

fared only marginally better.

The question then that one should ask is what do our education systems do to prepare us as Africans? The answer,

nothing.

Pan-Africanism is an ideology and movement that believes in the universal oneness of Africans and works to achieve this unity in polit ical, social and economic

spheres. In short it is an anglicised Ubuntu.

If Ubuntu is something that is important to us as Africans then this should be

ref lected in we teach and learn not only at home but also in schools

African education systems is where

Lingala? Or Igbo perhaps, a language one would assume the multitude of

Nollywood lovers might be interested in knowing.

The polit ics of language is also extremely important when it comes to

how people relate to each other. As the late African statesman Nelson

Mandela said ?if you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to

his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart

There are unfortunately a number of people skeptical about the Pan-African dream. There is so much conflict and corruption here, Africa is too diverse to be united the naysayers exclaim.

Such thinking is poisonous. Our diversity should not be something that

divides us but something that we celebrate and share.

Unfortunately ignorance and negative stereotypes have helped to breed

afrophobia across the continent. To combat this we need to relearn what

we know about Africa.

The 1896 Berlin Conference worked to divide and conquer us. Through

dedicated educational reform we can work to unite and prosper us.am not naïve to think that the Pan-African

dream can be attained in my lifetime. The problems that Africa faces run deeper than a broken educational

system. But the platform for change is there it is up to us to choose Ubuntu,

to practice it and to teach it.

A self-sustaining united Africa may seem like an impossible utopia to

most people but with a consensual, determined mind-set it is a dream we

can one day make a reality.

EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO UNLOCKING OUR UBUNTU Pan-Africanism has gone to die. Most school systems are remnants of the colonial period

and follow similar styles of teaching and curriculum. Private schools in Zimbabwe for example teach a Cambridge syllabus which

does litt le to grow students as African cit izens.

There needs to be a Pan-African agenda in our schools. The African Union and the other

continental regional bodies talk about moves towards regional integration and a united

Africa but this will never be possible if people remain ignorant about the continent they

inhabit.

What is important is to realise from the onset is that setting a Pan-African agenda is not just

about teaching African history and biographies of founding fathers such as Nkrumah as some

might think. It is also about adapting the education system to f it the African context.

Economics and business studies should ref lect the reality of African business practices.

Understanding the informal sector for example should be a core element of the curriculum as

it is a massive contributor to livelihoods of Africans.

UN Women1 states that the contribution of women informal traders to national GDP

amounts to 64% of value added in trade in Benin; 46% in Mali and 41% in Chad.

It would be folly to ignore such an important sector of the economy from an academic

perspective.

The same spotlight on Africa should apply in other disciplines. Why focus on teaching

Shakespeare when Kenyan Ngugi wa Thiong?o has a plethora of books and plays that one can

relate to easier than The

Why priorit ise teaching only French, Portuguese, Spanish and now Chinese and not

include Swahili, isiZulu,

by Christopher Charamba

DAVID ZINYAMAWho is David Zinyama and how would you describe

yoursel f in 3 simple words?

I?m a creative director & visual consultant involved in the Graphic Design industry as designer & photographer. I am

also an image manipulator and retoucher. I can only describe myself as friendly, funny, and confident

Growing up what /who inspired you?

I wouldn?t say anything inspires me as such, it is pretty much the passion I have for what I do. I have always been a creative individual, I love to create and produce things. Art was just one of them things I was passionate about

and was dedicated towards the most.

When did you decide to become a graphic designer and what inspired your choice of this l ine of work?

I came from a music background where I needed artwork doing for my music but because I was not around any graphic designers or knew any, I had no choice but to

create the artwork by myself by using a software called Photoshop. The more I used the software, the more I got better at it and it just so happened my peers wanted me

to offer this service to them and they where will ing to pay for it. It just happens I started doing more graphic design than I was doing music and as from there it took over as a

day job and now I am here 10 years later, stil l creating.

What makes your designs unique compared to other graphic designers and their work?

I will l ike to believe that I am not your average graphic designer, the type of graphic design work that I do, not

many in the world do it as far as I know. The idea of constantly manipulating images, showing how far an

image can be edited. A lot of people edit images, but I believe nobody takes it to the extent that I take it, which

is what has made me stand out and known for.

