New Zealand soul star Teeks has brought his velvety voice to SA.
The Māori powerhouse behind the songs Remember Me, Without You and First Time — which went viral on TikTok — makes his Mzansi debut this weekend as part of a three-city tour alongside UK indie-pop duo Good Neighbours.
Sowetan caught up with him ahead of his performance to speak about love, identity and why he can’t get enough of SA muso Bongeziwe Mabandla.
Sowetan: What have you heard about SA audiences ahead of your performance?
Teeks: I’ve heard a lot of things about SA. The audiences here are extremely passionate and show a lot of love and energy. I’ve felt it online and on social media, and I can’t wait to experience it in person.
Sowetan: What are you hoping South Africans walk away with after your show?
Teeks: If I make people feel something, some emotion, then I would have done my job. I want people to be able to escape and to open up a portal that people can experience, even if it’s spiritual.
Sowetan: Your sound is rooted in soul and your Māori heritage and identity. For SA listeners hearing you for the first time, how would you describe it?
Teeks: I love performing live; it’s one of my favourite things to do. I pour everything in, and I feel like I take on a different persona. Speaking back to my culture, music performance has been inherited from my upbringing and has informed me as an artist and a person. A lot of those performances that include dance and singing for us are quite a ceremonial process and have a sanctity to them, so I try to carry that with me when I perform.
Sowetan: You’ve spoken before about taking a break and finding your voice again. Where are you at creatively?
Teeks: I just finished an album at the end of last year, and it still hasn’t been released, but the plan is to release it in the next couple of months. I haven’t been doing too much writing since then because we’ve been planning the release and everything, but I definitely want to keep the muscle going and continue writing and making music. Once the album is rolled out, I’m going to start writing again and move to the next project. I always try to stay creative.
Sowetan: Is there any SA artist you’ve connected with or been influenced by?
Teeks: Yes, there’s an artist whose name is Bongeziwe [Mabandla]. He’s an amazing artist and an amazing songwriter, and I’m such a fan. I’d love to connect with him.
Sowetan: You sing a lot about love, heartbreak and identity. What stories are you telling in your upcoming album?
Teeks: It’s a new chapter. This new album is a new era for me. I’m being a lot more playful, and the album is a meditation on desire, love and lust. But I made music that is a lot more fun. I got a bit tired of writing sad songs, so it’s a bit more upbeat, feel-good, seductive and sensual.
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