RINGO MADLINGOZI

‘’ DING DONG, THE BELLS RING’
Estacios Valoi
27/02/09
Days trying to find the other sometimes lost on ‘Hyphen’ to write Ringo his email in case of something missing. I could not hear him properly when he was explaining to me if the ‘hyphen was to be set on the middle on at the bottom. Anyway was like ‘the last flighty of the flamingo’, of course Mia Couto’ (Mozambican writer), with your permission in using this words, the title of one of his books soon to be screened.
Ringo Madlingozi, the South African musician well known among the Mozambican people and once performed at Mozambican hall of culture ‘Cine Africa’ in Maputo is between those who are going to be at the festival such as the South Africa’s guitar wizard Dr. Philip Tabane as well as award-winning, saxophonist McCoy Mrubata. “Jazz meets Opera’. Also present is Cape Town Jazz Orchestra, the first professional and city-wide jazz orchestra in post-apartheid South Africa. The 16-piece unit is a brainchild of the legendary pianist Abdullah Ibrahim.
“ The guitarist Jonathan Butler/saxophonist Dave Koz guitarist Jonathan Butler/saxophonist Dave Koz, Dutch pianist Mike del Ferro, South Africa’s diva Sibongile Khumalo and locally-based saxophone talent Shannon Mowday, Al Foster Quartet, Arturo Lledo (Spain), Dave Liebman Group (US), Dianne Reeves (US), Emily Bruce (RSA), Freshlyground (RSA), Hugh Masekela (RSA), Incognito (UK), Jonathan Rubain (RSA), Kyle Eastwood (US), Loading Zone (RSA), Maceo Parker (US), Maurice Gawronsky (RSA), New York Voices (US), Peter White (UK), Ringo Madlingozi (RSA), Rus Norwich’s collective imagination (RSA), The Stylistics (US) and Zap Mama (Belgium).
340ml (Mozambique); Prisoners of Strange (RSA); Goldfish (RSA); Kyle Shepherd (RSA); Magic Malik (France); Napalma (Brazil/Mozambique); Ndumiso Nyovane (RSA); Pete Philly & Perquisite (Netherlands); Robert Glasper and The Experiment (US); Shakatak (UK); Siphokazi (RSA); Southpaw (RSA) and Stewart Sukuma (Mozambique)...
But now I have to fly to the encounter of the other and also of the Cape Town International Jazz festival soon to be held.
Why you took so long?
R-I've been in the studio for the last two days. We are working on Sibongile Khumalo his vision of working with ourselves in forgiving those who oppressed us as South Africans. This is an initiative to heal and let go of the pain and hurt that we have been carrying within ourselves as young and old South Africans. That will be on the eve of 21st March, the 20th of March.
At least you are back. Ringo, ringing in this world who are you exactly, the man in you, the musician and how have you been living?
R-I am a musician that creates music by using the power, love, wisdom of the universe to heal those that have the chance of listening and understanding the message in it.

How pleased are you once again engaged in this festival?
R-I was very honoured to be invited on the very first Cape Town International Jazz Festival 10yrs ago. Now on the 10th Anniversary, it is another great honour to be part of it.
How do you compose your songs? Do you have some kind of bible code which guides you?
R-Estacio, I never get in the studio knowing what I would record. I get in with a clean slate and come out after a month with twelve songs that would reflect my way of perceiving life at that moment.
It is my norm to ask for a click, that is a tempo from the engineer and listen to the sounds around my space. Each day would bring a song, as I believe "every day is a song".
When the first click does come up into your mind?
I grew up singing. I never use any artificial enhancer to create music, whether in the studio or live performance. I don't perform to impress. I do it to fulfil the need inside of me.

South Africa the first position in the world o dagga consumers? What is you view point?
R-I'm not interested in how much dagga South Africa has, I'm only interested in the wellbeing of my fellow South Africans and human world over.

What are you going to wear on 3 and 4 and to whom are you going to vote on the coming election process in South Africa (stage)?
R-What I'm going to wear is my surprise and of course my vote is my secret.

While i am thinking about the other, perhaps lost somewhere in this world i am embarking on the last flight of the flamingo.