Questions for Kabelo Mabalane

Written by Brendah Nyakudya
Wednesday, 14 December 2011 14:08

THE MUSIC

You recently released the album Immortal. What’s the inspiration behind the title?
I put a lot of effort into thinking about the title, as I wanted the album to define or rather capture what’s going on in my life at the moment. I’m feeling a tad invincible right now. Its good to know that I’ve been in the business for 16 years, and that I’m still relevant and have the opportunity to still do what I love! I’m so grateful. “Immortal” is obviously about somebody who lives forever. I’m also a born-again Christian and I believe the album gives me an opportunity to minister. I believe that if you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you will have eternal life –you are immortal in a spiritual sense. So it’s a double whammy!

Your career goes back to the beginning of TKZee. How has Kabelo the man changed over the years?
Wow… I was an arrogant, self-centred, angry young man who made lots of mistakes. I crashed cars, fixed them, sold them and bought more cars [laughs]. I took too many drugs and chased too many women… everything was about me. I even thought at one stage that the moon was following me around as I drove around at night! But I’ve come to realise it’s actually not all about me. The word of God says, “To whom much has been given, much will be required”. That realisation was my biggest breakthrough ever. I’m glad I have taken a step in the right direction.

How have fans received your new album?
People have been pleasantly surprised to find I still have my finger on the pulse. From my past successes, my fans expect a lot from me and I expect a lot from myself. We made music history with TKZee, so the standards have been set and I’ve got to surpass those standards. Anything less is a failure. Besides, since I released my last album a plethora of artists have arrived in the industry, so there are more people vying for attention. My reputation has given me a foot in the door – but I still need to deliver.

How was it collaborating with Danny K and Professor?
It’s been such a humbling experience having artists of Danny and Professor’s calibre on my new album. It was so weird when they walked into the studio. There I was working with them and I’m such a fan myself!

PAST ISSUES

You’ve fought some demons with regards to substance abuse. How did you get mixed up with drugs?
My hands were idle and I was a mischievous young boy looking for trouble. It went from messing around with marijuana to booze and then, when I started making money, I started experimenting with more ‘boutique’ drugs such as cocaine, LSD and Mandrax. People often ask me what I took, but they should rather ask, ‘What didn’t I take?’ I did it hard, but I’ve no regrets because past experiences make us who we are today. I’ve been clean for nine years, two months and 19 days! To go back to drugs would be difficult, I’ve become a completely different person. Those were dark and lonely times, but I managed to get myself out of there. I did it for me, but I also wanted to do it so other people could see that it can be done.

How did you get yourself out?
I was always in the media for the wrong reasons - always in fights, getting arrested. My life was just always under scrutiny – all the time! I really believe God created you as a specific kind of person and if you are being someone other than the person God intended you to be, you will get tired.

Did you get a lot of support?
My mom was amazing through the whole period; she always believed in me and never once turned her back on me. She always re-affirmed her love for me. Society and my family were also extremely supportive, unbelievably so. That’s the thing with drug addicts, you feel that no-one cares and no-one wants to listen but the moment you step out and say, ‘I need help’, you’ll be so surprised at how many people come out and say, ‘We will help!’  

What was the hardest thing you had to deal with back then?
Hurting loved ones. And actually seeing the hurt in their eyes. I would do the same hurtful thing over and over again, and every time I did it, I realised it is wrong and I shouldn’t be doing it, but I did it anyway. I hurt so many I lost count of whom I need to make amends with. I suppose I remember the immediate people like my mom, brother and sister, but I don’t know how many people out there that I actually harmed in the process. In the end I had to forgive myself and everything else fell into place. Being public enemy number one was not cool at all – and that’s what I was.

Do people treat you differently now that you’ve dropped the bad-boy image?
A good reputation is worth more than silver and gold. I’d like to think that I’ve managed to earn some respect or favour with people. I believe that life will always have its challenges but now I feel better equipped to deal with those challenges. I don’t feel I need to turn to a bottle of whisky to cope.

MOUNTAIN CLIMBING

Instead of whiskey you’re now turning to mountains?
Yes I am! Many organisations approached me to do drug-awareness campaigns, but the one that resonated most with me was Mountain Heights. To symbolise moving from the ‘gutter depths of drug addiction to the ‘mountain heights’ we will summit the Seven Summits the highest peaks on each continent! The Mountain Heights initiative also has an integrated studies programme to it that teaches kids about the importance of choice. What I like about it is that we’re not just telling kids, ‘Don’t do this!’; we’re actually standing side by side with them. The programme is aimed at kids, since they are still very impressionable. I’m also teaching from personal experience. The kids want to speak to people who have gone through what they are going through.

So how have the climbs been so far?
To be honest, the last climb – Mount Kosciuszko in Australia, which is 2 228 metres high – was not that hard. It is the smallest of the seven. The next one, Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, is more of a challenge and I’m glad I’ll have my friend Lance with me. He’s just done six summits out of the seven. I also have a fantastic team including Alex Harris, who has done the seven summits before and has summited Mount Everest twice and Marco Broccardo, the brains behind it all. Marco is also a recovering addict, hence the outreach to me. We are documenting our journey, so I’ve started working on a book recording the flight, checking in, the mountains. Coming back and living to tell the tale. That’s what it’s about!

LOOKING FORWARD

You’re also involved in the Shout campaign, which raises funds for anti-crime initiatives. The first concert Danny K ever went to in his life was a Lucky Dube concert that his dad took him to. When Lucky Dube was murdered, it hit Danny hard and he spoke to me about his vision. Call it fate, but at the time I was recording the Shout song and Danny heard it and decided to use it for the campaign.

It was a three-year process to get it off the ground, and it finally launched in 2010. It has far surpassed any success that we thought it would achieve. We’ve been surprised by how civil society and corporate South Africa has embraced it. In the past two years we’ve raised more than R2 million.

Any words of wisdom for aspiring musicians?
Anyone who wants to get into the business – regardless of whether it’s in the music business, fashion industry, law, medicine, banking or anything else – needs to realise that it’s not about talent. It’s about hard work! It’s about the guy who is willing to go the extra mile, the guy who is willing to put in the extra hours.

And for those battling addiction?
I’d like to tell them there’s hope! If there is one thing you hang onto, it must be that there is hope. Once you lose hope, you are pretty much stuffed. It doesn’t matter how dark it is, you have got to hope ’cause that’s the first step in the right direction.

What do you think makes you an Afropolitan?
Being glamorous! And being a winner! But I also carry a responsibility for other human beings and I don’t forget about social ills. I think that’s what makes me an Afropolitan. The name Afropolitan is of course derived from the name of our continent. We can show the world that we can do it bigger and better.