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Artist Interviews
Q&A: Netsayi
By CMU Editorial | Published on Wednesday 23 September 2009
Although born in London to Zimbabwean refugees, Netsayi’s family moved back to their home country’s capital city of Harare. But she later moved back to England to go to Film School, and it was then that she started making music. Her debut album, ‘Chimurenga Soul’, was released to high acclaim in 2006 on her own Militant Prince label. This week she releases the follow-up, ‘Monkeys’ Wedding’ – which includes contributions from musicians including Baby ‘Soul’ N’Sola, Jeremiah Samuel, Rujeko Dumbutshena, and Joe Legwabe – via Proper/World Connection. She will also spend much of October and November on tour with Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Before that, we spoke to Netsayi to ask our Same Six Questions.
Q1 How did you start out making music?
I started making music by accident. I used to work in production for film and TV in Zimbabwe and I came to the UK to do a film-based MA. Almost as soon as I got there I realised the extent to which hustling was ingrained in me. I wanted to make my own discoveries and being in a school was just too limiting. When I left film school, I was really hungry to just create without the restraint of the red-tape and paperwork – I just wanted to have an idea and try it. Simple as that. It seemed like music was a much more instant medium that film – you could create without having to rely on someone giving me money – little did I know! Music represented freedom for me – little did I know! But it was a space where I could do what I wanted in the way I saw it.
Q2 What inspired your latest album?
Oh my God, how I dread this question… Life. Jokes. Nostalgia. I think that if I was the kind of person who could answer this type of question, I wouldn’t need to be a songwriter.
Q3 What process do you go through in creating a track?
I start off by cultivating as much boredom as I possibly can. If there is even the vaguest prospect that the phone might ring, I’m distracted and can’t really get into it. I like feeling totally isolated and alone with my thoughts and tea.
The songs themselves come from all sorts of beginnings. Some start as a nuance that I want to capture. A feeling that I want to articulate but can’t. I use my guitar, fiddle around with some chords, or I bang out a drum pattern on my filing cabinet, or do some of my brilliant beat-boxing; anything to give me a starting point. I sketch out the idea in chords and lyrics, sometimes separately, sometimes together. Some songs just plop out whole and they are done in half an hour, others you have to batter into shape. I write almost everyday. Scribble down a line, a thought, a poem, a story and then I mostly don’t really ever look at those notes again. It just the practice of expressing myself that I find helpful I suppose.
I’ll have a Dictaphone – my brilliant electronic Dictaphone with its never ending batteries. I love it. Or I’ll have ProTools open, but sometimes having technology available when I’m writing makes me lose focus. Pen and paper and instrument are usually the best. Then I just chip away. I’m not sure at what point you know when something is going to work or not. There just comes a point when it moves or you can imagine a next step and that keeps you chasing completion. If I can’t see an end and the process is starting to get painful. I trash it, but I try not to start anything that doesn’t show promise quite quickly.
Q4 Which artists influence your work?
I suspect my taste is a bit random. I’ve always loved storyteller type songwriting, and singers with their own way of doing things, more than sticking to a genre. Growing up, I loved Sade, Anita Baker; some great Zimbabwean writers like The Four Brothers and Thomas Mapfumo; Nina Simone, and Joan Armatrading (but I skip to the ballads). To be honest, I’m not 100% sure any of us musicians know who influences us – it’s all synthesised internally, isn’t it?
Q5 What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time?
She’s really good, isn’t she?! I’m going to go and buy her album, right now!
Q6 What are your ambitions for your latest album, and for the future?
I want to sell enough copies to justify me putting out a line of velour tracksuits. Then, I want to bottle my own scent, and it shall be called ‘The Netsinator’.
MORE>> www.netsayi.com
