“I can never quit music because I am music and music is me, without it I will die.”
It’s not every day one gets to chat with a legend in music, but when you do, you get a sense of Gazza’s unyielding passion for music and dedication to nurturing emerging talent.
Most recently, the veteran artist announced his upcoming album, ‘The Legacy’, will be released in August. And on Wednesday, he released the single ‘Ila Mutale’, produced by DJ Kboz, Pex Africa and Focus, which was accompanied by the music video.
Last year, he released the single ‘Checka’, which he described as an “ode to looking good and feeling good”.
With his upcoming music projects, Gazza is proving that his unmistakeable style and distinctive voice is what earned him a dedicated fan base over the years.
In an interview with unWrap.online this week, the award-winning artist is enthusiastic about the upcoming album, on which he features both experienced and young musicians.
“Progress is good and we are already sourcing for well-fitted partnerships that will speak the same language with the deployment of the project. I want the album to speak for itself, thus I’m gathering both experienced artists and producers and also young, inexperienced ones to dig deeper and find what I’m looking for. I want something that truly defines who Gazza is but at the same time, be able to cut across the two generations,” he said.
He is quite keen on giving upcoming artists a chance, while at the same time reaching out to collaborate with other African artists, he added.
In terms of the genres to be featured on the upcoming album, Gazza said kwaito will be prominent.
“Not forgetting ragga, dancehall and Afro-beats,” he added.
Gazza said the number of tracks will be established from the listening session.
So far, he has released several singles off ‘The Legacy’, such as ‘Up All Night’ and ‘Pusha Panda’, followed by ‘Ila Mutale’.
While promoting the upcoming album on social media, Gazza said the album will be his last. However, he recently clarified that he will never quit making music.
“I can never quit music because I am music and music is me, without it I will die, I want to follow the footsteps of the greats like Oliver Mtukudzi and Frank Sinatra.”
He maintains that the upcoming album is proof that pure love from those who love music genuinely exists.
“There’s only one thing that kept and keeps me going in the music industry: the people who love and follow our music, besides the passion, of course,” he said.
Gazza said his ‘Milli’ concert, which is set to take place this year, is loading but he did not reveal much more.
“I don’t want to spoil any surprises by saying too much, but we make some official announcements about it very soon.”
Apart from music, Gazza recently won a case in which he was accused of breaching a contract with Trinity Transaction Advisory (TTA).
TTA was suing Gazza for allegedly failing to pay consulting costs for services the company rendered on behalf of the musician, but the case was later finalised and removed from the court roll.
Gazza said winning the case is old news, however, he noted that he tried to keep the court battle low-key.
“I know the battle is long and there will always be those who will see our industry as a cash cow or a pit stop for some quick cash and all they do is hinder our growth. The win was not for me but for the whole industry and a case of showing bravery under threats and discouragement from those who never believed in the story of David. As an industry, we should try and be more organised, it’s the only way we can claim what’s rightfully ours,” Gazza said.
He added that the court experience was eye opening because it exposed who his friends are, both in the corporate world and in the industry.
“I wasn’t bothered because I felt I stood for something bigger. But it affected me because I lost a lot of business because the priority was court and one’s mental health would be challenged, of course.”
In offering advice to those who aspire to follow in his musical footsteps, he touts doing music for passion and the streets (the people) and getting paid.
“Do it for the money” he said.
Gazza has won numerous awards over the years with the last one being at the final Namibian Annual Music Awards (NAMAs), where he was crowned the artist of the decade. This came after winning 18 NAMAs over the years. – unWrap.online
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