The MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA) launch this year at the Velodorome in Abuja, Nigeria on November 22nd. Sitting somewhat awkwardly amongst the more straight-forward categories like best male or best female or best Hip-hop even, is the one for Best R&B.
P-Square, Akon, Loyiso, Rihanna and Alicia Keys are the contenders. Akon straddles USA and Senegal so I guess I’ll give him that. P-Square (Nigeria) and Loyiso (South Africa), well, these are two names that come up at all and any urban African events such as this. As for Rihanna and Alicia…why? Or, indeed, why not? You don’t get the feeling someone thought really long and hard to determine the criteria with which to fairly judge the outcome. R&B in/from Africa is just funny like that.
So naturally, Brian Temba, South African actor/R&B musician who I meet backstage at North London’s famous Jazz Café one Sunday night interests me. He’s about to go up and sing at a showcase where he is billed alongside Hil St. Soul. Comprised of lead singer the Zambian-born, British-bred Hilary Mwelwa and Victor Redwood Sawyer, it’s a name known more among thirty-somethings who follow the Black music scene closely. The two were introduced when both worked on the UK anti-gun crime ‘Don’t Trigger’ campaign in 2007, which featured songs from them both, as well as from older soul greats like Omar, Don-E, Juliet Roberts, Jocelyn Brown, and Maxi Priest.
Soon after came ‘Better Than’ – a moving tribute to Temba’s deceased brother available as a free download. And then followed ‘Dominoes’, Brian’s first official single produced by Steve Antony. Antony is formerly of the songwriting/production outfit which turned out hits for the names like Craig David, Misteeq and Joe Thomas.
How Brian found himself navigating England’s music landscape was due to a technicality of American immigration law. After acting for 2 ½ years with the original cast of Disney’s Lion King Musical, he wasn’t allowed to play the lead role in the States even though he had been forward for it. The UK’s leniency with foreign artists suited a nationally diverse company like the Lion King’s which carries performing artists from as far afield as Japan, China, and Brazil. Temba moved to London to play Simba for the next three years until this past April when he left the production to focus entirely on his music career.
Being in a major musical production in LA, did that inform how you approached Better Than, your first solo album?
I would say so. I learned professionalism out there. In LA there’s a lot of actors and everyone is looking for work. They don’t do anything half-ass. Just looking at our different crews of dancers, the ones we had in LA had a greater conviction. Night after night it always felt like they were doing it for the first time, and as if they were trying to impress someone major in the audience. It’s not really like that in London. Not even at home (in South Africa). LA really taught me to commit. I did the Lion King with all my heart, and in the same way I am doing my album and nothing else.
Was the Lion King your big break?
Yes. I started my singing career at home I was a professional gospel singer. I sang with the likes of Joyous Celebration and Family Factory. I was signed to Sony South S.A as part of a four-man group called 4 U. This was until 2000 when I left home for the States.
How did you get the hook up?
Back in Joburg they held auditions. No matter where the production of Lion King happens in the world there has to be a South African. You can only find that thing in South Africans.
Why did you choose London as your stomping ground?
I mean I would have chosen LA but when I was there it wasn’t time. I met music producers but for some reason we never around to doing anything. Only when I got to London and met Steven Anthony did he manage to get it out of me.
How did you go about linking up with him?
We went to the same church. He used to say hi to me in church and that was all. Until one day the church held a Christmas party and because they knew of my work in the Lion King they asked me to sing. After that Steve looked me up, and I told him about my album. That’s where it all started. We get on like a house on fire. It was like God had placed it.
What are the chances for a singer who does R&B or soul music in South Africa?
I think the chances are not that great to be honest because South Africans love their traditional music. I do love that about South Africans. It’s just that some of us grow up differently. Some of us listened to Jodeci, Stevie Wonder, Tevin Campbell. These people, I’d say, really influenced my tastes and my style.
The album is due out early in 2009. What are your expectations?
The title track says everything. I think it’s a very fresh sound. There’s R&B, pop, soul, real singer R&B – not that machine-driven kind. It also has that soulful South African sound that nobody has but us. That sets me apart from all the others.
Check out Brian’s myspace.
