'I Wonder' star, Bongi Mvuyana reveals delight at sin

star, Bongi Mvuyana reveals delight at single Zalebs spoke to the talented Bongi Mvuyana this week. The soulful songbird has been making waves with her new single, 'I Wonder' in recent months and with her album set to release this month, she is primed to make a big impact in South African music. Let's see what Bongi has to say about her music and her live showcases. Hi Bongi, welcome to ZAlebs. Your new single  I wonder, is doing quite well and your name is getting a lot more mention since the last time that we spoke. How happy are you wight he way things are going? I’m very happy, I’m delighted. A lot of the goals we set out as a team look like they are going to happen this year! When we last spoke you mentioned that authenticity was a big thing for you. How hard is it to maintain that when people are talking about you every day? It’s not hard, you just have to be yourself, it’s not hard to maintain who you are or to stay away from things that you don’t agree with. I think being pretentious means you have to think about what you’re going to do, what you’re going to say etc. I keep it natural, authentic and put in as little as effort as possible- which means being my complete and natural self. Tell us a little more about your private showcase on the 25th of February? Why weren’t we invited!  It was an incredible musical experience, it was a way of me allowing a select number of people into Bongi’s world. It’s a world full of beautiful music, love,  positive surroundings and great musical experiences. I’ve never had so much fun on stage. Tell us a little more about the music that will be on your upcoming album- correct me if I’m wrong it’s end of March release, right?  I’ve been told that we’re releasing another single, Gold, and the music video for I Wonder will be releasing on Friday, the actual album is dropping late march or first week of april. I think for me the album itself is about what I believe in. The music is all about love- not just the romantic light side of it- the ups and downs and depth of love. In terms of the sound, we got very experimental with our genre. It’s what I’d describe as alternative soul. We’ve seen a lot of artists, for example James Black, make a big impact with experimental and alternative sounds. Did the global influence of soul and experimental music (And its success at the moment) have an effect on the creative direction your album took? No, not really. I’ve been listening to that kind of stuff for ages and I’ve always been very experimental with my music. I’ve always enjoyed different kinds of music and that kind of attitude is what influences my sound. I don’t follow trends, because sometimes you lose your identity when that trend changes. What would you say you hope for more than anything on the album?  My hope? I hope it flies off the shelves! [Laughs] I really hope that people will relate to it. It’s been written from a very personal and real place. I hope people find something good to latch on to, or feel like they can relate. I hope that people appreciate the amount of musicianship that went into this album. I think we have really stayed true to how much we are musicians in our own right. Are you planning any tours or live shows soon? When the album drops, lots of shows are planned. We’re planning to go to Cape Town, Durban as well as here in Johannesburg. I place a huge importance on my live show, I want people to enjoy the experience and connect with me when I’m playing live. You place a large importance on your musicality. What kind of arrangement do you bring to the table when you perform live shows? I perform with my band, I am strict with that. I like to have a bassist, guitarist, a drummer, a horns guy and me; so there’s five people in my band. We have plans of extending the band to possibly about 8 people. I place great importance on the live band because I want you to have a great experience. I want a gig that will have people dancing and feeling great and enjoying the musical elements of the performance. Not everybody maybe may be musical, but music move