Robby Malinga: "Stop abusing lobola to pimp women"
By Patience Bambalele
Young and gifted producer Robby 'Insimbi' Malinga has done others more albums than himself in his music career spanning over a decade now. In this interview he tells Patience Bambalele why he enjoys turning others into superstars, his problem with the broadcasting industry and the way it focuses on one particular genre…this interview took place in 2003...
If music be the food of life...Robby Malinga on stage rocking Rockville, Soweto in 2003 - Pic by Happy Baloyi
When did your music career begin?
I started playing keyboards at the tender age of eight. After matriculating I studied piano and guitar. Before my big break I had worked with a number of music groups doing sessions. The first group I made a break with was Platform One.
You have been quiet for some time now, what's wrong?
A number of issues are bothering me with our music industry. Look at a number of record companies we have in our country, it’s huge but who owns them? Overseas people. We lack locally owned major labels that can market our music the way we would like them to. We need more locally owned record companies because most of these overseas companies plying their trade here are only promoting foreign music, in the process undermining the development of local talent. This has led to some local artists doubting their ability, ending up imitating American artists. What also bothers me is to see Hip-Hop music getting more exposure compared to other local genres in this country. For instance, since the broadcasting industry currently prefers to promote this particular genre, fans are beginning to think it’s the only best music they can buy. I think we should be focusing on our own local brew like kwaito, Afro-Pop, Afro-Jazz and maskandi as part of a proudly South African initiative. As Africans we should be known for our own brand of music.
How do you classify your music?
I call it Afro-Pop because it’s a combination of well polished African sounds. Take for example my album Phansi Phezulu; it is different from what I have done before in the sense that this time around I combined the repertoire of the Soul Brothers and Imithente to create something unique. In it you'll find elements of mbaqanga, maskandi and East African melodies. I believe in improving African repertoire as opposed to adopting foreign influences.
Your songs, for example Lobolo, Sengaliwe and Kipita speak a great deal about family issues. Were you inspired by personal experiences to write them?
Yes and no. The thing is, writing a song is more or less like scribbling poetry. As a composer you get inspired by a number of things. It could be some personal experience or something you saw happening to other people. In most cases, I’ve been inspired by predicaments I've seen happening to my fellow brothers out there. For example in the song Lobola, I say there is nothing wrong with paying a bride's price, only if this custom is done in good faith. The point I was making is that it is wrong when we turn our cultural traditions into financial business. Take for example a case of in-laws demanding R 25 000 for a bride price amidst this scourge of poverty and unemployment. Is this not the business of pimping? This trend promotes promiscuity and the spread of Aids in our society in the sense that young women end up in vat en sit situations, forced to jump from one partner to another.
When you entered the music industry, you must have had a mission to accomplish. What was that mission?
Like every other youngster in Soweto, I grew up admiring guys who drove around in flashy cars and wished to be in their shoes one day. Now that I have grown up I see things differently. Those flashy car aspirations are gone. My mission now is to write a song that will rock the whole world and keep my name on people's tongues for ages. I also wish that song to be something like a love anthem; Like Bill Weather's ballad Lean on me. Locally I think I have accomplished this mission with the song Lobola.
In South Africa a number of pop artists seem very reluctant collaborating with traditional music groups. Do you share the same sentiment?
I’m dead against that. Unfortunately, these sceptics don't know what they are missing. My advice to them is that as an artist the only way you can grow is by learning from other musicians by collaborating with them.
By spending most of your time producing other artists, are you not restraining your own career growth?
Although I wouldn't call myself a philanthropist but naturally I like helping other people. I spend most of my time composing and producing other artists because I cherish their dream of becoming somebody in the near future. Look Patience, South Africa is one of the countries that have high unemployment rate amongst the youth and I think if you have something - a skill or an employment opportunity, you need to share it with the less fortunate in the spirit of Ubuntu. I don’t think there are people out there who do crime just for the pleasure of doing it. Lack of job opportunities breed criminal activity.
How is your music doing in terms of sales?
Quite well. My three previous offerings took me by surprise by selling over 50 000 copies each, achieving multi platinum status for me. Insimbi still enjoys the same popularity it enjoyed when it came out in 1997. Even today people still buy it, therefore I am satisfied with the way my fans have supported me and let me take this opportunity to promise them that will be getting better with each and every album I release.
Thank you for your time Robby
You’re most welcome.
