Pumping up gospel music

MASERU – FROM the age of nine, Dominic Makoala was already making music. Now 34, Makoala has grown to be one of Lesotho’s most sensational Afro-pop gospel singers.
He was brought up in a family with deep Christian values and he has always been attached to everything spiritual.

In a country that does little to honour its artistes, Makoala has managed to bag some awards in the gospel music category during music awards.
He is remembered by music fanatics for winning awards hosted by Ultimate FM, bagging the Afro Pop Album of the Year Ultimate Music Award in 2016.

“I first started producing music when I was nine-years-old. By the time I was thirteen, I had produced two more songs which I sang in front of a congregation at church. In high school, I would sing, imitating music professionals like Craig David because I drew so much inspiration from him,” he said.

Makoala says his music is composed to embrace Africanism.
The beats, rhymes and rhythms he uses are pro-African as he believes that one can express themselves more elaborately by sticking to their culture.

“The generation of musicians we have at the moment is of those who embrace our African roots and, of course, our Bosotho. Dawn has fallen on us and our traditional being is revived in our music. The period we are at the moment as musicians is renaissance. Unlike before, we are now accustomed to our customs and heritage which we integrate in our music. My kind of music can actually be classified as Traditional African Jazz. It fuses with African sounds and melodies and is inspired by nature,” he said.

He puts emphasis on being genuine and original as a cornerstone to become a reputable artiste with quality music.
He said artistes can copy from other international artistes but it remains ideal to keep and build their trademark.

“Being originally African andnot Western is what it takes to become a quality music producer. One has to infuse raw African taste in their voices. This also has to be supplemented with the best band or studio programmer coupled with a suitable producer or director of the song,” he said.

Since his music is African, his listenership compromises the young and the old.
The moving notes he uses in his songs get people glued to his sounds.“My music is soulful. You know, nowadays people are carrying a lot in their minds. It is essential as a musician that when you produce music, you give the audience something that is going to enlighten their burdens in life. I always strive to produce songs that have a nourishing effect on my supporters and everybody who comes across my music. I feel appeased when I get feedback from listeners that a certain song from my albums has really changed their lives in a positive way,” he said.

“All age groups are enthralled by my music and they enjoy it a lot. It is somehow like modernised African music which connects people to their roots and Creator as well,” he added.
Makoala has shared the stage and partnered with different international artistes.

“I have had the opportunity to perform at events with renowned artists like Dr Tumi, Lebo Sekgobela, Joyous Celebration, Bhudaza Mapefane and Robi Malinga, to name but a few. These artistes give it their all when on stage. They make sure that the performance is top notch. Despite them being familiar with songs they never stop rehearsing. Back stage, they channel all their energy to make sure they would give their best when they are on stage.”

“My participation in events with these lads has motivated me in many ways. I have seen how far talent can take you in life provided you work hard. If you do not make any effort to nurture your talent then you are less likely to make it in the music industry. I have also learned that it takes discipline and character to fully comprehend and come to terms with the challenging dynamics of music production,” he said.

Makoala’s track ‘Sivuselele’ is so strong that it stands out. It portrays his full musical identity.

“On my album, the award winning song, ‘Sivuselele’, is an exceptional song. It’s unique in taste and doesn’t remind a person of any musician except me. It defines me and stamps a statement of who I really am,” he said.

Music has evolved a lot in the 20th and 21st century.
Many trends have been in the production and distribution of music which has made it easier for people to access music.

The days of storing music on bulky objects such as cassettes and CDs are long gone, thanks to technology.

“In as much as there are negative elements brought by technology in music production, there are a lot of positives. With technology, we are now able to market ourselves globally without having to engage in costly expenses. A video can go viral and in a blink of an eye everybody would want to have their hand on you. In the past, most musicians lost a fortune of their music in demos as they had stored in objects which could be misplaced or lost; a person can now store music online while they are waiting to finish it. It will never get lost.
“Unlike before when artistes were expected to compile a full album of about ten songs before they could release the songs to the public, with technology now, one can release a song or two and start gathering attention,” he said.

“On the other hand, they may fail to enjoy the proceeds of their labour as there are scores of pseudo online music streaming and downloading platforms. The bad thing about technology is that piracy is prevalent in the distribution of music and artistes do not get to reap from their talents. There are platforms online which simply sell music without paying the artistes. Even consumers have a tendency of sharing music through Bluetooth, which doesn’t benefit us as musicians,” he added.

Despite the drawbacks of not fully benefitting from their music, Makoala is of the opinion that gospel musicians must work harder to improve their art as this will ultimately make listeners realise the importance of being fair and getting music through proper channels.

“Music is generally not receiving enough acknowledgment in the country. There are few platforms made available for musicians to show their talents. There should be annual music awards that would encourage musicians to work harder. The standards of our recording studios have to improve. Fellow musicians should remain professional and stop engaging in drugs and alcohol. They must resemble good spiritual ethos,” he said.

Calvin Motekase