Maszanga on pause as Keynote carves own identity
Bronson Tjihukununa, better known as Keynote from the group called Maszanga, has been slowly carving his name as a go-to producer in the local music industry.
Keynote, who is one half of the Maszanga duo, recently released a new single titled ‘No Lie’ to solidify his craftmanship.
“‘No Lie’ is the lead single for my upcoming studio album “Time = Life”, produced by myself. It features keyboard-based instrumentation and muted bass. ‘No Lie’ is performed from the point of view of a guy telling his girlfriend that despite the trials and tribulations, he still has a sight for her and only her,” he explained.
The artist-turned-producer said it’s been a learning curve for him, but he is now ‘competent’ with the work he has done so far.
“I have worked hard to get to where I am now. I’m thankful to Maszanga for paving the way. I have a better understanding of how things are done from the production perspective. At one point, I was the in-house producer for Pamoja Records. I mentored and produced for some upcoming artists as well. So, I guess I am growing as a producer,” he added proudly.
He has produced Leather Mein ft. Sally Boss Madam’s ‘Bestie’, and the Standard Bank theme song ‘It Can Be’, as well as for awardwinning artists like Chikune and Gazza, just to mention a few.
Quizzed about the status quo of the group, he said: “That is a beautiful question. Maszanga is on a hiatus at the moment, allowing members to pursue solo careers and explore other things. Something we spoke about as a group is that we would have loved to have the now-late Araffath on board as well as ZangaMan should we choose to have one last album for Maszanga. In the meantime, my focus is on me and my upcoming album, ‘Time = Life’.”
The other member of Maszanga is Tjeripo Kahimunu, who also went solo, and now performs as Himba Boi.
He would like to collaborate with other ‘big’ names on his upcoming project, but time will tell who it will be.
Keynote noted that one needs some sort of enthusiasm and will to be in the music industry, which is ever-evolving.
“To be within the music industry, to be in any kind of amusement industry, you truly need to be energetic and adore, it and drive forward. On the off-chance that you truly need enthusiasm, the aspiration is there; it’ll come. It’s certainly harder work than a few individuals think.”
The new single is currently number 10 on the Talent Showcase Africa Playlist, and is available for download and streaming on DonluAfrica and YouTube.