Malinga was reluctant to be in the spotlight
WHEN Robbie Malinga arrives at our Johannesburg office on a hot Friday afternoon dressed to the nines‚ the only thing running through my mind is how quick I need to be to get the most out of him‚ given how busy he is.
But his calm and relaxed nature dispels my anxiety. I couldn’t help it‚ it’s contagious. “Do you ever take off your shades,” I ask him‚ my gaze fixed on his Tom Ford sunnies.
“Have you ever seen me without shades,” he quips. He makes a good point. Malinga without sunglasses is not Malinga.
He is always making a statement. And this has always been the case.
When he started out in the industry‚ he was just a simple boy who dreamed of unlocking new levels and reaching new heights through his passion: music.
“I was there when kwaito started. We wanted to say something. It was shortly after liberation‚ 1997 to be exact.
“Which is when I released my first album‚ Intsimbi.
“I was fresh from varsity‚ and I had told my parents after matric that I wanted to do music.
“And they took me to school to study music. Those days‚ we had energy. When you are young‚ the sky is the limit. “You’ve got drive to do anything.” And luckily‚ friends and kwaito legends Spikiri‚ Mahoota and Mdu had the same vision.
“We grew up in the same neighbourhood. We were a clique of these young boys who wanted to make a mark.
“We would visit each other‚ because we were working in different studios. “Those days‚ yo‚ it was nice. “We wouldn’t mind sleeping in the studio. The way we were so driven to do this. That time‚ we didn’t even have money for taxi fare.
“But we wanted to see ourselves out there‚ making music. We wanted to do music and nothing else.
“We never knew about money and stuff like gold or platinum albums.”
Unfortunately‚ they were later signed to different labels.
But that didn’t break their friendship‚ put together by love of music. “All we would speak about is music. “However‚ we all went different ways. Mandla and others were signed by Gallo. I was signed by Cool Spot‚ and luckily I had the backing of my academics.
“So‚ I had an advantage. So I thought of being a producer. Well‚ I always wanted to be a producer.”
Although he had always dreamt of breaking into the music industry‚ being an actual singer was never part of Malinga’s plan.
All he actually wanted to do was produce‚ and when he’s not doing that‚ he’d rather sit in a corner with a drink and watch the scene.
But as fate would have it‚ he made it as a singer.
“One night‚ it’s a Friday and we’re in the studio fooling around‚ we’re drinking hard‚” he begins explaining how he started becoming an artist.
He jokes that at this point they could at least afford a taxi.
“Then I did the beat to Intsimbi‚ Sfiso came and sang the hook‚ and then we were poking fun at each other‚ I was working around the song and just fooling around.
“And then on Monday‚ the boss of the record label asked what we were doing on Friday‚ because when he left us we were drunk and partying in the studio.
“He said: ‘I heard the track you guys were working on. “Who is singing here?’ “I said‚ ‘It’s me‚’ but then I told him that I was just fooling around.
“Then he said that we can’t fool around with such a song.
“So he suggested that we put it out there‚ and see how the people would receive it.
“It was October. By November the song had gone platinum.”
Amid the celebrations‚ he was terrified at the thought of having to maintain his new career.
“And now that means I had to start singing professionally. To be honest‚ I was not keen because I feared the stage‚ doing interviews and having to do music videos.
“I just wanted to be in the background‚ behind the scenes‚ producing hits. So‚ my career as an artist started out like that. By default.
“After being big‚ you have no choice but to follow through with what you have started.
“But till today I don’t regard myself as a performing artist, the guy who has to be front and centre.”
Well‚ even though being an artist wasn’t part of his plans‚ he definitely enjoyed the money it came with.
He says‚ like any other young person he splurged his first pay cheque on a car and living from one hotel to another.
“I got my first big pay cheque after Intsimbi‚ and bought myself a Gusheshe (BMW). And I didn’t sleep at home for over three months. I slept in hotels‚ dude (laughs).
“Because now I had real money. It’s part of the fun of growing up and making those mistakes.”
But the lavish living didn’t last for long.
“I got broke after that‚ and for a long time. It’s very awkward. What made me broke was peer pressure‚ because after becoming a celebrity and well known‚ when I got to the hood or a club‚ people had to see that I’ve arrived.
“We’d buy expensive bottles and wore clothes and watches we could barely afford. Which was just unnecessary pressure if you ask me.
“But those things make you a better person‚ because you grow. I got to respect the value of money.”
Luckily‚ next time copious money came his way he was older and more levelheaded.
“I’ll be honest with you‚ the biggest success of my career came when I was much older.
“This is when I started doing big albums.
“I was the maestro behind Ntando‚ Brown Dash‚ Zahara‚ Kelly Khumalo and all those big names.
“Fortunately, they came at a time when I had a wife and kids. So I was very grounded.”
Speaking of the late Brown Dash‚ he says the two were almost inseparable at one point.
They shared a close bond so his death brought heavy pain and sorrow.
There’s a glow in his face as he recalls the memories they shared.
“Brown Dash and I had so much fun. There was a time when me‚ the late Jabu and Brown followed each other in our cars going to Jabu’s place. Jabu unexpectedly stopped his car at the robots. So I crashed into Jabu’s car and Brown crashed into my car.
“People were laughing at us. It was the funniest and the stupidest thing ever.
“It was one of the saddest moments in my life when he passed on.
“I won’t forget the day when his mom called me‚ in tears‚ to tell me that Sphiwe [Brown] had passed on. I couldn’t believe it‚” he says.
As he starts looking at his watch‚ I immediately remember that he has to rush off to another meeting.
But I can’t let him go without at least trying to getting him to sing a verse from one of his current hit songs with Musa Sukwene‚ called Mthande.
“First‚ do you have auto-tune software,” he says. “But your voice is perfect‚” I respond. “On some days‚” he says‚ as he slowly walks away‚ suggesting that I should give up on my dream of that mini free performance. Well‚ you can’t say I didn’t try. — Tshisalive