Chilliechewer

join us as we chat with a South African afro soul singer-songwriter-guitarist to learn more about her music, creative process, and influences. Chilliechewer- What initially inspired you to pursue a career in music Ntshikiwane-  My late father is my biggest inspiration. I come from a family of singers so I knew I would somehow end up doing that as a career. Chilliechewer-  Are there specific themes or messages you aim to convey through your music? Ntshikiwane-  My music is about bringing people back to themselves and helping them remember who and what they are. So many times we are taught that our identities are tied to what we do, who we know or what we have. As cliché as it is, everything we are seeking is within. Through my music I intend that people take a break from the chase and be still long enough to reconnect with the deeper part of themselves. here is one of her beautiful music video  Chilliechewer-  Who are your musical influences, and how have they shaped and inspired your s

As we continue to scour the length and breadth of South Africa and the continent, searching for phenomenal artists doing great work in their spaces, we stumbled upon Obakeng Loeto Keys from Bloemfontein in the Free State, South Africa. And this is what we learned about him. Chilliechewer- What initially inspired you to pursue a career in music Obakeng: Music brings us together it's a universal language that translate experience, feelings and ideas into something that can be shared Chilliechewer-  Are there specific themes or messages you aim to convey through your music? Obakeng: Music is a universal language it has the power to evoke and amplify joy, sadness and love all I want is to create a vivid imagery in the listeners mind Chilliechewer-  Who are your musical influences, and how have they shaped and inspired your style or Are there specific songs or artists that hold special meaning for you? Obakeng: Man...they are so many from jazz, gospel to neo soul Benjamin dube Chandler

This month, we link up with an artist born in Paul Roux near a town called Bethlehem in the Free State, with roots from Lesotho. This artist is determined to keep his Sotho traditional music alive and relevant to a new audience. We asked him a few questions about his journey. CHILLIECHEWER: What inspired you to pursue a career in music and who or what were your early influences? FIRE MALAKABE: I was initially inspired to pursue a career in music by my deep love and passion for creating and performing music. My musical upbringing was filled with a diverse range of influences. My parents exposed me to various genres and artists, which helped shape my musical palate. I started taking singing lessons at a young age, and later, I joined a community choir where I expressed my talent for singing. I have a variety of musical influences that have shaped my style. Artists like Lebo Mathosa and Mandoza. Every time I listened to their music, I would feel like I can actually make it. Their ability

Continuing with our Women in Music series during the month of February, the month of love, we proudly present the dynamic, soulful, and lovely Boitshoko. We had the pleasure of catching up with Boitshoko_Soulstring through social media and delving into the inspiration behind her choice of instrument. It's a rare occurrence to encounter a young, talented female bass guitarist these days. Boitshoko graciously answered our questions, and we're excited for you to find her journey as captivating as we did. **Chilliechewer:** Could you please introduce yourself to those who may not know you? Include your name, age, where you're from, and the instrument you play. **Soulstring:** I am Boitshoko Thole, known as "Soul string." I was born and raised in Pretoria. I'm a versatile bassist; I play both upright and electric bass. I've been a bassist for 6 years now. **Chilliechewer:** It's interesting that you also play the upright, which can be associated with jazz

Welcome to Chilliechewer! As we kickstart the year, we begin our Women's Series with an incredible woman who has taken the talking drum all over the world, entertaining and sharing her Yoruba culture and heritage one drumbeat at a time. We turned our attention to West Africa and connected with Aralola, the Talking Drum Queen. We asked her a few questions about her journey in music, let's dig in.   **Chilliechewer:** What initially inspired you to pursue a career in music? Can you share a bit about your musical upbringing and early experiences? **Aralola:** My inspiration came from listening to my father's music collection as a young girl. I absolutely loved them all, from Michael Jackson to the elegant and beautiful Diana Ross, the energetic male singer of the group Boney M, James Brown, Abba, Bob Marley, Don Williams, Mariam Makeba, Osibisa, Brenda Fassie, Angelique Kidjo, Janet Jackson, Sony Okosun, Christy Essien Igbokwe, Onyeka Onwenu, Queen Salawa Abeni, King Sunny Ade

I was super excited to be at the Media Development & Diversity Agency (MDDA) Grantee Orientation Workshop 2023, where we got to see this little-known organization in action, doing what they set out to achieve through their mandate. The MDDA's mission is to support the development of a vibrant, innovative, sustainable, and people-centered community and small commercial media sector through resourcing, critical sector insights, capacity-building, and ensuring inclusive participation of historically disadvantaged communities. you can see on their website what they are truly about  mdda website It was particularly interesting to experience this workshop happening in the backdrop of the Telkom Radio Awards and Spotify Wrapped just a few days prior. Being there and seeing how they continue to guide and support community radio into the future, despite many detractors of the sector claiming the "death" of radio. I mentioned Spotify Wrapped because for a while, particularly in