As a musician who sings in isiXhosa about being gay‚ Majola faced more than the usual challenges confronting young musicians trying to make a name for themselves.
But thanks to self-reliance and tenacity‚ the musician, who is from King William’s Town, has produced his first album‚ Boet/Sissy‚ and performed with the likes of Sibongile Khumalo and Lebogang Mashile.
Majola‚ whose off-stage name is Khanyisa Buti‚ spoke about the battle to get where he is now.
Back in 2008‚ as a 22-year-old‚ Majola faced his darkest moments. Living in the south of Johannesburg where his aunt took care of him‚ he would walk for four hours a day auditioning for roles.
“I came back with rejection after rejection. I don’t blame my aunt for sometimes getting tired of supporting me because I was a grown man already. It was such a painful time and I would get home‚ take a bath and listen to Sibongile Khumalo’s Khumbula on repeat.”
It was during this time that Majola lost the R20000 he had saved up to record his debut.
It was to take four more years for him to step inside a production studio to start recording his first track.
“It took me about two years to record Boet/Sissy. I had sessions from 2012 until early 2014. I would stop and start because I had to save in between.”
With the album costing about R60000 to produce‚ Majola said the debts stacked up. Now he’s hoping that through album sales and concerts‚ he’ll be able to pay back the money he owes.
Boet/Sissy is about self-acceptance in a time where “backward laws of sodomy” still exist.
According to Majola‚ the album places the listener in a court house where the singer delivers a statement before receiving judgment. The album features Constitutional Court Judge Edwin Cameron‚ whose voice can be heard during several interludes.
The singer revealed that Judge Cameron has become a friend and mentor to him.
Describing himself as a biographical songwriter‚ Majola explained that all the material on his debut album emerged from his experiences‚ thoughts and emotions.
“I wouldn’t have produced Boet/Sissy had I not survived homophobia.”
He said he has faced all kinds of criticism and hatred.
“I believe we all come from households with rules established out of love for something and hate for something. Those conditions of love and hate are because of a larger dictate from an oppressive system.
“So‚ it doesn’t matter if the prejudice I experience is cultural‚ religious or economic. My duty is to teach myself the real meaning of love and not to echo the sentiments of bigots I am able to survive through the hate.”
So far‚ the most surreal experience of his career was performing live with Khumalo at #Ezezwe (Our Nations) which‚ he said, is a platform for black women, as well as black queer men to come together to highlight issues affecting South Africa through academic dialogues‚ poetry and music.
He has also worked with actress‚ performance poet and writer Mashile on a single‚ which is now available on iTunes. “These are some of the people who embraced me as a person long before we collaborated. So‚ it’s not about the name but the person and who they are when they are not in the spotlight.”
In addition to the egos‚ he claims that the local music industry is quite a hard place to operate in‚ pointing out that there’s an unwillingness to help new artists out
“A lot of artists go through creative exploitation. I have found that this has made people working in the industry very cagey and cynical about each other although they are collectively victimised by the same beast.”
In light of the current wave of promoting local content in the country‚ Majola revealed that he has welcomed SABC’s 90% local quota policy‚ which he feels makes cultural sense.
But his criticism of the Department of Arts and Culture over support for independent artists echoes complaints commonly heard in the arts world.
“Government’s intervention comes through grants and funding. Once you receive these grants to create that work‚ you are faced with yet another dead-end – a lack of audience. I believe that even the government prepares for major losses that are caused by the lack of active participation from citizens who are meant to consume what was funded.”
In all‚ Majola said,“it takes a lot of self-belief and tenacity” to push through the pain the music world inflicts on artists. He’s resorted to doing all the marketing‚ producing and distribution of his album himself to cut down costs.
“When I fail‚ I lock the door at my place and cry out of disappointment‚ and hope that the following day I will still be able to recognise that voice that has always whispered: ‘Keep going. You are almost home’.”
lThe story was first published on GroundUp
Majola sings through the love and the hate
But thanks to self-reliance and tenacity‚ the musician, who is from King William’s Town, has produced his first album‚ Boet/Sissy‚ and performed with the likes of Sibongile Khumalo and Lebogang Mashile.
Majola‚ whose off-stage name is Khanyisa Buti‚ spoke about the battle to get where he is now.
Back in 2008‚ as a 22-year-old‚ Majola faced his darkest moments. Living in the south of Johannesburg where his aunt took care of him‚ he would walk for four hours a day auditioning for roles.
“I came back with rejection after rejection. I don’t blame my aunt for sometimes getting tired of supporting me because I was a grown man already. It was such a painful time and I would get home‚ take a bath and listen to Sibongile Khumalo’s Khumbula on repeat.”
It was during this time that Majola lost the R20000 he had saved up to record his debut.
It was to take four more years for him to step inside a production studio to start recording his first track.
“It took me about two years to record Boet/Sissy. I had sessions from 2012 until early 2014. I would stop and start because I had to save in between.”
With the album costing about R60000 to produce‚ Majola said the debts stacked up. Now he’s hoping that through album sales and concerts‚ he’ll be able to pay back the money he owes.
Boet/Sissy is about self-acceptance in a time where “backward laws of sodomy” still exist.
According to Majola‚ the album places the listener in a court house where the singer delivers a statement before receiving judgment. The album features Constitutional Court Judge Edwin Cameron‚ whose voice can be heard during several interludes.
The singer revealed that Judge Cameron has become a friend and mentor to him.
Describing himself as a biographical songwriter‚ Majola explained that all the material on his debut album emerged from his experiences‚ thoughts and emotions.
“I wouldn’t have produced Boet/Sissy had I not survived homophobia.”
He said he has faced all kinds of criticism and hatred.
“I believe we all come from households with rules established out of love for something and hate for something. Those conditions of love and hate are because of a larger dictate from an oppressive system.
“So‚ it doesn’t matter if the prejudice I experience is cultural‚ religious or economic. My duty is to teach myself the real meaning of love and not to echo the sentiments of bigots I am able to survive through the hate.”
So far‚ the most surreal experience of his career was performing live with Khumalo at #Ezezwe (Our Nations) which‚ he said, is a platform for black women, as well as black queer men to come together to highlight issues affecting South Africa through academic dialogues‚ poetry and music.
He has also worked with actress‚ performance poet and writer Mashile on a single‚ which is now available on iTunes. “These are some of the people who embraced me as a person long before we collaborated. So‚ it’s not about the name but the person and who they are when they are not in the spotlight.”
In addition to the egos‚ he claims that the local music industry is quite a hard place to operate in‚ pointing out that there’s an unwillingness to help new artists out
“A lot of artists go through creative exploitation. I have found that this has made people working in the industry very cagey and cynical about each other although they are collectively victimised by the same beast.”
In light of the current wave of promoting local content in the country‚ Majola revealed that he has welcomed SABC’s 90% local quota policy‚ which he feels makes cultural sense.
But his criticism of the Department of Arts and Culture over support for independent artists echoes complaints commonly heard in the arts world.
“Government’s intervention comes through grants and funding. Once you receive these grants to create that work‚ you are faced with yet another dead-end – a lack of audience. I believe that even the government prepares for major losses that are caused by the lack of active participation from citizens who are meant to consume what was funded.”
In all‚ Majola said,“it takes a lot of self-belief and tenacity” to push through the pain the music world inflicts on artists. He’s resorted to doing all the marketing‚ producing and distribution of his album himself to cut down costs.
“When I fail‚ I lock the door at my place and cry out of disappointment‚ and hope that the following day I will still be able to recognise that voice that has always whispered: ‘Keep going. You are almost home’.”
lThe story was first published on GroundUp
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