18th October 2011

Interview with: Louis Majiwa...

A musical genius in the making...

It's been HEAVEN and BLISS waking up to the sounds of Louis Majiwa’s EP (Demo) for the past week! His EP is a snipet of an album in the making, which he describes in the interview as “a window into our lives” and showcases pictures that draw you into his world and his story! Louis plays with the Mountain Yaks and The Fridge and had a band in high school called Little Green Dustbin! lol! ‘Light Rock’ is the genre of music he plays and the instrumentals and sound can take u to a place faaaar away - Bliss land! It’s got a blend of acoustic sounds and a jazzy rock vibe to it ...this genre is quite new to the African music scene and with pioneers like Louis, it's already becoming a hit... I enjoyed our interview session and got to know quite a bit about Louis and also that he is quite chilled and down to earth! Great guy! 

Chilling with Louis...

Kemo: So...who r u and what do you do?

Louis: Urm...my name is Louis...err im a student doing errr marketing actually, I quit IT to do marketing...aaand I play music eer yeh...that’s pretty much what I do...yeh

Kemo: k...and the genre of music that u play?

Louis: My genre of music...I’d like to call it light rock cos it’s not really soft rock n its not heavy rock either so yeh...it’s more light...

Kemo: Ok...so how did you start playing music? What inspired you to get into it?

Louis: urm...I started in an orchestra in form 2 in high school with the trumpet and played in a few musicals and that’s where I started playing, then went onto other instruments and ended up with the guitar. We have actually recorded at the SABC studios so I played quite a few other instruments then...

Kemo: Naaaice...what other projects or gigs have you guys been doing and have lined up so far?

Louis: We have been doing gigs for the album that we 1^st recorded...made copies to sell and will be recording another one soon...it’s an album that is going to have an interactive section where you would be able to see other parts of our lives; so it’s like a window into our lives beyond the music you know....cos it’s not only about the music, there’s sometimes that disconnect between the artist and the fans you know...that’s not what we want, we want to engage more with the listener.

Kemo: Wow...that’s so awesome ... I’ve got like 5000 questions running through my mind right now...so what’s the name of the album?

Louis: Well it doesn’t have a name yet but it’s got a diary section where you would see what happened in each part of my life and even a section which shows behind the writing of the song where you would see all the events that lead to the writing of the song and then there’s going to be a part about...err...right now there is a poll on FB about which song fans would like to learn how to play so it would be about teaching the cords and showing how to play the song...yeh

Kemo: That sounds awesome and amazing omw I’m so excited! Cos the thing is with a lot of albums and CD’s...you get the song and listen and have your own interpretation of the song without knowing or understanding the real meaning...so that’s brilliant!!!

“My EP is called Out Of My Boot and is a live recording done at the SABC...we spent a whole night there from 8pm- 5am the next morning! yeah! Take after take after take...The title is just what it means. I'm trying to sell my music out of the boot of my car.well if I had a car I’d be selling the CD out of my boot. Most of the musicians I know and like who have made it onto my itunes started by selling their music out of the boots of their cars as well. Everyone starts somewhere. So that’s the reasoning behind the title."

Louis

...

Kemo: U mentioned feeding into the listeners lives which is basically the theme and purpose behind this blog and my personal purpose of being a vessel ...so to u in terms of using music to be a vessel unto others how do you think u can achieve that?

Louis: Urm...the biggest way musicians can relate to  people is by telling them what they have been thru and how they got thru it and instead of being reactionary just be more proactive or some stuff like that u know...that’s how it can be used to be vessels...

Kemo: Yeh...ur right...as a universal language its quite powerful! So...if u had to get a sponsor or endorsement deal...who it be and why?

Louis:  uuuurm...it would be music connection cos they have the best instruments so I could get all the instruments for free...haha

Kemo: haha cool...that makes sense...I’v had interesting things like McDonalds ... peops who juuust wana eat all the way...lol

Louis: haha...

Kemo: Now you can ask me any question u wana ask? (hides face)

Louis: haha eerrrr...

Kemo: This part is always exciting haha...

Louis: haha errr how old are u?

Kemo: (gasps for air) Oh my gosh! That’s the worst question you could have asked omw do I have to answer haha! I’m 21 plus X! ...haha

Louis: awww come on that’s not honest...haha

Kemo: K...I’m 22...(cringe!)

Louis: 22 ...

Kemo: yeh..haha

Louis: why is that a problem?

Kemo: No seriously I start blushing when I talk about my age...it’s such a sensitive thing to me wow...hahaha...it’s crazy but ye him 22! and btw where are u from?

Louis: I’m from Kenya...

Kemo: Kenya...wow cool! Ok so in terms of the African music industry...what do u think about young talent at the moment? Where are we in terms of growth?

