Vusi Mahlasela
VOICE OF FREEDOM
Meet South African Troubadour Vusi Mahlasela
South African singer, songwriter, and composer Vusi Mahlasela is known to his fans simply as "The Voice" -- and not only because of his plaintive, spine-tingling vocal performances. Since he got his start as a teenager, playing a homemade guitar in Pretoria's Mamelodi township, the 38-year-old artist has been giving voice to songs of protest and social justice. He was especially active in the struggle against the apartheid regime and continues to make his voice heard in the new South Africa. His fans include South African–born rocker Dave Matthews -- who's signed Vusi to his label, and Nobel Prize–winning novelist Nadine Gordimer, who has hailed him as a national treasure. International audiences got a taste of Mahlasela's talent in Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony, a critically acclaimed film that documented the crucial role music played in the struggle against apartheid. There, Mahlasela found himself anthologized alongside such South African legends as Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, and Abdullah Ibrahim -- and he held his end up just fine. Now Vusi is poised to make a Stateside splash with his North American debut. Tom Pryor got to hear The Voice himself, speaking to Mahlasela about South Africa's past and present, and the artist's own future.
Barnes & Noble.com: Can you talk a little bit about The Voice?
Vusi Mahlasela: The Voice is a compilation of my five solo albums, but it's not just another "greatest hits" album. I took a lot of time selecting the tracks myself, and I think of it more as an introduction to my story, as well as the story of South Africa and the environment that I was making this music in.
B&N.com: You've had some very high-profile fans over the years, from Nadine Gordimer to Dave Mathews…
VM: I feel very lucky, very supported -- like a child whose potential has been recognized and encouraged… But the fans are even more important. Every hand I shake gives me a little more strength to do what's right.
B&N.com: The Voice is being billed as your North American debut, but you were also involved with the Amandla! film and soundtrack, which were released here in 2002.
VM: Yes. I was very happy to be involved with that film. Each time I watch that movie it's like living it all over again. I used to be in those funeral processions, marching and singing. It's a very moving experience.
B&N.com: Why do you think music from the struggle against apartheid still has so much appeal outside of South Africa?
VM: I think it was [because] our struggle had so much passion. We are all part of the same human family, and when you see your family suffering, your heart responds. Many people in the world found their hearts opening when they heard these songs.
B&N.com: How important was music in the struggle against apartheid?
VM: You must remember that music was only part of that struggle. Some fought with music, some with pen and paper, and some took up arms. We had to fight on all fronts. But music was definitely a highlight. These songs were made to clothe people's souls, to give hope and fight despair. They were about survival.
B&N.com: You not only survived to see the end of the apartheid regime but were also invited to play at Nelson Mandela's inauguration in 1994…
VM: Yes. It was one of the greatest days of my life. It was just such a pleasurable, human feeling. It was also strange, after so many years of racism, to see everyone coming together as a family. I was amazed at how forgiving South Africans are. I saw no racism there that day, no anger or sadness. There was no black, no white -- just joy and smiles and hugging everywhere. It was incredible.
B&N.com: Apartheid is dead, and the African National Congress has been in power for nearly a decade, yet you're still writing protest songs. Haven't you ever wanted to take some time off and just write love songs?
VM: [laughs] Well, I have written love songs. I've written about all sorts of topics. For instance, "Ubuhele" is simply a song about the beauty of my country. But South Africa's difficulties aren't over just because we saw the end of apartheid. We still have many problems to face up to, and I'm going to continue to sing about that. I sing about the need to forgive -- but not forget -- the crimes of the old government. Also, I'll continue to pinch the leaders in the new government if they don't fulfill their promises or don't do what's right.
B&N.com: Do protest songs like yours still appeal to South African kids saturated with hip-hop and kwaito?
VM: I think these songs are still very important to educate the youth. There is a kind of cultural revolution with the youth born after 1976 -- they've had so many opportunities in education and life -- but there's so much ignorance. Sometimes they get very caught up in superficial things and they forget that people died for them. I get very angry sometimes. I want to educate them and leave a mark.
B&N.com: You were scheduled to come to the States for a series of performances in July but were denied a visa. What happened?
VM: I was denied entry three times. It was quite an experience. I actually do have a multiple-entry visa, which is good until 2012, but it doesn't allow me to work. What happened was that I was coming to New York to play some promotional showcases, but I wasn't going to be paid for them. I even had a backup letter to prove that I wasn't making money from the performances; but after 9/11 the immigration officials in America don't really listen to anybody. They said, "As long as you perform, you can't come in."
B&N.com: Did the experience sour your North American debut for you?
VM: Not at all. I lived through apartheid, so something like this isn't going to break my spirit. These kind of formalities are just a trap to make you angry so that you do something stupid. But I stayed cool. I was just like, "Yes, boss. Okay, boss. Whatever you say, boss." [laughs] It was painful, but I learned a long time ago how to channel my anger into something positive.
July 28, 2003
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