What did you spend your f irst big paycheck on?

I have spent every big pay check on upgrading my equipment, I?m very much obsessed with photography

equipment, especially lenses.

Tel l us about a t ime you were star st ruck

I have never been star struck, but I have been overly excited about celebrit ies following my works online

such as Rihanna

What would you say is your greatest fear?

I will let you know the f irst thing that came to my mind, and that is death.

What would you want to be remembered for?

I will l ike to be remembered for my works, when people speak of me they have to be like "oh yeah, David

Zinyama? The image manipulator"

What does being Af rican mean to you and what do you appreciate the most about i t?

I am very proud to be African because as a young creative it is really it is really l iberating to know that the

art that I create can get worldly recognition with the click of a button. I?m sure you know coming from an African household, parents have high hopes of their

children becoming doctors, engineers, lawyers, etc. I am just happy for the works that I have brought in to the world and the massive support that I get from fellow

Africans which is very rare for someone in my f ield, for the fact that me being African inspires someone else

elsewhere who is African to believe that they can also do it, because I?m a living truth.

What are you current ly doing to make sure Af rica wil l be a bet ter place for future generat ions?

At the moment there hasn?t been anything that has come to me as I have been heavily concentrating on my last year of University, but in the future I do wish to get

in touch with some charity organisations and movements like you said. Helping sometimes can take

you a very long way.

What projects are you current ly working on?

This is a question I never like to answer because I am always full of surprises but one thing I will want you to know is I am currently working on new work that I will

l ike to be displayed at my very own exhibit ion, this will be very exclusive and won?t be online.

Where do you see yoursel f and your brand in 5 years t ime?

In 5 years time, it is all about global domination. This is a dream for every artist, for the world to of who you are and what you are bringing to the table, which is the art

that I create on a day-to-day basis.

What advice would you give to other upcoming graphic designers?

In every interview I always say, this doesn?t apply just to creative directors or individuals like me but to all. No matter what you do, no matter what it is, do it with your

all. If it is a talent, make sure you practice every day without fail. The more you do it, the more you get

better. Consistency is key. Be dedicated to what you do and have the passion for it, it will take you far.

Who are in your top 3 as your favourite musical art ists?

I wouldn?t say I have any top 3 musical artists but at the moment I have currently been listening to a lot of

Zimbabwean Dancehall Music, there is an artist there that has caught my ears by the name of Tocky Vibes, I

really enjoy the messages in his music.

What would you say you were in your previous l i fe?

In two words? A Soul.

A few guil ty pleasures of yours?

Oh wow, nothing comes to mind for this one.

.

FEMINISM IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR AFRICAN

VALUES

FEMINISM IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR AFRICAN

CULTUREBY: KOMBORERO CHARAMBA

My favourite African female author, Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie, describes a feminist as, ?a person who believes in the social, polit ical and economicequality of the sexes.? I can see my deceased grandmother, may she rest in

peace, Ma Ngoni frowning at that. How can a woman and a man be equal in this l ife? God forbid! I very much agree with Chimamanda, I think feminism couldn?t have been anymore broken down after that besides leaving sexually out too! Oh yes I went there. African society is actually afraid to talk about sex but that?s a story for another day.

In Zimbabwe, the current ruling party has one of its themes ?empowering women? which I truly appreciate but I think it?s a half done job. We cannot teach our women to empower themselves through crafts and whatever when we haven?t taught them the value of being yourself , the value of loving yourself , without knowing that your sexual satisfaction matters too, without knowing that the ultimate goal in l ife is not to be married but to have something

to your name, your own maiden name. Why are we stil l having situations where if a girl fails to ?make it? in life, the next best thing is to be swept into marriage? Because that?s where woman should end up? And then when she is battered and spat on because in his eyes she is nothing she must embrace it because, you have to stick it out for your kids? Walking out WITH your kids is an option but only if you have something to your name, only if you are

independent and emancipated in socially, economically and polit ically!

