Last Friday, fans of hitmaker Sjava woke up to his new reflective body of work, Inkanyezi Nezinkanyezi – a project five years in the making that’s rooted in collaboration and cultural pride.
In an interview with Sowetan, the award-winning musician opened up about why January felt like the perfect time to release the album, how criticism shaped his artistry and why he believes he is now shining as a star among stars.
Why drop an album so early in the year?
What people aren’t aware of is that releasing an album in January is the best time because everyone is over the festive season and all they want to do is calm down and reflect on the year ahead.
Most of these are reflections of what they didn’t do right last year that they want to perfect this year… There are fewer distractions in the first month of the year, which makes it better for them to listen to my music.
Why title your new body of work ‘Inkanyezi Nezinkanyezi’?
I want to believe that I am a star among stars. All the songs have features in them. I believe there is power in collaboration. We all shine in our own way and when we come together, we shine even brighter. All the 11 songs have features in them – I worked with Kelvin Momo, Nkosazana Daughter, Buhlebendalo, Anatii, Shwi, Msaki and many more.
This album was done over the years. I’ve been working on it for five years… Just perfecting the production, mastering and getting it to where it needed to be. When you listen to the album, you’ll hear the different genres it has. There are Tsonga influences, gospel with Uyena, trap rap, Afro-soul with Msaki, amapiano, maskandi and even kwaito nuances in there.
What’s your reflection on your evolution over the years?
When I first started, I couldn’t comprehend why my album or music was heavily criticised. You’d have people expressing that they like this or that… and when you try something different, they’d tell you, ‘No, we don’t want this sound; stick to what we know’. Somehow, you end up adjusting to the levels of criticism, but little did I know that was growth, which shaped me into the musician I am today.
My first album was when I was 33 years old. I was less interested in being intentional with my music. For me, it was just about recording a song; however, now that I’m older, I see and hear sound differently on a more mature level, which allows me to take more risks creatively.
Would you say you’re in a bold new era of your musical journey?
Definitely. Now that I’ve matured as a grootman to many, the plan is to keep capturing the lived experiences of the people who listen to my music. I plan to celebrate our culture even more through song, and with that, the emotions will carry the songs that will help heal those listening to them.
As a star, my duty is to shine the light and bring some sort of joy and reassurance that everything will be alright. This is why I love my song, Uyena. I wrote it in 2013, but I never got to record it. I performed it live last year, and the message of the song is that no one has the power to know what’s going to happen in people’s lives. Only God does.
Plans for the year?
There’s definitely more music coming. I also plan to have a 10-year celebration tour, which will take place in Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria, Johannesburg and Mpumalanga – this is my way of thanking my fans for walking with me through this journey and sharing my evolution throughout the years.
