Rapper uses music to tell his stories
Chatsworth-born teacher proud of Indian heritage
FOR Taragan Moodley, a rap artist, the response to his music often comes in the form of what he describes as a culture shock.
“Hip hop is not usually associated with someone of South African/Indian heritage,” said Moodley, aka Tiger.
“But it’s my hope to bridge that gap and use music as a platform to tell my stories.”
Moodley recently released his latest track video, My Turn. The song is something of a lyrical assertion of his rise in hip hop and the video is a visual celebration of his culture.
A teacher by profession, Moodley was born in Chatsworth and is the grandson of a coal miner.
On the heels of Heritage Month we asked Moodley about his heritage.
He said he regarded himself as a South African first and that being of Indian descent he was able to draw on those cultural elements as a musician.
“I’m proud of my Indian heritage. That heritage weighs heavily on me as a person of colour in South Africa. A great deal of response to my music has been about me being Indian.
“Culture and heritage should not be based on stereotypes.
“While we can (and do) use these as reference points, I think it’s imperative that we move the culture forward into a more inclusive world and use the appropriation to benefit and educate the youth of today.
“My pride in South Africa can be heard and seen in my lyrics and visuals. This also unfolds in how I portray my city and my country. I make it a point of showing the world what my city (Durban) looks like, through my lens.”
My Turn
Moodley said when he started writing My Turn he did not know what it was going to be about.
“I made the music first and that singalong chorus just came to me as I started working on the track. All the frustration of not breaking through musically manifested itself. My Turn is a friendly warning to my peers in the industry. At the same time, the tone of the track is youthful and relatable.
“The song was recorded and completed in August last year. I knew I had to have a visual and I had concepts in mind but I only managed to find a suitable director in early February. We managed to shoot one scene before the lockdown and we waited until the end of July to complete the production.”
The song was recently aired on Gagasi FM and is available on all streaming platforms, Apple, Spotify, etc.
Moodley is already working on a new video, You and Me, featuring Nompilo Hlongwa (aka Millow) and he is working on curating his debut album.
Behind the mic
When he is not recording in the studio or on camera, Moodley keeps busy in education. He also started his own independent record label.
“I have been doing skills development facilitation and I have been enjoying it. It was unfortunately put on hold because of the lockdown and I’m hoping to get back to it soon, to finish the academic year.
“I recently began a new journey starting my own record label, Yolande Records. I partnered with Prenneven Govender, managing partner of Braille Media.
“The label is to be my musical home but it is also a source of hope and inspiration for aspiring artists. We have already spotted local talent who we would like to help, develop and work with.”
In 2018, Moodley’s rap skills were featured on Oli Milne’s Hold On, which playlisted on Durban Youth Radio and featured on Lotus FM’s News Break.
However, he has been producing music since 2010.
From growing up around the sounds of Simon & Garfunkel, Don McLean and Bob Dylan, to his fondness of soulful 1990s R&B, and to inspiration drawn from rap and hip-hop styles like Eminem and the Notorious BIG, Moodley has developed a sound that is an eclectic mix of modern music influence and local storytelling through rap.
Moodley’s latest video can be viewed on facebook.com/ tigerfanpage. Warning: contains bad language.