Within my peers, feminism mostly covers the economical part. One of my friends often says, ?I am going to date a feminist so that she covers the bil ls..? Oh! How they love to be economically independent these women aka

feminists. I have been in a bunch of conversations and possibly real l ife situations where because I have more in my wallet and I am a woman, but human instinct me and my partner CANNOT talk about our f inancial position. We can?t contribute money for groceries because I will obviously contribute more, so it?s better I just come back home

with the groceries. This is mainly because as it were many many generations ago, the male is the alpha, the sole bread winner of the family. I wonder if we were stil l stone age and now that we are trying to introduce women

empowerment, would women also go hunting? I hear Ma Ngonie again, God forbid she said! But feminism doesn?t diminish the male role, notice how I avoided the term emasculate, it only introduces an atmosphere of partnership,

unity.

I have another colleague who occasionally points out how she cannot be with someone because they are not moneyed enough to ALWAYS be the provider in the union. WHAT!!?? Girl, you don?t know the half of the feeling of

self love. When I pay the (my own/our) I think it?s also acknowledging that I have eaten, its also acknowledging that I have done something I have enjoyed. Yes, I think feminism teaches us a great deal of self love, which in

African society sometimes translates to pompous. A woman in African society is almost incapable of loving herself , she needs a man around to feel that kind of love. Oh Lord, free your people! Baby girl, as J Cole would say, ?kil l ing yourself to f ind a man that will kil l fo ya? isn?t the life you want. Go into a store and love you, buy yourself some

heels, put on some make up, show off your body, put on that expensive weave FOR YOU! Being woman is the most beautiful gif t we have been given by the Almighty, embrace it.

Why does a woman that has a lot of male counterparts turn to be a whore? Why is it okay for a man to go out in the world and satisfy his loins with as many women as he wants? I recently watched a very disheartening video of a

woman who was caught cheating and cried her eyes out as she was being banished from the family home for this. I am not condoning sex out of marriage, but how mantwomen have been cheated on but have been told to return to

their homes and smile like nothing happened? In the younger generation, I saw just recently Erica Mena being ruthlessly bashed on the Twitter t imeline for her ?outrageous? body count. Again why is it okay for a men to

"forget" his body count but a woman's must be so minimal or non existent? Social injustice is my problem as well as yours. I'm a woman, you're a man. We're both human. Such hypocrites!

This also brings me to the practice of female genital mutilation in some cultural African rituals. ?It is seen as a method of reducing the sexual response of women in order to make them less likely to become sexually active

before marriage or to seek extra-marital affairs after marriage? I cannot begin to explain how angry this makes me but in the words of Chimamanda, ?Why can we not teach girls to be sexual beings in the way that boys are??

Feminism is after all not the elephant in the room at all, it is not a dark object but it is the realization of the importance of our own, the efforts of our l ivelihood, the African princess, the living black African princess! Let us

welcome it and address it in our homes, schools and wherever else it lacks!

Tanya Mushayi is the young Zimbabwean designer building her brand through social

media. The fashion fanatic started out making clothes for herself , wearing her own designs and blogging about them. Now her label is one of the favorites with regards to Zimbabwe's style savvy

crowd.

This Zimbabwean beauty is all about bringing uniqueness and individuality to a world that is

otherwise ruled by fashion clones. We caught up with Tanya and she told us a bit about her

clothing label and her main source of inspiration.

"Nefertari means Beautiful Companion. We make clothes for people who want to feel and be

treated like royalty. We make clothes for people who aren't afraid to be fashionably stand out. I?m

inspired by the art deco movement; I love the clean lines, print, geometry and African

undertones within it. I'm driven to promote everything that distinguishes us as Africans, be it

bright colours, textured fabrics, the shape or loud prints. I intend to bring uniqueness and individuality to a world otherwise ruled by fashion clones, and to prove that African

designers can start trends too."

You can view Tanya's entire catalogue by clicking on the links below

www.lookbook.nu/nikkofrikko www.tanyanefertari.com

www.facebook.com/TanyaNefertari

TANYA NEFERTARI

http://www.lookbook.nu/nikkofrikko

http://www.tanyanefertari.com/

http://www.facebook.com/TanyaNefertari

ALL THINGS AFRICAN IN THIS SPECIAL FEATURE

ICE PRINCEZAMANI

Who is Ice Prince and how would you describe yoursel f in 3 simple words?

Ice Prince is a musician from West Africa, Nigeria. In 3 words, I will describe myself as a Dreamer, Believer and

Hustler.

