By BRUCE DENNILL
Majozi‘s latest album, A Great Exchange is available now.
What are the aspects of music that most appeal to or thrill you as a listener, from lyrics to arrangements to instruments used to production techniques?
To be honest, it’s all of it. If there is a song that I really enjoy, I love trying to figure out the different components that make me enjoy it and how I could learn from that and bring it into my own music. I am constantly learning even when I’m just a listener.
Are those the same things you try to recreate in your writing or performance?
Exactly. I’m always trying to improve my writing and performance, and it’s always helpful learning from those around me.
Which aspect of creating music comes most easily to you, and which requires the most discipline and practice?
Chords and melodies are a little easier than the lyrics for me, but for the most part it doesn’t all come easy. Sometimes I need to work at it, and find time to sit down and flesh out my ideas, but there are some rare occasions when things flow effortlessly. That’s when you know you have something special.
Outside of the actual music, what is, for you, the most important part of a great new release (single, album, etc)?
Promotion. Great songs and albums can disappear before anybody gets to hear them if they aren’t promoted properly.
Live performance: which artist has most impressed you in terms of what they deliver on stage?
Neon Dreams have always delivered an almost spiritual experience that the crowd loves being a part of. It’s really special to witness, and a testament to how much they care about their fans, by how much they put into every single show.
What role does music play in your life on a day-to-day basis – listening to it, writing it, practising it, buying and selling it, performing it, etc?
I do everything with music. Music is the soundtrack to my life. From the time I wake up to the time I go to sleep – music is there in one way or another.
What is your new/most recent release? What is the story behind it – the genesis of the song, the people involved, the muse behind its creation?
I just released a new single, Far Away, from my latest album, A Great Exchange. Like most of my album, this was a group effort between my amazing producer and friend Ewald Jansen Van Rensburg and co-writer and new friend Levi Rowan, all the way from Canada. It’s a fun, vibey, dancy song that people can dance along to and make new memories together.
