FROM THE SOUL TO THE BASS- TEBOHO SEDUMEDI

 

This week I wanted to give appreciation to one of the greatest musicians in the making and to top it off, it’s a woman. We have been slowly evolving as a nation seeing women getting into bigger and better roles then just being wives and mothers. When it comes to music we know of women as backing vocalists or being the main artist but this woman is not only a singer but also plays an instrument and she is fast growing to be our favourite woman on bass. My pleasure to introduce   the one the only lady funk Tebogo Patience Sedumedi.

Tebogo Patience Sedumedi started her journey in the music industry at an early age where she initially started by singing in a group at 15 years old. In her journey she learnt how to play bass at first because she wanted to start a band and then fell deeply in love with it and got to explore it to its depth.  This was a surprise to me to find out that Tebza is a self taught bassist yet her bass sounds so “educated” , now that’s a true woman in the field “ give that woman a bells”. Her initial first gig was with a band called attaza and got paid only 300 but that did not stop her from pursuing her dream.  Tebza has an all female band called DEEVA, which is doing very well and is going places. The band will one day record an album, it is been a long time coming and it will happen.

The first thing I wanted to know is how it feels like being a female band member amongst guys. She said “it feels like I’m the only woman in the band” she laughs and carries on breaking the story to me “it feels like I was meant to be there I bring the lance in the balance, the advantage of playing with the guys is that they treat me the same they very encouraging and find it easy to express how they feel” says Tebza.

She enjoys playing with any good drummer and gives her a different feel playing with them as long as they have a punch, good touch and a great presence. She enjoys playing with the likes of Tino, fifsta, Paul DFJ and recently has started playing with Sinikiwe and adds that he is taking her places. There musicians who are really choosy and Tebza is not one of them, her love for music makes her enjoy working with people who love what they do. This is true love I must say. Although we see her playing circular music but she too has a gospel background and is very much in touch with her spirituality, “I play at church and have done a couple of gospel gigs with Zodwa and Banele some time ago” said Tebza.

Tebza is currently in studio working on her first album which she considers as one of the biggest projects she has taken on in her life. The album will see us hear Tebza on vocals as an artist not as backer; this is something to really look forward to. Her album is not specific to one type of genre but focuses on different elements that will formulate good music genres like funk, soul and African grooves. I hope she will have a gospel song on it too. From judging on her hard work I think it will be out in two or three months time even though she does not want to reveal when it will actually come out.

Beyond being on our screens and doing gigs, Tebza has young women that she is mentoring both musically and life wise. “I try to understand who they are and what their dreams are beyond music” said Tebza. It is so important that we look after our young women who are looking to get into this industry; it has a lot of things involved we need to take care of them. Tebza would like to say to women in the field “whatever you are passionate about, follow it. Do not let anyone influence your plans in a way that they it changes them or they vanish/disappear. The sky is not even the limit. You are what God says you are.

 

 

FACEBOOK; TEBOGO PATIENCE SEDUMEDI






Blog powered by: