Boom Shaka will be bestowed the Freedom Legacy Award by music festival Basha Uhuru this weekend.
Whether it’s Theo Nhlengethwa’s ‘Yeah, ohhYeah ohhhhhhh’ on It’s About Time after the beat drops or the catchy hook on Thobela, Boom Shaka’s music remains a sonic cornerstone of democratic South Africa.
The group, made up of Theo, Thembi Seete, the late Lebo Mathosa and Junior Sokhela, will be bestowed the Freedom Legacy Award by music festival Basha Uhuru this weekend for their contribution to music culture.
“Every time when we get honoured or when we get recognition, which has been happening a lot, especially last year and this year… I get really surprised,” Thembi tells The Citizen.
“I really get the feeling of ‘Oh my God’ when we started this whole thing, we never thought in a million years that we’d be thanked and appreciated so much.”
The Freedom Legacy Award was created by DJ and Untitled Basement co-owner DJ Kenzero to pay homage to those who contributed to South African music.
Previous recipients include Spikiri in 2022, Thebe, and the Kwaito group Alaska last year.
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Boom Shaka’s longevity
Despite not having released music in nearly three decades, the group still get booked and is appreciated by fans.
Thembi says this is because the music was created without too much expectation of what it would bring.
“It was really out of fun, out of the love of music, love of art…30 years is a long time, now it’s 31 years this year, and we’re still talking about the same story this year, still celebrating the same songs, the same people,” she says.
“It is really a blessing, people love us. We are blessed with great music and great people around us. The timing was perfect for us to do what we wanted to do.”
“We still perform now, almost every month, and the reception is just so amazing from all our fans. Even the young ones, like they know our songs, which is the most shocking thing ever,” shares Theo.
“We haven’t done music since 1999 and the 2000s [people born after 2000] know our songs, they sing along…we’re very grateful to God and all our fans.”
Junior says that what has also made their music long-standing is the era in which it came out.
“The kind of music we listened to inspired us a lot because if you check the 80s and the 90s music is one of the best music ever, produced anywhere in the world” he says.
He adds that they weren’t imitating anyone, but being themselves.
“We were not like following trends or anything because when you follow trends, you don’t know who you are. You are just a follower, so we just wanted to do us and represent who we are.”
“Funny, the young ones think we just released this music recently,” says Thembi.
“I mean, as young as five-year-olds, 10-year-olds, they sing word for word and think these people are new, and when they find out, it is a surprise.”
Earlier this year, they also received an award at the Basadi Awards. “We never really received awards like we do now, so it’s just an honour for real,” says Theo.
Thembi, who is now also an actress, says when they made the music, they were simply about being positive.
“It was really about, let’s make music, let’s make people happy and let’s get our voices across, spread messages of love and unity through song.”
“If you can go back to Boom Shaka songs, we really talk about love,” she says, giggling.
“We talk about fun, we talk about loving yourself, we talk about unity, we talk about things we need to stop doing so that we can be united. Boom Shaka music is really about building.”
ALSO READ: Boom Shaka’s Theo opens up
Lebo Mathosa
On the morning of 23 October 2006, before the immediacy of social media, South Africa was shocked by the passing of Lebo Mathosa in a car accident.
For her bandmates, who were like family to her, the loss still hits hard.
“There’s never a time when we are together and don’t talk about Lebo, even with performances. We celebrate her all the time,” shares Thembi, trying to find the right words.
“Lebo… I struggle to say ‘was’. She is still very powerful; her voice, her spirit, is alive and kicking. It’s really hard…even on stage, we still feel her presence and also her blessing and her allowing us to continue with music where she left off,” she says.
“She is the reason why we’re still continuing, she’s the reason why our music is still celebrated, and the young people are singing our songs. She played a lead role in our music; in terms of recording, writing, representation on stage, ideas, style, her fearlessness. Her way of just creating something out of nothing.”
Speaking about the enduring impact of their music, Junior echoes Thembi’s words.
“Not forgetting the powerful talent and style of Lebo… Lebo came in as well and put her foot, her stamp, in the music. She really represented so much. The teamwork and the balance worked.”
Thembi adds that Lebo would take a useless beat and create magic from it. “She would make it amazing, out of nothing. That’s how brilliant Lebo was, you know.”
ALSO READ: Seven years on Lebo Mathosa still remembered
New music
Boom Shaka last released an album in 1999, titled Bambanani. Since then, they’ve only performed their classic songs.
However, they are open to releasing new music.
“People have been asking…we are looking at new producers, new features as well, because we want to remain as Boom Shaka, people love the sound of Boom Shaka,” Theo says.
“We want to adapt and also not shy away from the music we’ve produced as Boom Shaka. We want to produce a legacy album or an EP, so that we don’t lose our identity as Boom Shaka.”
On music streaming platforms, there’s another group with the same name as Boom Shaka, and Junior says it’s a US collective that does Reggae.
“They came out after us; they are from LA. They are elders who came out about six months after us. They wrote something to me requesting that if ever we come to America, they would really like to tour with us.”
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