#034 I could never have done it alone | Yvonne Chaka Chaka

--:--
"This industry is unstable unless you have your feet firmly on the ground."

Welcome to Episode #9 in a 10-part series on "Parents in the Music Industry" - made possible with funding support from the Music in Africa Foundation, the German Federal Foreign Office, Siemens Stiftung and Goethe-Institut.

Mama Yvonne Chaka Chaka is a musician, a philanthropist, and a lover of life. She's also a mother.

In this episode Yvonne talks about being a mom at 19, signing to a label, recording an album and becoming an overnight success. She talks about children as a gift from God, bringing her son on tour (and the artists who look after each-others kids backstage), being present as a mother and the importance of front-liner artists paying decent salaries to those behind the scenes.

What an incredible honour it was to have this conversation.

Outro music: 'Kulila' by Yvonne Chaka Chaka.
Music used with permission from rights holder.
28 Dec 2021 English Explicit South Africa Music Interviews · Performing Arts

Other recent episodes

#061 Orchestrate it yourself | Stanley Sibande

A story about making your own dreams a reality. Stanley Sibande is a Zambian-born, Cape Town-based, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter. In this episode, we're chatting about making dreams a reality. Yourself. From booking a tour to Cape Town (from his home in Zambia, without ever having been to South Africa) to now…
20 Mar 23 min

#060 Get Real | Vicky Jankiewicz

Ever wanted to work behind the scenes in the music industry? Keen to hear all of the good (and gritty) music industry insider stuff from someone who's touched every side of it? Vicky Jankiewicz has spent the last 15 years behind the scenes in the music industry. She's one half…
21 Feb 39 min

#058 Just a small town girl | Maddy Behrens

Are you brave enough to busk? Maddie Behrens is a folk/indie/rock/pop singer currently based in Johannesburg. Hailing from a small town in KZN, she learnt the performing ropes from busking in Washington Square Park in NYC. In this episode, we chat all about that, as well as what it's like…
24 Jan 24 min

#057 Create a scene... Joburg edition | Lindo M

Sometimes you've got to Do It Yourself. Lindo M is a singer/songwriter from Johannesburg, South Africa. Unencumbered by the idea of genre, Lindo focuses on feeling and authenticity and is driven to create music that not only speaks for itself, but that can also speak for others... Get excited about…
17 Jan 39 min