Fame? Thanks, but I'll pass

27 May 2016 - 08:31 By YOLISA MKELE

How often have you heard musicians prattle on about how music is their first love? Probably more often than you have heard the EFF yell "pay back the money". With the release of his latest album Fire, you'd think folk musician Nhlanhla Majozi would follow that script, but the KwaZulu-Natal man has a different answer."I never want music to be the No1 thing in my life. This industry can change you. People were not made for fame.''I love what I'm doing but there are much more important things in life. People put too much emphasis on achievements and success. I want to enjoy myself and put the best music out."In his brief career he has become known for his humility and it shines through in his music.There are very few frills about. Instead he gives off the impression of a friendly but melancholy busker wandering about with little more than a guitar and an earthy voice.But he doesn't seem like a rich kid playing the role of dishevelled country bumpkin with a harmonica."If I ever get a big head I want to have the strength to stop what I am doing," he said.Majozi's ability to keep his head an appropriate size is likely to be tested with the SABC's new decree that radio stations play 90% local music, a move that will see him getting a lot more airtime."If we want South African music to do better then we need more airtime because there's only so far the internet can go. Not everyone has access to Soundcloud and Apple Music."As a profession music is prime real estate for the inflation of egos. When your job success is based on your fans' adulation, your perception of the world and your place in it can get warped."For someone whose reputation is founded on humility, Majozi's success could well be a double-edged sword.'Fire' is available on iTunes and at good music stores..

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