I DON’T want to make music until I collapse on stage like Miriam Makeba.
This was what gospel queen Dr Rebecca Malope said during a media briefing in Durban on Tuesday to officially announce her retirement.
Rebecca, who had been in the industry for 32 years, said: “I want to leave while I still can. Others don’t leave because they have to put food on the table. It’s painful to see an old person performing at the rank because they need money.
“What happened to our mother Miriam Makeba was painful. She collapsed on stage. At that stage, it was not appropriate for her to perform at gigs.”
Asked by the SunTeam what she found challenging looking back at her career, she said she didn’t like to be around a lot of people.
“This is because of how I grew up. My dad used to abuse me. My neighbours also abused me.”
When asked if she had beef with other gospel artists, she said there would always be rivals. “We are aiming for one piece of meat, but I don’t have beef with anyone in gospel,” she said.
Rebecca said announcing her retirement was not a publicity stunt to promote her new album. She added she was planning to write a memoir.
