Gugulethu based producer, Mtezman, has a loooong history with Mama Dance that goes back to before we even had 1 album on the now 230 album strong Mama Dance Music Library. From his early days with renowned kwaito group DIMKOP to producing tracks for our first album MDML001 – Kwaito House (which are still being used today), we could do a blog post just on his history working with us. Instead, we thought we would just do a quick catch up to see how he’s holding up during lockdown.
MD: Musicians, artists and producers have all been hit by surprise with the Covid-1- pandemic. What has been your biggest challenge during this time as a composer?
ZS: My biggest challenge during this time is that musicians / artists cannot travel to the studio for sessions anymore, meaning there is less money coming in. Other than that, everything else is still pretty much business as usual.
MD: How have you been trying to counter this problem?
ZS: I have been making contact with a number of Social Media influencers who have YouTube channels mostly and offering them new music for any purposes they might need it for.
I am also watching a lot of local TV programs and taking production house information for programs I might want to produce music for.
MD: You have 5 albums with Mama Dance. Which one would you say is your favourite and why would you recommend listeners to stream that album?
ZS: Kwaito VS HipHop has to be my favourite. There is never a time that locally produced ads and TV programs do not use the two genres in Kwaito VS HipHop.
MD: Your track ‘Just Like That” is doing well on the streaming platforms, with the USA being the leading country where its mostly streamed. How does it feel to know that your music is being consumed in another continent?
ZS: It’s totally amazing and I am quite chuffed about it. When it comes to “Just Like That” doing well in the States I can’t say I am really surprised cause it’s a Hip Hop but I love the fact that it still appeals to that market though it’s produced in SA with a South African flavour.
MD: You recently produced a track called “Whooza Weekend” on our Amapiano – Mzansi House Flava album. How do find this new genre compared to Kwaito, House and Gqom?
ZS: AmaPiano and Gqom are derived from Kwaito. However they both have new elements and arrangement making them modern and fresh to the Kwaito we know. I’m a Kwaito artist myself and I love AmaPiano cause it feels like Kwaito is back and making waves again.
MD: What more can we expect from Zamile in the near future?
ZS: Definitely more library music and I have found a new love in chasing production houses of programs I want to produce music for I’m enjoying. As an entertainer, a performing artist to be specific, I will only release music when a really good song comes along. DJs own the world now and I am establishing relationships with them cause they are the biggest music promoters these days.