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A chart-topping hit single and trending album is just what Afro-house music maestro Zakes Bantwini needed to announce his comeback this year.
Born Zakhele Madida, Zakes Bantwini dropped Ghetto King two weeks ago which comes three years after his last offering. It is packed with powerful and rich hits like Osama and Amanga which have been performing well.
Osama dropped four months ago and has been enjoyed lots of streaming, views and airplay.
The song done by Zakes Bantwini and Kasango made history being the number 1 song in SA for 11 weeks. That is not all. It is in the Top Ten of Trending Music Searches in SA and has made it to the Top 10 of Chart Africa.
Zakes Bantwini from Kwa-Mashu, Durban, who last dropped an album in 2017 titled Love Light and Music 2 caught up with TimeOut about the recent success of his music.
When you went to studio what did you have in mind in terms of sound?
I was looking for a sound with a global appeal. I was looking for a sound that will appeal from someone from KwaMashu to someone in Paris. In terms of sound, I borrowed a bit form the European sound which is dominated by techno sound and fused it with Afro house to produce a vibey sound.
I also wanted to remind people what is music about. Music is about melody not lyrics. In this album I went back to those basics. Take Osama, a song with vocals but no lyrics and no direct message that appeals to local and international market.
What is the inspiration behind the songs and people featured?
Working on Ghetto King has been a beautiful experience working with young people who taught him the tricks of modern sound. It features Kasango, Drega, Nomkhosi, Olified Khetha and Black Rhythm, among others. I went on different journeys with different artistes featured in the album.
When it comes to messages in the songs, it just different feelings and vibe that I felt while working on the melody.
The people that I feature are people who impressed me musically. I didn’t know Kasango, but I had to work with him because he is talented. For me, I work with people based on what they deliver not about their popularity. I believe in the music than in the name.
You have been away, what do you think of the current music scene?
A lot has changed since I last released an album three years ago. The sound that is in the market is different and you can never ignore that. In this album, I worked with a lot of talented young people who are on another level when it comes to music.
Three years ago, hip-hop and house music were dominating and Amapiano were just starting. If you can look today, Amapiano sound has just taken over and house sound has changed a bit.
You always take about two to three years before dropping an album, why?
I take time because I always want to make sure the music is quality and I am also satisfied. I really do not want to put out music when I feel it is not ready. With the latest project, I tested the waters by releasing Amanga last year.
It was only after radio stations started playing it when I seriously started working on a full album.
With Covid-19 locking everything down, I had a chance to make enough music that could fit in two albums. I did think of releasing a double CD but I thought it would be an overkill.
The truth is that if I had rushed this album and released in 2019, the Osama song was not going to be part of it. I only did the song last year around October to November. – Sowetan
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