Zakes Bantwini
IMAGES PROVIDED BY MBALENHLE ZUMA
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIBED FROM VOICE MESSAGES EXCHANGED VIA EMAIL.
4AC: PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF. WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU DO?
ZAKES: HI MY NAME IS ZAKES BANTWINI, I AM A SINGER, SONGWRITER, SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR FROM SOUTH AFRICA.
4AC: WHAT WOULD YOU WANT A STRANGER TO KNOW WHEN LOOKING AT YOUR COMPANY, IMG AFRICA? (ARTISTS UNDER THE GROUP, THE BIRTH CONCEPT BEHIND A BOUTIQUE AGENCY, COLLABORATION, EXPAND ON THE HUMBLE BEGINNINGS & FUTURE PLANS OF THIS COMPANY)
ZAKES: SO, I’D LIKE THE ARTISTS WHEN THEY LOOK AT THE COMPANY IMG AFRICA TO LOOK AT A GLOBAL GATEWAY. WHEN THEY LOOK AT THE COMPANY THEY SEE THE DOOR WHICH CAN OPEN THE WORLD FOR THEM—THAT THEY DON’T HAVE TO LEAVE SOUTH AFRICA OR AFRICA FOR THAT MATTER. TO GO TO EUROPE OR AMERICA TO LOOK FOR GREENER PASTURES, I’D LIKE FOR THEM TO GET THAT SUCCESS IN THEIR BACKYARD.
4AC: PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF. WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU DO?
ZAKES: HI MY NAME IS ZAKES BANTWINI, I AM A SINGER, SONGWRITER, SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR FROM SOUTH AFRICA.
4AC: WHAT WOULD YOU WANT A STRANGER TO KNOW WHEN LOOKING AT YOUR COMPANY, IMG AFRICA? (ARTISTS UNDER THE GROUP, THE BIRTH CONCEPT BEHIND A BOUTIQUE AGENCY, COLLABORATION, EXPAND ON THE HUMBLE BEGINNINGS & FUTURE PLANS OF THIS COMPANY)
ZAKES: SO, I’D LIKE THE ARTISTS WHEN THEY LOOK AT THE COMPANY IMG AFRICA TO LOOK AT A GLOBAL GATEWAY. WHEN THEY LOOK AT THE COMPANY THEY SEE THE DOOR WHICH CAN OPEN THE WORLD FOR THEM—THAT THEY DON’T HAVE TO LEAVE SOUTH AFRICA OR AFRICA FOR THAT MATTER. TO GO TO EUROPE OR AMERICA TO LOOK FOR GREENER PASTURES, I’D LIKE FOR THEM TO GET THAT SUCCESS IN THEIR BACKYARD.
4AC: IT FEELS LIKE YOUR LIVE SHOWS MIRROR YOUR STUDENTHOOD. PLEASE SHARE YOUR FAVORITE “LESSON LEARNT” MOMENT OF LIVE PERFORMANCE?
ZAKES: WHAT I WOULD SAY I’VE LEARNED ABOUT LIVE PERFORMANCE IS THAT ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN AND THAT YOU CAN EXPECT ANYTHING WHILE YOU ARE PERFORMING LIVE. YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO BE CREATIVE EVEN WHEN YOU’RE PERFORMING THERE IS STILL CREATIVITY AND YOU MUST EMBRACE THAT CREATIVITY. YOU MUST ALWAYS STRIVE TO MAKE EACH AND EVERY PERFORMANCE AN EXPERIENCE BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU CAN GET BORED ONCE YOU ARE TOO MONOTONOUS AS A PERFORMER SO YOU MUST ALWAYS TRY TO EXCITE YOURSELF. THAT’S WHAT I’VE LEARNED, LIKE EVERY TIME YOU TRY TO MAKE A PERFORMANCE EXCITING, YOU GET BETTER WITH TIME, AND YOU END UP ENJOYING THE PERFORMANCES BECAUSE ONCE PERFORMANCE IS DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHER. SO I WOULD SAY THAT WHAT I’VE LEARNED IS JUST THAT DON’T BE FIXATED WITH THIS IS HOW MY PERFORMANCE IS LIKE AND I CAN’T TAKE IT TO ACCOMMODATE CERTAIN AUDIENCES.
4AC: AFTER 20 YEARS IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LESSON LEARNED?
ZAKES: MY GREATEST LESSON IS THAT NOT EVERYONE IS AGAINST YOU, PEOPLE ARE FOR THEMSELVES. AND I THINK THAT I GET TO REALLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT THE SAME AND WHEN YOU MAKE MUSIC, ALSO BE OPEN IN ACCEPTING THAT THAT MIGHT BE THE LAST COLLABORATION THAT YOU ARE MAKING WITH ANYBODY BE IT SOME WRITER OR A MUSICIAN. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A JOURNEY AND THAT JOURNEY MAY END AND IF IT ENDS, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.