Publications
Partners
Cape Town - On Saturday, 24 March, South African rapper and poet Sho Madjozi will rock the stage at the Absolut One Source Live Festival in Johannesburg #BeAbsolut. Click here to read more.
The popular local artist will perform alongside four other creative revolutionaries: Khuli Chana, Osborne Macharia, Trevor Stuurman and Fabrice Monteiro at the festival which is a part of a movement.
Each one of the ‘Five Creative Revolutionaries’ has their own super hero alter-ego and Madjozi’s is The Rain Queen.
Ahead of the big event Sho Madjozi sat down and told us about her superhero role in the movement and her views on African art. This is a part of a series of interviews, with each of the ‘Five Creative Revolutionaries’. We have already spoken to Osborne Macharia who is The Eye and Fabrice Monteiro who is The Iron Warrior.
READ THE INTERVIEW IN FULL HERE:
What does African art and African creativity mean to you?
Right now, African art is about Africans taking charge and being at the centre of our art. Not imitating others or making art that other people want to see. We're making art for us now, and taking that to the world, as it is, as we are.
Tell us about the One Source Live movement and your part in it?
On top of performing on the main stage, I will be curating one of the other stages. I want people to witness live creativity. So not only will my stage have super crazy performances, the artists on my stage will collaborate to record 3 tracks, right on stage in front of the audience! The artists will prepare the beats and their lyrics before the time but put it together for the first time for a live recording right there on stage. You'll see an established artist like Youngsta CPT making a song with an up and coming artist like singer, Marley Bloo for example. After that, you can say you were there when the Absolut One Source Live album was recorded. How cool is that?
What can we expect from you on Saturday, 24 March?
On top of putting on the most explosive performance of my life, I will be hosting one of the stages at the festival. I'm inviting some of the most exciting up-and-coming artists to go head to head with some of the more established artists. There will a chance for those artists to collaborate in the moment on my stage and new songs will be born in front of the audience's eyes. It's going to be really memorable. I can't wait to interact with the crowd.
What is your superhero and what are her powers?
In the short film, I play the Rain Queen whose superpower is to change the weather by dancing.
(Photos: Supplied)
Your life in words?
My life is a movie.
Being 'absolut(e)' and what it means…….
Being Absolut means being absolutely unapologetic about who you are. I don't apologize for my ‘Africaness’ or making music in my mother tongue. That's what beng Absolut is and that's what the wave is right now. Be absolut(e) or go home.
Your African hero (in the arts)?
I really admire the Amadou and Mariam, a couple from Mali who happen to make the most ridiculously dope music. They also happen to be completely blind and in their 60s but none of that has stopped them from traveling the world spreading their art. Amadou and Mariam will give you life.
