When someone thinks of romantic love songs, his name always comes up. But he's been a bit quiet. He hasn't stopped working on music though.
He recently release his 11-track album titled BackRoom, featuring Mnqobi Yazo, Beyond Vocal, Kwesta, and Zama Khumalo. He released his last self-titled album in 2018 and he took his time working with people on his wishlist.
“The features are of people that I’ve always wanted to work with. With Kwesta everything manifested itself. I sent him a few songs some time ago, some didn’t work but when I worked on the single Backroom, he seemed to be the most suited feature,” he says.
“Mnqobi has been busy with his EP and we just got together one Saturday and made magic. Ever since Zama Khumalo won Idols SA and coming from my hood, I knew we would make something beautiful. And Beyond Vocal collaboration was more of a spiritual and friendship connection. We have been friends for so long but never did any work together,” Musa says.
He chose the title Backroom because he wanted an album that tells a ghetto love story.
“And you can’t do ghetto love story without including a backroom. A huge population of South Africans either grew up in a back room, they had one or many relationship dramas that happened in their parents’ backroom. But there’s always a backroom story.”
Musa says the album is a typical Musa project and he knows people will love it.
“It’s a 'choke us with love' album. There’s nothing else for me to want to sing about right now besides matters of the heart. But the album has many colours and everyone can choose where they stand,” he says.
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After the release of his self-titled album in 2018, and during the Covid-19 pandemic, Musa took time to work on his music and himself.
“I was acknowledging myself, and understanding myself better, who I can become in music production, songwriting, self-understanding really. I did a lot of work and hung around music studios, absorbing different energies and sounds,” he says.
Musa also worked on his farm in Pretoria where he has livestock.
“Farming is my other passion," he says.
“I grew up on a farm in Witbank and it’s what keeps me sane and away from the busy city life. My dad used to have a farm, then we lost it all, and I have been doing city life for so long and it gets frustrating at times, so I go there for peace,” he says.
One day he plans to move and live in there permanently.
“The farm saves me from being in the streets. There are a couple of times when I lost my foot along the way, and it helped me to get up.”
Musa says he became out of control after he won Idols SA. “I lost my feet immediately after Idols. When I got the money and bookings, it all became too much. I wasn’t breaking anymore; everyone knew who I was. I was well looked after, and the attention was all on me.”
And he spent some of his money recklessly.
“I was blowing up the money. You know, I was the guy about town, paying everyone’s bills and I made a lot of bad financial decisions. I could have done better. But those experiences, my surroundings, woke me up. I’ve never had friends my age, I’ve always been surrounded by older people.”
He says when he made mistakes his father and the late Robbie Malinga were there to call him out.
“Robbie was a father figure. We took time working on music together because he was focused on helping me to get my life together.
“I’ve gone through enough to understand myself now and I see what I messed up. I love my mind and the space I’m in. I am fit to live life the way I want to. I try avoiding things I don’t need and When I make mistakes I want to apologise.”
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Among working on himself Musa is also in the process of registering his NGO which focuses on people living with dyslexia.
“I am dyslexic. I grew up very high confidence and I used my confidence as a cover-up. I just knew I struggled reading but didn’t think it was a condition. At school, I’d stand outside and ask classmates questions and memorise them, so I don’t have to study and they would give me the answers,” he says.
“I was the loudest guy among people, and I only found out later when was diagnosed at 20 years old.” Musa dropped out of Grade 10 when he thought he just hated school.
“I just dropped out at Grade 10. I didn’t know what it was. I would have felt like I was dumb if I wasn’t that confident but when was eventually diagnosed, everything made sense,” he says.
Having to write music as a person with dyslexia was not an issue for Musa.
"It’s always been an easy process that shocks people at times,” he says.
“I don’t have to have a piece of paper in front of me, I just have to do it all in my head. If I co-write a song with someone and they ask me to read their notes, I would be forced to tell them.
"It's always strange but an amazing thing. But I don’t let it control me or limit my life hence I want to share my story with people through my foundation and help those living with dyslexia as well as help families who struggle with children who have dyslexia.”
Musa has many plans up his sleeve this year and one includes opening his wellness spa, Flora Essence, in Roodeport and his restaurant, BackRoom.
“The wellness spa is opening. We have skin treatments and for natural hair, as well as detox and IV drips. The restaurant will have all types of food, very soulful, chilled, and will be a relaxed and very musical space.”
