VIDEO: SA actor takes on music
SANDTON - South African actor Hugh Masebenza is putting down the acting mask and picking up the mic as he releases his solo music album.
The album is expected to be a burst of soul music which he describes as feel good music that has enough weight to crossover to international commercial appeal.
Masebenza alternates between playing the guitar, singing with backtracks or with the keyboard, bass guitar and sometimes with a band.
He has been playing music since the age of 14. At 16 years old, he was given his first guitar by a priest who taught him how to play chords and later showed him how to play the bass. “It wasn’t intentional that I became a multi-instrumentalist,” he said. However, the thought of being part of the list of only about six bassists in the world circuit who play the bass and sing is an exciting thought for Masebenza.
Known for his acting, in 2001 Masebenza took a decision to focus on his first love – music. Throughout the years, Masebenza’s TV career took off among other projects including Vetkoek Paleis, 7de Laan, Society, and Generations, and then various commercials, including the Savanna advertisements. “All those factors gave me a profile I still can’t believe to this day,” said Masebenza. “I chose to rather focus permanently on music, and so far the process itself and not my ego has validated a full career in music.”
His last acting endeavour was in 2012 in Room 09 and Babalaas. “I took money that I had earned and saved while shooting a movie in Israel to get vocal exercises to improve my vocal ability,” said Masebenza.
He also independently financed a demo CD and took those songs from the demo and other songs and toured from Cape Town to Johannesburg. “The advantage was that I learned who my audience was before the process was adulterated by traditional artist and repertoire demographic classification,” said Masebenza.
He shopped around for sponsors for his music career. “I became the development protégé of many companies,” he said. “I was placed in artist development, music development and audience development under various brands and sponsors for two years and in that time I have been groomed by backers to be a strong studio, rehearsal and performance musician.”
Through endorsements, Masebenza has managed to start the recording process of his album set to be released soon.
Watch this video of Hugh Masebenza performing Sexy Lady, one of his solo songs, during an informal session at Turnkey Music in Johannesburg:
