Name: Siselabonga
Family: Nongoma Ndlovu (keys, vocals), Fabio Meier (percussion), Louis Cesar Ewande (artistic production)
Interviewee: Nongoma Ndlovu
Nationalities: South-African & Zimbabwean & Swiss (Nongoma), Swiss (Fabio), Cameroonian (Louis Cesar Ewande)
Current release: Siselabonga's In Stone EP, featuring Franco-Cameroonian Bass player Etienne M’Bappe, is out now.
Recommendations: Ahhhh this question! There are TOO many wonderful creatives, but I would say Manyaku Mash is one of my favorite fine artists (to name a few).
The Quite Violence Of Dreams by K. Sello Duiker (one of the most amazing books I've ever read).
And "Computer Blue" by Prince.

If you enjoyed this Siselabonga interview and would like to stay up to date with their music, visit their official homepage. The band are also on Instagram, and Facebook.



When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening? Do you listen with your eyes open or closed?

For me it's more of a question of what happens in my spirit, when I'm feeling a song … my soul reaches a different level of ecstasy that just makes everything brighter, at ease, peace and lighter.

What were your very first steps in music like - and how do you rate gains made through experience versus the naiveté of those first steps?

I was born into a musical family (mom and dad were both musicians). And my name Nongoma (which means mother of song / music in Isizulu - my mother tongue) is pretty much a prophecy and a testament to what I was brought here on earth to do.

My mom performed while pregnant with me, so music is literally the tapestry of my soul and my entire being.

According to scientific studies, we make our deepest and most incisive musical experiences between the ages of 13-16. What did music meant to you at that age and what’s changed since then?

Haha … I was a very introverted teenager (still am) and I have social anxiety since I was a kid. Music kind of helped me build a solid foundation where my identity and personality is concerned cerebrally and creatively.

It helped develop a propensity to fitting into all kinds of social circles because of the warm, loving, healing aspect of it from a frequency perspective. It allowed me to develop my compassion, empathy and people skills.

Over the course of your development, what have been your most important instruments and tools and how have they shaped your perspective on music?

The piano for one has been a harmonic compass that allowed to develop arrangement, composition and production skills.

I've had an affinity for harmonies for as long as I can remember. Growing up in church and having worked in a girl group as a teen with my younger sisters and friends definitely had a major impact as well.

My dad always told us growing up that 'If you want to rise above the grain, listen to your favorite artists, that way you develop a unique understanding of how to create your own sound.

What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music and what motivates you to create?

I've been in the music industry for 25 years, from signing melodies to writing songs and developing the soundscape (production). I started working on Logic and Cubase around 2001 (which sparked my interest in sound production / sound engineering)

 My Father used to encourage my sisters and me creatively from the time I was 11 years old … He put a lot of pressure on us (which I hated at the time) but am so grateful for NOW in hindsight. He introduced us to instrumental music from the 1960s - 2000s to help us harness our production technique before we started venturing into our own interests sonically.

Today I usually start out with a melody then work around the production, then the songwriting aspects comes last. It's an ever-changing methodology that has worked for me since.

Paul Simon said “the way that I listen to my own records is not for the chords or the lyrics - my first impression is of the overall sound.” What's your own take on that and how would you define your personal sound?

For me it all starts with the energy of the song, the people I work with and the vibe. I always want to create something that moves people beyond the lyrical content. It's about creating a healing atmosphere with the song, even if it's playful.

Fela Kuti once said in one of his interviews that "music is very powerful and should not be played with” and I fully agree with that statement. As artists we have an obligation to choose between whether you create art that 'destructs or empowers' and that means something different to each artist individually.

Sound, song, and rhythm are all around us, from animal noises to the waves of the ocean. What, if any, are some of the most moving experiences you've had with these non-human-made sounds? In how far would you describe them as “musical”?

Music is about frequency, like you mentioned before. It can be heard everywhere. I hear music in everything in everyday life, which is why when I get home I sometimes like to bask in silence.

A song can be created from anything and I think Michael Jackson definitely illustrated that beautifully especially with his album Dangerous which he described as 'Industrial Pop'.

I also believe that in this digital era this is way more prevalent than anytime before, which I sometimes find both fascinating and scary.

From very deep/high/loud/quiet sounds to very long/short/simple/complex compositions - are there extremes in music you feel drawn to and what response do they elicit?

I, to be honest, LOVE complex music. It just does something to my brain positively but I am open to most genres that move my spirit.

I also love high vibrational themes in music that I can listen to with my family. It drives me in a specific way.

I also love listening to music very loud. Which can be difficult especially living in Switzerland because most people are very particular about noise.

From symphonies and traditional verse/chorus-songs to linear techno tracks and free jazz, there are myriads ways to structure a piece of music. Which approaches work best for you – and why?

I think the best way that I have approached it, was by allowing the music to guide me rather than controlling the process, even in a collaborative atmosphere.

I love infusing as many genres of music as possible to create a sonic gourmet palate that anyone and everyone can relate to in one way or another.

Could you describe your creative process on the basis of one of your pieces, live performances or albums that's particularly dear to you, please?

'Ngimelele' is one song where I started out by creating the beat, bass line and the keys. I built that sonic bed inspired by funk but wanted to have a South African rhythmic element to drive the song. I added the melody and lyrics a few months later while I let the beat marinade.



Then I presented it to Fabio Meier (percussionist / drummer) and he took it to another level, bringing more life to the song from a percussive and arrangement perspective together with our producer Louis Cesar Ewande.

Sometimes, science and art converge in unexpected ways. Do you conduct “experiments” or make use of scientific insights when you're making music?

I haven't intentionally thought about it from that perspective, but I’m sure I can say that I have used those elements unbeknownst to me.

How does the way you make music reflect the way you live your life? Can we learn lessons about life by understanding music on a deeper level?

Music has always been the most calming, safe therapist and has helped me stay strong in so many ways … It has helped me love better, show up better and has definitely had an amazing effect on my esteem as a human being.

I'm a shy person but on stage I'm the complete opposite - or rather the other side of the coin when it comes to my identity / personality.

Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

Emotions, passion and deep intimacy … It's the most vulnerable art form I believe, outside of it being spiritual.

I'd like to believe that some of those elements definitely show up to various degrees in some of the 'mundane' tasks I do.

Every time I listen to "Albedo 0.39" by Vangelis, I choke up. But the lyrics are made up of nothing but numbers and values. Do you, too, have a song or piece of music that affects you in a way that you can't explain?
 
I think Romantic Warrior by Return to Forever definitely has the same effect on me, amongst many a song.



If you could make a wish for the future – what are developments in music you would like to see and hear?

I would love for artists to have therapeutic spaces that are uniquely designed to help to deal with some of the pressures 'regular people' don't have to deal with.

Our work requires a lot of giving, especially energetically and that takes a lot from us. So for us to have access to tools that ensure that from a business perspective we can protect ourselves accordingly.

Music is one of the most, if not the strongest forms of healing that humanity needs, and it would be great if that aspect would be more respected by society.