What does your name mean and what are its origins?

Panshak means ?Hold each other?


I feel blessed and proud to be African and I will always be.

How do you incorporate and showcase your cul ture in your music and videos?

Judging from the choice of lyrics, style of beat, slangs on the songs to the dances, costumes and general art

direction in videos, you can always tell that I?m African.

Which Af rican country has given you the most love and energy while you were performing l ive on stage?

Besides Nigeria which is obviously my home country, I don?t know which to pick between Malawi and Rwanda. I

will love to go back there.

Of al l the col laborat ions you have done with Af rican art ists, which one is your favourite and why?

Whoa!!! This is so hard. I have done way too many collaborations for me to be able to pick a favourite. It will

be easier if I am asked to mention my to 10 in no particular order but to mention a few, I love ?N Word Remix f t AKA from South Africa?, ?Shots on Shots f t

Sarkodie from Ghana?.

What?s your favourite Af rican dish?

First I?ll say I?m a foodie. My favourite African Dish is Wowop. It 's a native dish from Jos in Plateau state

Nigeria

Do you think Af rican art ists can penetrate the internat ional music industry and if so, how?

Definitely, there?s a lot of African artists already f lying the African f lag internationally. Slowly but surely, African artists will be getting nominations in the same category as A-list artists worldwide. With the help of the internet, it has become easier to connect with people all over the world. Being on the right team is an added advantage.

9. Is there an African dance that you like and are good at?

What is your go to site for new regional music?

These days, a lot of music pre-release, release and post-release activities are done on social media networks like Twitter, instagram and several others platforms. Being

an active lover of social media, I get music updates and download links on there.

What are you currently doing to make sure Africa will be a better place for future generations?

I have my Zamani Foundation. The primary aim is to create opportunities and restore hope for that young boy or girl

that has nothing but just a dream with limited or no opportunities. I hope to touch as many lives as possible.

Is there an Af rican dance that you l ike and are good at?

*giggles* I?m not a very good dancer but at some time or the other, I have been infected with the ?Skelewu? and ?Shoki? virus. I love these two dances and I can only

dance them fairly.

Which Af rican country would you love to visit? Tanzania.

How do you think we can bridge the gap caused by language barriers?

Music is one language that is understood by everybody. The elements of good music have never been

determined by language. That?s why a song like ?Khona? can tear up the airwaves in Nigeria. What we need are more people to lend their voices in preaching peaceful coexistence. A positive result will reflect on music too.

How many languages can you speak?

I speak English and Hausa, Angas. That?s 3.

Who is B.M.E and how would you describe yoursel f in 3 simple words?

B.M.E is more than an artist or a persona, its who i am

Me in 3 words?

I'm Just Honest


The culture is mainly in the beats thanks to the incredible samples from my producer and team mate

Louis Chivat. Lyrically not so much. I forever talk about the city though (Harare). Videos are coming soon. We want to put the right material out because quality is

better than quantity, right?


I don't think about that. i think we should be more focused on our own.


I don't see any other solution besides English. however listeners tend to prefer their own language which

makes it hard to bridge the gap. In Zimbabwe rapping in English can be met with all sorts of stereotypes but

will people across the boarders understand Shona though?

Who is Silas Miami and how would you describe yoursel f in 3 simple words?

Silas is a singer/ songwriter, a f ilmmaker, a photographer and actor and ?on a good day- a dancer. I

dabble in it all. I am an old ball and a lover of happy things.

Me in 3 words?

Your Classic Overachiever.


Being African means being free? and knowing the value of it. I love the fact that we are resilient. We get going even in the toughest of t imes. And when times are great , we celebrate like nobody?s watching! We

laugh from the heart and know what true, unadulterated, joy is.


Africans are storytellers by nature. We can captivate audiences with the stories of our l ives and take them,

wholly, on a journey through our experiences. We share ourselves freely in this regard. I try and do the same

thing with my work. It?s not enough to just sing. It has to be a story.


Yes. But why would we want to? I think I?m more invested in fostering the idea of homegrown

appreciation. Sometimes, it feels like we are either too shy or too embarrassed to love our own people?s work.

