His album has been in the works for four years. In that time, he's changed his name and his outlook in life.
Now his new work, Spirit of Ubuntu, is ready. It is a visual and carefully curated, three part album which saw him stepping into his new role as a director, for the first time.
Zulu Mkhathini has evolved since he first came into the industry. He tells us about the making of his album.
“The creative direction was really important to me, lyrically, visually, sonically, all coming together to tell a story. One of my goals is to have an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) one day and you can’t do that without mastering each of those elements.”
He's focused on taking his music up a notch, he says, which is why Zulu is now more focused on storytelling, specifically African stories, using fashion as one of his main mediums.
He’s not afraid of losing his current fanbase, which have been with his since his TV days. He understands he might be alienated as he branches out into fashion more.
“I believe in showing people who you are, not letting them decide who you are, and I want to show people that Zulu Mkhathini is not afraid to push boundaries. The South African market is quick to put people in a box, but you have to remember, I started off in fashion way before I got into music, I worked retail at some point, and studied graphic design, before that I was a dancer - so it’s inevitable that all these parts come together. They’re all a part of my journey, that has led me to where I am today.”
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Making this album a creative project was also with the intention to be more inclusive.
“You have to understand, there are deaf people who also come across music, and so I had to consider how can I make this an equally full experience for them. And that’s why everything was considered carefully from the palettes, the earthy tones, going with a distinctly African colour scheme throughout the project. Even with language barriers, not everyone who listens to my music understands isiZulu, but I still want them to feel like I am communicating with them.”
Zulu has his own fashion brand, called Zulovski, coming soon.
“Right now, you’ll see me wearing some pieces from my label at award shows or fashion shows and that’s because I want my brand to be right up there with other international fashion brands when it comes to quality, so it’s going to take time. It’s the same story with my videos that I produce for my album. And then there’s making sure that I create a brand that caters for everyone. Zulovski is a unisex brand and already has certain items that certainly bridge that gap between male and female.”
We chat to him just a couple of days before Valentines Day. Although Zulu is a bit sceptical about the holiday, he was willing to participate, for his partner’s sake.
“Now me personally, as a staunch Zulu man, I prioritise culture over most things, in our culture there’s very specific ways in which we show women we appreciate and love them, and I just don’t see what Valentines Day is about per say. But I’m not against doing something on the day, especially because I know it will make my partner feel special.”
As a man of fashion, he gives out a little advice to men who are worried about first dates or even taking their significant other out for the first time in a while. This is because most couples will be celebrating the full month of love.
“For example, you don’t want to rock up in a suit, when you have a date at a burger joint, which is why I believe in planning being so important. But as a man, you can never go wrong with smart casual. But I think going the extra mile could show your partner how much you care. Designing a suit, and going to a tailor is a lot more romantic.”
But he won’t be doing any of that, these days his style is a lot more relaxed.
“You can even see on my social media that my style I more subtle these days. I dress according to where I am in life, mentally. When I was a skater, you could see that I was a skater, based on how I dressed. When I was Dash, the rapper, I dressed like one. But these days my style is more organic, chilled. Mainly because of people who influence me like Pharrell Williams, Harry Styles and Kanye West, who really is always constantly evolving and I love that about him.”
