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WHO IS BONGI DUBE?

If you have been singing or hearing this tune “Ngifuna wena qha and angisafuni ukumosha isikhathi sakho, gcwala mina ngudla nawe…’ then you have been caught by the Durban music wave yet again. The Durban music industry is growing in leaps and bounds and it’s wonderful to see that young female musicians are starting to erupt from South Africa’s sea-side playground too. Bongi Dube has not been in the industry more than 10 months but already she is causing some serious ripples with her debut album Ngifuna wena. She represents what she sings about: It’s young, fresh, vibey, sexy dance music.

So, who is Bongi Dube? This is how she defines herself: “Bongi is a lady, who also has a wilder side to her and doesn’t deny that. I’m a South African woman. I’m striving to be a South African woman of 2007.” A final year student studying psychology in Durban, Bongi is trying this music thing for the first time, and admits to not having experienced the struggle of getting a recording deal: After having been featured on DJ Bongs’ CD, she recorded the rest of her album with producer Bheki Dlamini and he took the final product to Melvin Khumalo at Gallo and the rest is history.

Whilst most artists would pull the “relative” card to get ahead, especially in the entertainment industry, Bongi has been rumoured to be daughter of a legendary South African reggae artist, but she prefers rather not to talk about it. She breathes no word about this on or off the record. At the time of the signing the recording executives knew nothing about the relation and it is by mere coincidence that they are under the same company. So this 23 year old believes “My possible relation to any musician had nothing to do with my getting the deal.”

How did you hook up with DJ Bongs?
Bongi.D: u-Bongs? Ah, I didn’t work with u-Bongs.I did the track ‘Ngifuna wena’ and it was supposed to be taken to iGagasi FM, a radio station in Durban. And ‘yabanga umsindo’ (word on the track spread) and DJ Bongs heard and wanted it to be in his compilation. I didn’t not hook up and sit in the studio with him to talk about voice levels maybe, I only met him once. And after that we negotiated and yeah, I did not work with DJ Bongs though.

Unathi: Do you have any musical background or training?
Bongi.D: I do have a musical back ground, but this whole music thing (professionally) is 9 months old. I used to sing growing up. I don’t know at what age but I used to sing. I think that every child always wanted to be a Brenda Fassie and I did too!

Unathi: How would you describe your music?
Bongi.D: I don’t know how to describe it. It has a touch of house, there’s this house with jazz feel to it. It’s soulful. It’s different and new. I wanna create new things.

Unathi: What role did you play in the creative process?
Bongi.D: I wrote some of the songs along side Mondli of Loxion music.

Unathi: Lets go through the 12 track album, first up the first single ‘Ngifuna wena’ what is it all about?
Bongi.D: I didn’t write this song, but I chose it because I related to it. As an artist you choose a song that relates to you to the extent that it becomes you. Basically ‘the girl’ in the song is tired of going round and round beating about the bush. She is blatantly saying that ‘I just want you’. It’s a fun song .

Unathi: The second track ‘Ngenze njani’ translated to English means ‘what must I do?’
Bongi. D: You know as girls you like this guy, you try to do all sorts of things to get his attention. When he walks into the room, you change, you prop your shoulders up naturally, but still he doesn’t notice you, he still doesn’t get it. So I’m asking what must I do? And there’s a more traditional feel to it in the end. I really like this song.

Unathi: We all relate to that, and the third track? ‘Once Again’?
Bongi. D: Typical girl thing, he messes up, you go back to him, he messes up again, you go back to him, but now it’s like I can’t take it any more. I’m tired of saying the same thing over and over again. I’m not that young girl any more. The track does not only refer to boyfriends and girlfriends. Relationships as a whole. Even in the family, there could be that young brother who does not want to go to school and you’ve been telling him to go to school and he doesn’t wanna hear it. It’s about a girl who’s been stomped over and over and is now taking a stand.

Unathi: What’s track four ‘It’s not about you’ about?
Bongi. D: Reality of the situation is, what do people break up over? They fight over the little things. The fact that you didn’t put the seat down or the toothpaste cap back on. So it’s not about you but the little things that you do that drive me crazy.