It feels as though an African Artist can only be recognized at home after the rest of the world acknowledges him/her f irst. I f ind that a litt le

problematic. I?d rather have the music I create be appreciated by our people f irst? the rest of the world

will come and f ind it eventually

SILAS MIAMI

B.M.E


Again, why would we want to? I f ind that sometimes the appeal of African music lies in its diversity. We

often say that music speaks to us universally, regardless of language: I agree. I?ve found myself

singing Xhosa and Zulu songs so freely these past few months and that feeling has been liberating. The rush

to standardize and streamline a sound that we can package as ?African? strikes me as a litt le false. I reckon, the only way to bridge that ?gap? is to

acknowledge that it exists and embrace it. Wonderful things can and have come from a space of cultural and

linguistic collaborations.

AFRICAN LIVES MATTERRemembering BOKO HARAM VICTIMS || GARISSA ATTACK VICTIMS || AFROPHOBIA VICTIMS || XENOPHOBIA

VICTIMS || DECEASED LIBYA MIGRANTS || EBOLA VICTIMS AND ALL OTHER AFRICAN LIVES THAT WE HAVE LOST. Forever in our hearts, forever in our prayers.

For too long Africans have stood by and watched our continent disintegrate before our eyes. Africa is fall ing apart.

Religious conflict ensures that the blood of innocent individuals runs through our African soil; our children have greater knowledge about how to use a gun, instead of the letters of the alphabet; our

women are denied their fundamental human rights, raped and even murdered when they dare speak up against the gender inequality perpetuating our land; our governments continue to deny or even downplay the human rights violations at United Nations Meetings.

Furthermore, our governments continue to spend our civil contributions and our resources for their own personal endeavours.

While these cases may not be the reality in all African countries, they represent the daily l ives of the majority of Africans. Despite the sad realit ies of our continent, it is evident that the Western World continues to deny our existence. Do African lives matter?

Furthermore, the denial of our existence is perpetuated by the fact that our very own leaders treat us as commodities or numbers,

instead of humans. Our very own leaders allow our human rights to be denied and cast aside the deaths of our fellow Africans by

pushing attacks and violence under the rug.

Do our lives not matter?

The time has come for Africans to unite against this complete disregard for our l ives. Humanity matters. African lives matter. Our lives matter. Let us unite as the powerful and vibrant African youth that we are and speak to African and World Leaders. Let us raise our voices on behalf of those who have become voiceless as a result of our reality. Let us raise our voices for those who died while f ighting for their fundamental human rights in our reality. Let us speak up.

Let us unite and tell the world that we do matter. We will no longer be cast aside. Our problems will no longer be swept under the rug of ?African problems?. We live in a global community and together

we need to combat ?global problems?.

Africa is a diversity of people. Let us use our diversity to appeal to the humanity of others. Let us remind the world to choose

humanity ? Africans are humans too.

Contextualisation:

On the 7th January 2015, the off ices of Charlie Hebdo were attacked in France resulting in the death of 17 civil ians. The news

of the tragedy f looded the media all around the world, and hashtags of # JeSuisCharlie demonstrated the solidarity of the global community against the attacks and for the Freedom of

Speech.

On the 8th January 2015 reports emerged of dead bodies lying in the streets of Baga. Boko Haram murdered up to 2000 civil ians in

Baga, Nigeria. The trending hashtag was # JeSuisCharlie.

demonstrated the solidarity of the global community against the attacks and for the Freedom of Speech.

On the 8th January 2015 reports emerged of dead bodies lying in the streets of Baga. Boko Haram murdered up to 2000 civil ians in Baga,

Nigeria. The trending hashtag was # JeSuisCharlie.

World leaders f led to France to join the mourning nation in solidarity. Yet, very few of these World Leaders visited Nigeria, let alone sent

their condolences. Africa did not matter. Africa was irrelevant. And yet the attack on Baga is a direct infringement on the Freedom of Religion,

the Freedom of Association and the same Freedom of Speech.

Both events were terrorist attacks. Similar dates. France had 17 deaths. Nigeria had 2000 deaths. France dominates the media,

including African media. Nigeria is mentioned in passing as an ?African problem?. Do we not matter? On the 4th April 2015, 147 students died in the Garissa University Massacre in Kenya carried out by Al

Shabaab. Innocent African students who aimed to better their education to signif icantly contribute to the revival of the African community and economy, died. Media coverage worldwide and in Africa remained somewhat minimal. The response of world and

African leaders is unheard of. Do we not matter?

