Gloria is a huge Kwaito fan

By Drum Digital
16 November 2011

We caught up with Nigerian born songstress Gloria Maduka to tell us about her album titled Of Light and Angels.

Despite being a huge fan of SA Kwaito, her album has a lot of pop rock infused with African elements.  Her single Jabulani Celebrate is one of the reason most South Africans have fallen in love with her.In spite of Maduka graduating Magna Cum Laude and being the only Honuors student in her graduating class, she gave up law school in pursuit of her music dreams. Well it was worth is it, she’s already been recognised as the "Best New Act" at the Nigerian Promoters Association (NPA) Awards in Atlanta.

Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in Lagos Nigeria. I grew up in a household with two other siblings where music was everything. My dad played a variety of music when I was a little girl. He played stuff that even most people don’t know about. That had me listen to different styles of music from when I was little.

So how did your affair with music start?

This may sound cliché but it’s always been there. Music chose me! As far back as I can remember I would run around the house with make-believe microphone, thinking that I’m this pop star.

What influences your music?

Personal experiences and things that happen to people that I know. Life and love is inspiration.

My music is very eclectic and original because I’ve been influenced by all sorts of styles from here in African and western world. It’s eclectically fresh.

Tell us about your Zulu track.

Jabulani (Celebrate), I’ve always known that word and I think the Zulu language is very beautiful. It just came that I do a song, it wasn’t forced or calculated. I just thought, why not just do the song. I think it’s why I got a lot of buzz. I didn’t even know that someone in SA would pay attention.

Who did you work with on this album?

There’s this guy from America called Eric Baits, he does most of my studio recordings. Otherwise, my brother and I have our own record label, Madukas Music. So we do our stuff other than the recordings. I write all my stuff.

The album is called Of Light and Angels, how did that come about?

I came to a point where I saw a lot of negativity especially in America (because that’s where I’m mostly based). Everything is now commercialised and you don’t hear the real stuff anymore. I feel that there’s a lot of fakeness and the motivation behind it is money. There’s nothing wrong with getting money but I think it should be the by-product of the passion.

The title came about because I wanted to sing about something pure, real, and relatable. I’m not trying to be like anybody, I’m really just trying to do me. Of Light and Angels is actually a metaphor of truth and love.

You got a lot of nominations under your name, what do awards mean to you?

To me awards are by-products. I respect, appreciate and very grateful for any recognition. But I don’t want an award if I don’t deserve it. For me they don’t say I’ve arrived, it’s more like getting a good grade at school, that’s what wards mean to me.

Throw some bones for us, how is the future looking?

I’m very optimistic about the future. The goal isn’t really for fame and fortune, those would be very nice but they are by-products. The future I want to touch more people with my music.

Why are you in SA?

It’s because it’s home. But the main motivation was fans asking me to come to SA and I said wow, I do need to come here. They actually inspired me to come here.

What do you think of our local music?

I love Zahara, she’s breath-taking. I would like to collaborate with her. I listen to a lot of Kwaito it’s some good stuff. I must have a Kwaito collaboration. There’s so much talent in this country and there’s so much we could do with it.

Find Love!