Unathi: What’s ‘you can stay’ about?
Bongi .D: Originally it was ‘you can’t stay’ and it’s different to how I understand it now. You know how people get upset and walk off. This track represents a person saying, it’s okay, you can stay and we’ll cry together, if you’ve got problems it’s fine. To me it sounded like stay with me, don’t walk off now.

Unathi: And ‘Awugivaphi na’?
Bongi.D: I can’t believe we’re going through every song. This is the closest track to my life. It’s just reality, you know that one guy who had a crush on you since first grade, and he is still on your back telling you that he loves you. Basically, it’s asking him, when are you ever going to give this up?

Unathi: Tell more about, ‘So high’ track 7
Bongi.D: So high was written by Cindy Ngidi, she’s a jazz artist. I love this track! When you are in love, everything is so perfect, life is easy, and you don’t have problems. I’m high on love, I’m high on you. Even if I get in trouble for you, it’ll be worth it. Then you do stupid things because all high people do (laughs)

Unathi: The ‘Daddy’ track
Bongi. D: This track is about how people will make judgements about you based on your parents. And that will become what people think of you. And it just says that yes I’m his child and I love him, even if he is a drunk, or a president. He still is my daddy, but that has no real attachments to who I am.

Unathi: And ‘July’?
Bongi. D: This track is amazing, I love it! I love all my tracks! Q-peedo wrote it. First of all I was a tomboy growing up. I have guy friends. I just got along better with boys. And have an influence of male friends. They are the ones that will even speak on my wedding or something. This is to the girlfriends that come into their lives, with attitude. They fall pregnant and now the next thing she thinks they are going to get married. Basically it’s saying “Look, first of all he has been my friend all his life, I know that he is a player, and he is just hanging around for his baby ‘wanda’ and will only be seeing you next ‘July” when the baby comes through.”

Unathi: ‘Music’ track 10?
Bongi.D: I did this track because I like the beat. It’s a beautiful, relaxing track. Seeing that I like to dance too, it’s a nice dance track. Sometimes a voice can ruin a track. Sometimes you must just keep the music playing. I love that beat! We had lyrics to it, but we chopped them up.

Unathi: Last but not least ‘I’m falling in love again’ track number 11 what’s it about?
Bongi.D: Ever broke up with your boyfriend to get back together again? He hurt you, you’ll tell your friends I’m through with him he is gone! Few weeks later you guys are dating again. And you will say that ‘I know, I know he is a dog, but he is my dog’. It’s all about falling inlove again with him like that.

Unathi: And the very last track, ‘you can stay’ instrumental’.
Bongi.D: The last track is the instrumental of you ‘you can stay’. I think it’s beautiful. We couldn’t leave it out. Now there’s three versions of ‘you can stay’. There’s the one on DJ Bongs’ album, the one on my album and this instrumental. it was also done by Loxion Music, stunning producers.

Unathi: Who are you musical influences?
Bongi.D: I have a wide range. Bobby Gray, the late Mama Brenda Fassie, and Lebo Mathosa, Yvonne (Chaka Chaka). I listened to everything. Ntate Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba, Judith Sephuma, they all influence me differently. I also love (opera singer) Andrea’ Bocceli , love that man, (opera group) Il Divo , George Benson. Siphokazi, I think she is wonderful, between me and you & the press. (Laughs). Even kwaito, I listen to everything, I’m sure if you could think up of a few names and list them in, I won’t disagree. Oh but my favourite album right now is Robin Thicke, cause I just bought it.

Unathi: Who would you love to collaborate with though?
Bongi.D: Ntate Ringo, and Ntate Hugh Masekela. Can you imagine that collaboration? , would love to do that collab. That would be the most biggest track South Africa has ever seen! Apart from the up and coming artists from Durban. Like Zee, but she is not signed up yet.

Unathi: Would you ever consider leaving Durban?
Bongi .D: Well, Jo’ burg is too fast for me but Durban is extremely slow. I’m just here for my academics. And if I were to leave Durban it wouldn’t be for music, to try and get out there. I would leave because I was gonna leave any way.

Posted by Mista Cee on 13 Jan 2010 • 0 Comments