Louis: There is still a lot of space for young people cos a lot of musicians are getting older and we are starting to listen to the same stuff you know...but the problem with young artists is that they are bit naive so record labels would play them and they become disenchanted and then u never hear from them again...

Kemo: yeh ...so that’s the biggest thing cos the industry is quite tough.

Louis: Yeh woah its rough!

Kemo: So now how do u guys get gigs? Do u guys have a manager or someone you are working with? (Guys: Louis Majiwa and Jonothan Annandale)

Louis: urm...Jono and I used to work with someone and they used to get us gigs...but now we have broken away and now we sorta do our own thing...so now Jono gets gigs and I get gigs and yeh...that’s just how we do it...

Kemo: So u guys are like partners basically...

Louis: Yeh...

Kemo: Ok...so tell me about the things that are happening Ito new Kenyan bands especially with your genre ...how popular is it in Africa...

Louis: I’m not really sure cos thats what I think my genre is and I’m not sure if it exists...hopefully young Africans will start playing light rock and I will be the pioneer in that genre haha...

Kemo: hahah yeh...

Louis: But I have met many young good bands also...

"Clownin around..."

Kemo: Ok cool...So have you played any gigs back home?

Louis: Yes I have...there is a festival happening in Kenya and the music scene is also getting more vibey lately...

Kemo: So do you feel a difference in response from audiences between home and SA? Which place do you enjoy playing at the most?

Louis: mmm...that’s a hard question...well...I’ve played bigger shows here cos I’ve been playing music in SA for longer...like I said there is a festival in Kenya in December and it will be big and if I get a bigger response from my people I would probably feel more accepted...

Kemo: Yeh...ok makes sense yeh...and in terms of icons...who do u look up to?

Louis: mmmm...urm...Gideon for one has been quite a mentor...right now I don’t really have a mentor anymore...urm...I’m just going on...(smiles)

Kemo: Any other people that you rate as great musicians? World over...

Louis: Asa...the Nigerian chic...

Kemo: YES!

Louis: haha I watched her live at Baseline...it was just amazing...after I couldn’t talk...second song of the set I was in tears...

Kemo: Wow!!!

Louis: She is this tall (gestures the height of a realllllly short person...)

Kemo: Wow is she like tiny? I have never heard her perform live so I should get in touch...I’m using this blog to get back into knowing about music too! You guys played at Cool Runnings recently right?

Louis: Yeh we did ...but we’ve played somewhere where the manager didn’t pay us so we took his wine haha...

Kemo: haha...I’ve  heard so much of that tho ...young artists tryna make it and not getting paid for the gigs they do...sounds like it’s becoming an issue...taken advantage of...do u think they expect u not to come back for your money?

Louis: Yeh it’s a problem...especially if u don’t have a manger and u don’t sign anything they can do what they want...

Kemo: Not cool at all...So who do u respect as artists at Monash? People you feel that have the potential to go far?

Louis: Yesterday I was leaving my tutorial class and I saw the MonChrist group of guys practicing...I was like woah....(tilts head back and opens mouth WIDE!)

Kemo: Yep the band...they good...yeh! Ok...I’me say a few words and then tell me what comes to mind when I say them ok...

Louis : ok ...hahaha

Kemo: haha...tjatjarag...

Louis: (leans forward) ...what?

Kemo: ‘tjatjarag’...

Louis: food...

Kemo:  Really?

Louis: Yeh like chakalaka ...

Kemo: hahahahahaha ok kewl...tjatjarag means being forward...Julius malema made it famous basically...an old SA slang word actually...

Louis: oh really...hahaha!

Kemo: Yeh...haha...no I’m glad u said that cos I’m so gona write this down haha...ok...next word is ‘SWAG’

Louis: errrr...RAP...or hip hop culture...

Kemo: haha...Ok kewl...urm ‘Monash fashion’...

Louis: SWAG...

Kemo: ok kewl haha! Been awesome chilling with u! Ime come see one of your shows soon! Loved it! Been good getting to know a bit more!

Louis: oh yeh...thanks...been great!

Louis and Jono

...

"I will be doing small sessions in my room on campus called Listening Parties; the idea is that people come and chill and listen, talk, drink and a QnA session at the end. It runs for an hour. It costs R10 to come in. People should bring drinks but there’s gonna be punch there and there’s gonna be the CD to buy and other goodies.”

Louis

First Listening party: Friday 21st October

Venue: Res 6 room D312 

Contact Louis: majiwalouis@gmail.com 

Twitter: @LouisMajiwa

Next week (Mon 24th Oct) its an interview and chill session with Bjorn aka DJ Bee!

***Kemo

Twitter: @KemoMoloko
E-mail: kemog11@gmail.com