Thabisile Mazolwane ‘here to stay’

Mazolwane broke into stardom in 2002 with his album called Isiponono, which sold more than  80 000 copies during the first week of its release.
The singer, who was recently in Bulawayo for a couple of shows, said he relocated to Botswana in search of a better market for his disco music.
“I was introduced to professional music by Dan Tshanda who recorded my first album Isiponono and by then disco music was still popular in South Africa,” he said.

Mazolwane said from his first album he never made any profit as the recording company took the large share of the sales.
“Isiponono sold over 80 000 copies on the first week but I only got eight percent of the sales and I could not manage to buy a house or a car.
“From that album I was supposed to be rich as he (Tshanda) sold the music in countries like Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa,” he said.

Mazolwane said his father back home in Eastern Cape even accused him of being irresponsible as he thought he had raised a lot of money from that album.
“I remember my father asking me what I had bought using the money raised from the album but I told him that I did not get much from it.
“He was furious and urged me to look for a job and stop singing,” he said.

Soon after having a tough talk with his father Mazolwane left Dalom Records in 2004 to restart a solo music career.
Mazolwane said soon after dropping out of Dalom Records, he was forced to stop using the name Peacock which had made him famous in music circles.
“A lot of people out there knew me as Peacock and when I left Dalom Records I had to start using Thabisile Mazolwane which was not famous,” he said.

Mazolwane said soon after dropping out of Dalom Records disco music lost its popularity in South Africa and this forced him to relocate to Botswana in search of a better market.
“My relocation to Botswana was a strategic move as I was in search of a better market for my music.
“I am now based in Gaborone but I am still in touch with other musicians back home and we usually have shows together as you can see I am performing alongside Patricia Majalisa,” he said.

Majalisa had a number of shows in Bulawayo last week.
Mazolwane said he was working on a new marketing strategy to sell his music, which he said was not easily accessed by fans in the region.

“It is sad to note that I have lost touch with most of my fans due to this confusion over the name that I am now using.
“That is the reason why I have decided to come up with a new strategy of getting closer to my fans through shows and I hope they will have confidence in me again,” he said.

Mazolwane said he had recorded more than 11 albums.

“I have more than 11 albums that I have done up to today and they include Ntyilontyilo, Thusang, Italente, Tshukudu, Ndisizeni, Accused Number 1, No Name Requested, Vukani and Thabisile is Accused.
“Fans should know that Thabisile is here to stay in the music industry and more music is coming,”  he said.