Healing and Holism: The Spiritual and Interconnected World of Multifaceted Artist Mbali Nkosi
The earth whispers deep spiritual secrets in the quiet swishes of the air; it sings of hidden truths through the swooshes of water and roars with unknown wrath when it manifests in fire, inviting those who would listen to open up their hearts to its ancient wisdom. Such is the complexity of nature as embodied by the elements it’s composed of. And thus enters Mbali Nkosi, the afrotech, 3-step, and gqom DJ and songwriting maestro who has undertaken to decode the often-indecipherable languages of nature, breaking them down with her musical expertise and her love for delving into the spirit. No stranger to the music industry, the multi-faceted muso’s debut EP, Elements, is an apt introduction which showcases the woman and the artist, seamlessly blending to birth a project that transcends music and instruments.
Mbali spoke about her past leading up to her becoming a professional artist. Recalling with fondness and occasional laughter the days long gone when she honed her artistry as a young girl, she rolled the clock back to her primary school days, the times before she morphed into a SAMA-nominated songwriter at the age of 18, thanks to her contribution on Thembi Seete’s smash hit “Free”, which was nominated for the MTN Record of the Year at the 2010 SAMAs.
“I grew up in a loving home with my mom and dad and my two sisters; I had lots of love and support from them. When I was younger, my mom put me in an art school, and from there, I did music, drama, theatre, and dancing from the age of five. So, artistry is something that’s always been there with me since a young age, and it went on till I finished high school. I was doing all sorts of dancing, from hip-hop dancing to ballet and contemporary. There were piano lessons and musical theatre. So being an artist is something I always was,” she said.
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From the Yoruba-inspired “Yemaya” to music rooted in ancestral acknowledgement as heard on “Moya”, Mbali detailed the creation process behind her maiden EP. Braided from elemental knowledge, Nkosi spoke about the onomatopoeic inspiration behind the titles and finding sounds that would dovetail with the idea each song was named after.
“The concept behind Elements is something I always wanted to do. Being trained in somatology, I am in tune with holistic healing and how to relate to holistic places and environments. So, when I went into studio with my team, they asked me if I had an idea of what I’d like to do, and that’s how I got to tell them about this desire to create an album put together from ideas of different elements. Something very spiritual and deep, where each song represented a different element. So, for example, if a song was about spirit, I wanted the beat and the voice to fulfill that. If the song talked about water, I wanted sounds and harmonies that embodied the idea of water and what it does. So, we sat down and started researching what type of beats and instruments would work for each element and tried to weave them into the songs,” she said.
Listen to “Moya”:
The disc jockey spoke about her Elements tour and her current flow of work.
“The one thing I’m busy with at the moment is the countrywide Elements tour. So, we’ll be travelling to different provinces and towns, performing with different friends of the brand. Other than the music, I have my other businesses I’m running on the side as usual,” she said.
With many years under the belt, she revealed how legendary singer and Boom Shaka alumnus Thembi Seete, for whom she has written music and also danced alongside, was instrumental in her becoming the person and artist she eventually became.
“Having been in the industry for a long time, I’ve been around lots of different people at different stages. One person who made a deep impression on me is Thembi Seete when I was young. She was a huge mentor for me, and I learnt a lot from her work ethic, her professionalism, and her kindness to every single person in the industry, regardless of what they did. She definitely shaped my career when I was starting out. I danced with her for four years and during that time we travelled at lot, from Dubai to Thailand and many other different places. And during that time, I got the see her work and how she treated people. When I saw that, I decided for that it was what I wanted for myself. I didn’t want to go into something without respecting people. It’s important to remain humble, and it’s one thing I learned from her that moulded me and impacted my journey,” she said.
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She also spoke briefly about the mark the late Shona Ferguson left on her life, sharing how the celebrated actor, director and producer believed in her. Nkosi also touched on her relationship with SAMA-winning group Black Motion.
“Shona always believed in my acting skills and he would always push me to go to the castings and to work harder and to continue pushing. He pushed me to always believe in the type of storytelling that I could do, hence the role I landed on The Queen. There were also a couple of other projects that we were hoping to do but that we couldn’t get to unfortunately – may his soul rest in peace.
“Black Motion are also a group that I find inspiring. They are such a loving and amazing group of people who literally just allow you to be free and creative. They allow you to think out the box. When I stepped into the music space again, they allowed me to try what I wanted to try without turning down my ideas. They also allowed me to be part of the process. I appreciate that about working with them,” she said.
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Already impacted by the vets of the entertainment space, she talked about the influence she wished she could have on those working alongside her, aspiring to be seen the same way she looked at those who shaped her career.
“I would love to leave a legacy as somebody authentic, a person true to themselves and willing to help the next person. I’d like to be a person who doesn’t push people down. I’d love people to speak of me the same way I spoke about the people I just mentioned. I want to be a person others can know they can be free around. That you can be creative around me and feel comfortable when it comes to collaborating. Because that is what music is about at the end of the day. Let’s collaborate, make history and help each other grow. We are all trying to do the same thing and it’s all for the same purpose so let’s be kind to one another,” she said.
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In between making new music and regaling fans with fiery sets and her own music, Nkosi spoke about some of the things she loved doing during her downtime, including hiking and learning to play new instruments.
“I like to go hiking weekly, which normally is on a Sunday, and if I can’t on the day, then I settle for a day in the week. That’s the time I get to meditate and think and to be one with nature since the nature of my work calls for me to be up and down constantly. So hiking is important for me. It’s not just something I do outside work; it’s more about it helping me to connect to self and nature.
“On the musical side of things, I am learning how to play the saxophone. Interestingly, my mom sat me down and told me that my late father used to play the saxophone and he was really great at it. And when my first single came out, she mentioned that my father would’ve been so proud of me because he loved music. Because I never got to see him growing up, I started asking her more questions, and the answers she gave me sparked something in me and encouraged me to pick up the sax. Apart from that I still want to take up more hobbies. I grew up a sporty child and I used to play squash and I’d like to do something to get myself active at that level again,” she said.
From rocking the biggest stages to holing herself up with her future family and pets, Nkosi spoke about the future she envisioned for herself.
“I see myself playing at the biggest festivals worldwide, from Ibiza to Kenya. I see myself with my family and my children and my dog – a very well-balanced life. A perfect balance of work and home,” she said.