AFRO Z

Afro Z A phenomenal South African group – and with debut album Ain’t It Funny, Afro Z has given notice that the urban pop playing field is about to be altered for good.If you want an immediate taste of what we are talking about, then push play on “Playin’ With My Mind”, one of the 13 tracks off Afro Z’s debut. What you’ll hear is a song that bursts with South African flavour (witnessed the mbaqanga bass line and the unmistakably sound of gumboot dancing at the beginning) - and yet is infused with a global musical vision that pivots the track firmly on the current wave of urban sounds that are forming the new pop music.Other songs are as impressive and equally as unforgettable.Foremost of these is “My Coldest War’, which was penned by Afro Z’s Nigel Morkel and rests on a traditional South African music bedrock but again, is a universal cry against violence (of all kinds) against the innocents of the world and is moving music at its finest. Another is “Don’t Lie To Me”, which is the perfect vehicle to showcase Afro Z’s vocal strength – as are the rest of the songs on Ain’t It Funny, which includes a track (the very beautiful “Condition of my Heart”) which was penned by global star, Brian McKnight.It’s no mystery as to just why Afro Z’s debut release is such a winner – and showcases a quintet of talents that speaks volumes about the worldclass abilities that can be found right here in South Africa: the group was formed in 2002, and is made up of the five runners-up in the Coca Cola Popstars talent search contest.Lois Du Plessis, Ernest St Clair, Nigel Morkel, Naseera Timm and Richard Hala were hot favourites with viewers during the final stretch of the show – and their combined singing, performing, dancing and songwriting ability earned the group a contract with EMI South Africa.It’s also ensured that Afro Z has worked with one of South Africa’s most successful producers on their first album – none other than Gabi Le Roux (of Mandoza fame) who hunkered down with the group at his studio in Fish Hoek, Cape Town over a few months at the beginning of the year. Says Richard: “When I heard we were going to work with Gabi I was very excited. I know his work with people like Mandoza and I knew that the quality and creativity of the album would be very high.”Le Roux was also the creative force behind “Phenomenal” – the debut single from the group which was released last year and is still in high rotation on radio stations throughout the country, as the single’s consistent placing in the BDS Airplay Monitor Charts reveals. (Mid-May, for example, the song surged up to number 50 on the chart from 73, and chances are it will move into the upper reaches of the chart again before long).“Phenomenal” – which is included on Ain’t It Funny - has a keenly executed urban edge and, with its Mbaganga and kwaito threads, is undeniably South African. The song was sourced through Zomba Publishing in the United Kingdom and was penned by Michael Power, Connor Reeves and Raf Walters and boasts a … well, let’s fact it, phenomenal hook that makes the track perfect radio material – as its continued rotation shows.When it came to settling on the creative foundation of the album, Afro Z’s members were in agreement on which direction they should be heading into.“We came out of Popstars so people do see us as a pop group,” explains Ernest. “But we didn’t want to be boxed in and do a very standard type of pop. So we settled on the direction of urban pop because it reflects the five of us as young, city-living South Africans. You will hear elements of jazz, of hip-hop and kwaito and R&B on the album – although always with a real South African flavour.”Adds in Nigel: “I don’t think we sound like any other pop group. Our uniqueness has to do with our voices, about being South African and about coming from the backgrounds that we do.”Richard was born in Wellington and raised in a small township called Mbekweni, Nigel hails from Ottery, Cape Town, Ernest was raised in Grassy-Park, Naseera grew up in Mitchell’s Plain and Lois spent her youth in Middelburg. It makes for a truly homegrown act – but one that has its sights set firmly on the international music scene.“We need to aim there,” says Naseera. “I don’t know any band that would only want to make it in their home country. Of course, our South African fans and the support of radio, television and the media is general means a huge deal to us. But like any group, we want Afro Z’s particular South African brand of urban pop to reach the ears and eyes of the world.”The choice of songs is impeccable throughout Ain’t It Funny. Explains Lois; “We had a list of about 25 songs that were sourced by EMI and the team. But then songs dropped off and were added – it was important that as we went along and got more and more the feel for what the album in total would sound that we should be flexible with the song choices. We really chose songs that complemented our voices the most and which would bring our each of our individual sounds.”The group credit Le Roux with guiding them through their first album recording experience – adding that he always knew who would be best to sing which part, all the time allowing Afro Z’s members to give their valued input.This time around Afro Z relied on the experience of people like Le Roux, the EMI team and the strength of international songwriters, like McKnight and Guy Chambers. “We are very, very keen to be more involved – creatively – as we go along,” Nigel says. “I am very pleased that ‘My Coldest War’ was included because it will let people know that we really are creative and have many abilities beyond the singing. But again, it’s early days and we have a great deal to learn to ensure Afro Z is a long-lasting group.”And judging by the quality of Ain’t It Funny Afro Z are going to surge ahead – blazing the trail for South African brewed urban pop that just might be their ticket to becoming a real force on the worldwide stage.

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