Africa-Press – Eswatini. Musicians primary job is to perform or sing for live audiences or in recording studios. Styles can vary (for instance, rap, hip hop, rock, jazz, classical, country, folk, etc.) Musicians often start their careers to build up their reputation by performing at clubs, weddings, or other music venues.
The hope is to find committed fans, sign a recording contract, or gain agent representation. Musicians market themselves by giving interviews or attending a social media function. Some musicians, called session musicians, play as back-ups during concerts or in recording studios. A musician may write his or her music to gain an original style or use songs written by others. Musicians often travel, sometimes, long distances to perform or get work.
This week SCENE caught up with one of the legendary musicians, Pachanga Matsenjwa. She has hoisted the country’s flag and paved a way for some of the upcoming musicians. She started her music career back in the 90s.
She has worked with one of the best bands; the Soul friends, Tiger Explosion and with multi-talented artists and musicians the likes of Ras Mellow, Nhlanhla Xongwe, Soul Friends, Boy Xongwe, Bassist Greg Matthews and song-bird Bongiwe Dlamini to mention a few.
Pachanga has also been with The Black Rosesband, Togo Man, Reggie Maphanga and Jonathan Curren. In the early 2000, she later left for the Netherlands where she joined legendary musician Smiles Makama and Rebecca Atanga Ghanaian and a powerful band playing traditional instruments including Thobile Makhoyane.
Thereafter represented the country in the Black History Month in the UK, she has since been back in Africa and formed an eight piece band playing both traditional and contemporary music. She said she has learnt a lot but was a bit disappointed by the Eswatini Arts and Music Association. “I have learnt a lot as a musician.
I also noted that there is not much sufficient support, especially in the Kingdom of Eswatini and organisations like SWAMA failed artists. They didn’t achieve their goals, which were to establish the music industry and organisation locally.
The former co-founders of SWAMA, like the legendary musician Smiles Makama wanted to guide and support local artists to reach their highest ability locally and internationally,” she said. The musician said one of her biggest achievements was being applauded internationally. She also noted that lack of support had been one of her biggest challenges.
“Being recognised by audiences both locally and internationally was the highlight of my career. I was thrilled by the reaction of both international and local audiences. If only I had a strong support system and talent back up, I could have obtained a couple of albums and awards,” she explained Despite the challenges that have halted Pachanga’s career she has managed to work on something new. She is determined to keep music lovers entertained.
“At the moment I am working on something innovative, I am writing my music using cultural instruments and doing a lot that can keep me smiling and positive since it has been very bad. The COVID-19 halted the scenes and we had to thrive,” she said. Besides music, the talented artist is also passionate about growing plants.
“I have a beautiful heart which is green in colour, so I’m very much connected to Mother’ Nature and her produce, which is plants and vegetation. Growing plants using permaculture, not forgetting the African jewellery designs which a started long ago when Afro style was still not much appreciated.
She says being an African was one of her best privileges. “I’m proud of being an African because Africa is so great in a lot of things, more especially nature, arts and culture besides I’m a gorgeous one African child with a good Spirit,” she said.
Tips on how to stay relevant Make it available When it comes to your music, it’s tempting to keep it exclusive. Not exclusive in terms of taste that’s how you find your niche, but exclusive in terms of how people can get your music. Yes, you worked hard on it. Yes, we all know that music of this quality should never be given out for free.
Yes, if people want it, they’ll pay for it. But that’s not how music is consumed anymore. Staying relevant means continually being exposed to new audiences and demographics. The only way to do that is to embrace the ubiquity model of music and start streaming. Put things out on Spotify. Put things out on Soundcloud. Put things on YouTube.
Just the mention of those is enough to make the high brow and the loftier musicians wince. But it’s true. That’s how you keep up these days. Adapt or become irrelevant. Don’t be afraid of change Let’s say you’ve established your audience.
You’ve got the streaming services on your side. You’ve gone down the road of ubiquity and quality. How do you keep analytics up? How does one keep those numbers going? Remember, The Beatles, from their first album to their last only lasted eight years—and that’s above average.
How do other artists maintain their 10, 15, and 20 year relevance? They’re not afraid of change. Change doesn’t necessarily mean abandoning your audience. It doesn’t mean giving up on what made you who you are as a musician. It’s about experimentation and confident evolution. In the music industry, they keep mentioning the term: ‘reinvention.’ That’s a pivot in the business world.
It’s the artistic version or rebranding. If you’re aiming to stay relevant, you’re going to have to be open to rebranding. Be Authentic Lastly, stay authentic. Audiences can smell a contrived attempt at stardom from a mile away.
It’s a hit and a miss. From musicians suddenly breaking apart from the band to do a solo 180 album, to public stunts to keep their name in the papers. Audiences know what it is, and unless it’s pushing the numbers forward, it will end up becoming a dud. So be authentic. Be you. Be the best version of you in every context you can focus in on.
And if you decide to take your music in another direction, maintain that part of you in the music that got people to relate and agree with it in the first place. Staying relevant may seem like a daunting task.
But its roots are in the artist’s journey and evolution. It’s the marriage of your personal growth and the marketing and business moves you decide would compliment it. And if you do it right, and continue to deliver a quality sound, you will always be relevant
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