Collette Mabingani uses his music as his voice, conveying words that sometimes cannot be uttered. As a South African musician who was exiled to America 18 years ago under political terms, Mabingani gives his music a meaning. Grand Central Magazine reporter sits down with Mabingani to discuss his history, his music and his message:

Grand Central Magazine: What brought you into music?

Collette Mabingini: My brothers were executed by the South African government because they were members of the ANC, The African National Congress, a political group that was fighting against apartheid. And a lot of people that went into the ANC really did not have secure lives; there was much greater danger. For me music was an escape from apartheid, hardships from everyday, music was must a great escape for me and I enjoyed it too. I still enjoy it.

Grand Central: How did you get into music?

CM: I used to be a mischievous, as most 5 year olds were, I used to take sticks from outside and bang them on tables and chairs and any place I could make a sound and take sometimes a fork and spoon and bang them on plates and them my parents got me my own drums and I was just in heaven. I have been playing ever since. I'm 36 years old. I have been playing for 3 decades, 31 years.

Grand Central: What instruments do you play?

CM: The djembe drums, I play the guitar, the piano as well as the bass.

Grand Central: Which one is your favorite instrument?

CM: That is really a tough question because as a composer you know I fall in love with different instruments at different times so I really cannot say that I have a favorite instrument however I do enjoy the djembe, if that gives you a clue, if I'm going to lean either way to you know I might say djembe.

Grand Central: Did you learn the djembe professionally?

CM: Actually that is the only instrument that no one has taught me anything, I've in the community hung around master players for ten years and I learned to play what they were playing and that is how you develop your master skill. And then yes the other instruments I did have formal training.

Grand Central: What is your inspiration for playing?

CM: I think there is always a misconception about Africans in general, I tend to run into this stereotyping that Africans don't know much about technology, music to me it is like I have to clarify that, my inspiration is number one to share. I do believe if we share we have a common understanding from there I think people can get along. Because there is a lot of fighting, people don't understand each other.

Grand Central: How do you fight these biases and stereotypes about Africa and African music?

CM: By being an example myself, by going to school, I have a BA degree working on a MA degree, by performing, I have been fortunate enough here in the movie industry, actually some of my music has been featured in big movies and I have been lucky that way. So that is the only way I can combat that to show how different it is.

Grand Central: How long have you been here because of the apartheid?

CM: Since 1993. So that is exactly 18 years.

Grand Central: How has that changed your cultural shift, has that done anything to you culturally as far as affecting your music?

CM: Absolutely, I think my whole outlook has obviously changed, people grow up and they have different experiences. Even when I talk to my mom she says I sound like a Yankee and I think that also comes across in my music. The music I composed when I was 18 years old in South Africa in 1993 is a lot different than the music I am composing now. There is a little bit more Western music but the core is till South African.

Grand Central. What is African music to you because it is a vast cultural thing, but when you say African can you specify?

CM: When I say African music for me it is basically mostly Zulu music, which is warrior music, the Zulu culture is a warrior culture. So Zulu rhythms are a bit more aggressive say than the Sotho people. The Sotho people their music tends to be bit mellower. Kind of like the difference between heavy metal and soft rock.

Grand Central: What ethnic group are you from?

CM: My dad is Zulu my mom is Sotho. Where I come from I am technically considered Sotho because you have to go according to your mother's line not your father's. But when I am here everyone considers me to be a Zulu it is actually the language that I speak the most, Zulu. I play Zulu.

Grand Central: You toured with that group and also formed your own group what has those experiences taught you?

CM: It is called Collette Mabingani and the Positive Vibes. With Azuma it was a learning experience because when we all first came here we did not know anyone here, we did not have any family and when you go to a new place and are all alone it can be harder but when you have friends it can be much easier. So that and also after I got settled with that I also wanted to branch out as my own person and getting my own musicians to do exactly the type of music that I wanted to do personally was a little bit challenging but it was very fruitful and worth it.
I have been playing with my group since 1998. So a little over 10 years. It is world music, a fusion of music from different parts of the world.

Grand Central: After graduation what will you do?

CM: I am going for a doctorate, my eventual goal is to teach full time at a university and continue to perform. This is my last semester so in May I graduate. Masters in Music Composition.

Grand Central: Does music transcend cultures and languages are is it in a box?

CM: That is the neat thing about world music because you cannot put it into a box. Every piece is ever so different and I do believe that music is a language unlike the written language and the language that we speak. It is more of a soul language, we might not speak the exact same language but if we are both musicians and we pick up our instruments w can make something out of that without communicating with words.

Grand Central: How does your culture influence your musical voice?

CM: That has not changed because when I compose I start from the djembe that is my first inspiration when I compose and from there I might add different rhythms but is always going to be African as a core. I have not strayed away from my roots in those terms, the reason why I play world music I like to have them identify with something so if they are western they can identify with something western.

Grand Central: Has the South African apartheid influence your music politically?

CM: I would have to say yes because even when I compose music with words I ‘ve never had the luxury or right now I don't feel like I have the time to sing or writer about ‘oh baby I love you' I always find that really there is so much more important anything I have to say. I might get there at some point I mean I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that, but I am not there yet. I usually write about my apartheid experiences even in today's world even here in America there are still things that are not right as far as race relations we need to change that and when I go to elementary schools and high schools and give presentations in different classes when I talk about the apartheid I want people to learn that this is not like a tree hugging philosophy but I want people to learn that we can get along so much better if we know each other and respect each other and that is why I share the apartheid experience.

Grand Central: What happened during the apartheid to you?

CM: I had two brothers and I still have two sisters thankfully and my mom and dad. We were a pretty big family of five.

Grand Central: Have you talked about those experiences through your music?

CM: That I have stayed away from. I think when it comes to personal things like that I keep them out of my music because the experience without my personal experience and I think I'd rather right about other things than my own family. Maybe at some point I would get to it.

Grand Central: What do you think about American music?

CM: American music is interesting to me when I think of American music I think about jazz, one of the first things that come to mind and the Native American music. There are other genres such as rock but we can traces the roots of rock with the African music when slaves were brought here and from that music to blues and from blues to jazz from jazz to rock and roll from that to heavy metal and we can trace that and from classical music we know that is from European music and I love American music I have used it in my own music it is now a part of me I am an American. I got my citizenship so embrace everything about this country, there is no country that is perfect and I am here because I can live how I want to live.

Grand Central: How does living how you want to live mean to you?

CM: To me freedom is not something someone tells you. It might not be the freedom you want. To me freedom is how I want to live and it doesn't mean I can do anything I want to, that means play any type of music that I want discuss any type of music that I want talk about any topic without fear of the government discouraging me. I think most Americans take a lot of things for granted and things are a bit diff. with economy, known throughout the world that Americans take things for granted because things come easy, be grateful for what they have.

Grand Central: Do you sometimes relate more to African American music?

CM: That is a tough one, to be honest it didn't matter if I was in America or Europe, I really don't draw from much from anyone other than African music. And I like Stevie ender's music I've worked with him. Smokie Robinson, the old guys, when people were actually singing they didn't have too much machinery to make t things sound sweet. A lot of great African American artists out here we are all doing the same things.

 

By Sherri Keaton

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