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South African Mandie Mafu is an artist and music producer based in Cape Town. He recently released single Molo Mama. He talks about the inspiration behind the song and more. 

What are your musical influences?

I listen to a bit of everything, though recently I have been very much in to a lot of West African music. I have incorporated a lot of their elements in my production.

Also being a villager in a big city like Cape Town, we sometimes lose track of our roots. As an artist it’s very important for me to stay true with who I am, and that allows me to tell my own story in a unique way.

That’s what I feel I have done on my current project. I have gone back home to where it all started in the small village of Peddie in the Eastern Cape.

What’s it like to work in the music industry where you are?

Working in the music industry, it’s fun you get to do what you love and get paid for it: it never feels like work at all.

I believe that African music and art is on its peak and these are the best times to be alive.

I am very excited to be part of this industry, especially now as I believe that African music and art is on its peak and these are the best times to be alive. There are endless possibilities and opportunities for African music. So, yeh I’m quite happy.

Tell us about your latest single Molo Mama. What is it about?

Like several of my songs, Molo Mama is a very personal song, inspired by the difficulties of being far away from one’s home or family for a very long time. It tells the story of how I lost the connection between myself and my mother – how the emotional distance mirrored the physical one.

My family has grown since I have left; I have nieces and nephews who don’t even know me by name, and those who do hold only vague memories.

It is becoming less and less uncommon for people everywhere to leave their maternal or paternal homes, villages, cities and countries in search of a better life and sometime we get caught up in the goals we have set for the new life we are building and lose touch with home.

This is not only difficult on us, but on our families as well, especially our mothers. Even in a world where digital communication facilitates keeping these connections alive, sometimes these devices can feel like poor substitutes.

This song is an opportunity to send a message of assurance not only to mothers, but all loved ones affected by separation.

This song is an opportunity to send a message of assurance not only to mothers, but all loved ones affected by separation, to let them know that even though we may not talk as often, they must know and trust that life is treating us well, and we hope for the day to return home and say Molo Mama.

What song do you listen to: (a) turn up to (b) feel sexy (c) pine over your ex

Ow wow, that’s a difficult one to answer, Dbanj’s Emergency definitely a TurnUp. Then Masterkraft ft Sarkodie and Flavour’s Finally. Feel sexy… I can’t really say, I also enjoy listening to Diamond Platnumz.

Follow Mandie on Twitter @MandieMafu