How Do We Make our Lives Matter?

We need to make our voices heard. We can no longer afford to live in silence. Freedom of Speech and Expression is a powerful tool and the

21st century has equipped us with the resources to ensure that our voices reach the ears of the global community.

What points can you raise? ? Express yourself regarding any topic that deeply affects you and other Africans around you. Some examples of

points are:

The humanity of Africans Media coverage Gender Inequality Aspects that Governments must improve on The United Nations and its role in Africa Why we are not irrelevant to the global community

The human rights atrocities Child Soldiers Slavery Education Agriculture . With each of these points you can start with ?Dear Africa?

or ?Dear World/Global Community?, or ?Africa Matters?

? Facebook Page ? posting your views on the page ? Letter to Africa or the Global Community ? write a letter and post it on the Facebook

page or email it to [email protected] ? Make a Video voicing your views or showing your reality ? post it to Youtube, or share it on

Facebook or twitter ? Twitter - # AfricanLivesMatters # AfricaRises ? Instagram ? Pintrest ? create emotive posters and share ? Tumblr ?

express yourself through blogposts ? Newspaper Articles ? Academic Journals ? Television Interviews

To raise the start up awareness of this project, please make a video or Facebook post or tweet or Whatsapp status saying the following:

?My name is ? I am an African. My life matters. # AfricaRises # AfricaMatters # AfricanLivesMatter.?

by FARAI MUBAIWA

SHINGI MANGOMAWho is Shingi Mangoma?

Shingi Mangoma is a singer/ songwriter. Me in 3 words.... Multi-faceted,Bold and

perceptive.

Growing up, what /who inspired you?

Growing up my parents inspired me, they were super, smart and quirky. They never

limited themselves even in highly constrained or judgmental environments,

they did them.

When did you decide to become a musician and what inspired your choice of this l ine

of work?

I have always been very musical growing up but always in very structured, organized and group oriented way. I was heavily involved

in choirs and duets, trios, quartets etc. I started recording professionally as a solo artist 2013...it was after we had f inished

recording Christmas Carols as a youth project at church and I carried on going to

the studio by myself afterwards. The recording process intrigued me so much....I

was so intrigued.

What makes your music unique compared to other musicians and their

work?

My music is dif ferent because of the dif ferent elements I fuse. My arrangements

are also quite unique.

What projects are you current ly working on?

I am currently working on a debut album. It 's so challenging and exciting because it 's the f irst

one...you want to make sure its everything you want it to be.

Where do you see yoursel f and your brand in 5 years t ime?

You know right now I l ive each day as it comes. Five years ago I had no clue I would be making

music for public consumption. So I leave room for greatness, leave room for my f lamboyant mind to

f ly free. There are definitely basic admin goals though..

I def initely would have laid foundation to my empire as a brand by then I will also have gone

international by then.

What advice would you give to other upcoming musicians?

Its all on you!! I have been approached by a lot of upcoming artists asking me to help them take their

stuff to radio..or help them give them access to people etc. It was never like that for me, I just did

what I had to do and came into this industry without knowing anyone. You have to trust your

product, trust yourself . I dropped off my f irst single Run personally at radio stations. Left it at reception without knowing anyone. Only heard it playing like 3 weeks later. But I made sure my product was of a high quality and hard to ignore. Sometimes people wait on other people to help them get a foot in but really the most reliable person is yourself and you have to believe you are good enough to get where you want. Mentors and inf luential people gravitate

to those who have put in tonnes and tonnes of groundwork for themselves.

Another thing is you have to always have the heart to try once more even if its the hundredth attempt. So many opportunities have pulled through at l ike

the 80th dying attempt.

Babatunde is Gareth Cowden. A 36 year old former fashion stylist who was born and raised in Johannesburg. He gets most of his inspiration from everyday life, music and the ocean. When it comes to incorporating his culture in his work, he works with African prints so his culture is highlighted in an

easy yet very noticeable way. For orders and more details, visit www.babatunde.co.za. We promise,

you will not be disappointed.

BABATUNDE

the rising african sun

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