South African muso Ringo Madlingozi has made a return to music after spending time in the political realm. Picture: madlingoziringo/Instagram
Revered US singer Nina Simone said an artist’s duty is to reflect the times their work. She was speaking about the advocacy of artists pertaining to the civil rights movement.
Retired politician and renowned singer Ringo Madlingozi said his time in politics will benefit his artistic outputs.
This transition has meant the crooner has gone from participating in politics to return to his seat as an artist who reflects on the times they’re living in.
“When I was in politics I had to deal with everything hands-on and really be part of what was happening. Now I can only reflect on it and come with some suggestions and questions to people,” Ringo told The Citizen.
After the conclusion of the general election in May, Ringo announced that he’s stepping away from politics, but will remain an Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) member.
The Kum Nakum singer said his time in politics has given him a better understanding of the decisions taken by those in power.
“For me to be part of the deciders and constructors of the laws of the country I learnt a lot of how things are going. I’m really going to put that up in the music that I’m doing,” shared the singer.
ALSO READ: ‘I’m no longer active in politics’ – Ringo Madlingozi returns to his purpose
The former member of parliament doesn’t see his departure from the political arena as neglecting socio-economic issues that ordinary South Africans go through on a day-to-day basis.
He reminds me of the mid-1990s when he sang songs that spoke to these issues.
“People don’t understand, or maybe some of them have forgotten, that even from my very first album in 1996, the content was talking about the problems that we deal with as a people, especially black people,” he said.
“Where some of my songs are talking about a child going to school on an empty stomach and there are songs where I question the government of that time,” he said, adding that it was more about the realities of life than actual politics.
ALSO READ: #SAInauguration19 Ringo’s music gets boo’ed at Loftus
His upcoming album is titled Ikhwelo, which can be loosely translated as a call to action.
The album is expected to come out in April 2025, but Ringo has already released a single, Ufikile Ekuseni.
“The song talks about someone who came in the morning. This ‘someone’ could be anyone. It’s someone who is always smiling, willing to help and happy to assist. This person is you. If we can start looking at ourselves every morning in the mirror and tell ourselves ‘I love you.’”
Ringo said didn’t want to veer from the kind of music that his fans know him for.
“I thought, let me not bring in [new style] like I’m a younger guy that is happening today.”
ALSO READ: How Kaza Kamba Pan African Theatre Festival paid homage to Robert Sobukwe’s often minimised life
His return to the music industry has been supported by streaming platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify who have alerted and encouraged consumers through initiatives on those platforms to stream his music.
Unlike most artists of his generation, Ringo has embraced technology and news way of music consumption.
“We, the older generation and the technology, it takes a longer time to adjust to it. Remember we’re used to going to buy our music from [the] Musica’s and Dakota’s. Now everything is happening online,” said Ringo.
“To be online, to always be there on the social media and everything is the best thing ever,” proclaimed the 60-year-old.
Ringo said today’s world is very different from how it was decades ago.
“A lot of the older generation in the music industry, we seem not to care. We think that we have to sell our music from the boot of our cars, it’s never like that now.”
ALSO READ: WATCH: Ringo ‘pulls zap sign’ as he walks off stage at DStv Delicious Festival
This year the South African Music Awards (Sama) bestowed the youthful-looking 60-year-old with a Lifetime Achievement Award which he has described as the best award he’s received throughout his long career.
“It was wonderful. When I started in the music industry I never thought I’d win the Lifetime Award. A lifetime is a long time,” he said chuckling.
“I’ve won a lot of Kora awards, I’ve won Duku Duku Awards, I’ve won Men’s Health Awards, I’ve won Metro Awards and all these…but to get that ultimate, lifetime is like hall of fame.”
The Sama award came after he he felt he wasn’t given the deserved-respect for an artist of his stature at the DSTV Delicious festival in 2023, where he walked off stage lambasting the organisers.
“What happened with that Dstv Delicious thing, I felt disrespected by the production team of that thing and the people running that. I felt like they didn’t care who I was and they didn’t respect my fans, people who grew up listening to my music,” he said.
Ringo is steadfast about not performing at the festival ever again.
“I don’t know what they would do for me to change my mind, but I will never perform there again.”
The singer hosted a celebration of the Sama accolade at Emperor’s Palace in Kempton Park which was by invite only.
“Oh it was beautiful. To feel the audience singing with me the very same song [Ufikile Ekuseni] I was releasing the following day, but they were already into it,” Ringo said.
NOW READ: R5.2 billion investment: How South Africa’s film industry grows tourism and creates jobs
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
