Pandemic negatively and positively impacts local artist
Birchleigh North’s Sleezy Luciano shares some of the struggles he experiences as an artist during the pandemic.
The global pandemic has, without a doubt, put a lot of things on hold and people had to make drastic adjustments.
One such person is the talented and poetic Siyabonga Dlamini. Dlamini is a hip-hop artist, songwriter, performer and actor who some might know by his stage name Sleezy Luciano.
“The name itself is greatly influenced by how I identify with light from the time I grabbed the pen to when I perform. Luciano is Italian for light. I’ve always been known to have a stammer, but when I rap it’s always smooth and slick, which is how I got the name Sleezy,” explained Dlamini.
Dlamini knew from a tender age that he wanted to be in the limelight and so he started his musical journey in 2009.
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During an interview with Express, the Birchleigh North artist spoke about some of the challenges he faced because of the pandemic.
• How has the lockdown impacted your work?
The lockdown affected the external part of my work. As an artist, you have to keep continue on the journey of realising your dream so I used this time as an opportunity to treat my fans with a new body of work titled Note To Self: Nothing Was Overnight.
• Were there any bookings cancelled due to the lockdown?
Yes. I feel this has to be one of saddest moments or rather the hardest knocks I’ve endured. You kind of start planning what you’re going to do with the payouts once a gig has been confirmed.
• How are Covid-19 regulations and restrictions impacting your work even to date?
One of the few ways to interact with your audience is going live on your socials but this limits the real live experience.
• Do things get better under lower levels of lockdown?
Nope, the entire events and entertainment industry are pretty much still under lockdown. There can’t be gatherings where we can perform, which still puts pressure on artists. But as tough as it is, we also need to understand that our health and that the wellbeing of our fans is very important.
• Is there any other form of work that you are doing on the side?
If anything this lockdown proved that as an entertainer you need other options. That’s how I have been keeping afloat.
• What are the massive changes to your work as a result of Covid-19?
I think with Note To Self: Nothing Was Overnight I didn’t have to rush the writing process due to the ample time available. As a result, I believe this is my best body of work to date.
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