The latest album of local jazz musician Masala Mbevhana, known in the industry as Raymond Blues, called Erupted Souls, is not only doing exceedingly well locally but also internationally. The 11-track album was released in July last year.
Raymond Blues is a third-year student at the Tshwane University of Technology. Born 25 years ago at Khubvi village, he started his music career on a very sad note. "One day, when I was on my way to attend class, I was accosted by two gun-wielding men who robbed me of my laptop, cellphone and cash. The incident affected me so much that I changed my whole study course from IT to music, so that I could relay that experience through music," he said.
He said he immediately started with music classes and, after about six months, was already regarded as one of the best bass guitarists at the university. In 2017, when he came home for the holidays, he found that his father had built him an inhouse recording studio at home and started recording his music. Since 2019 he has released a few singles, before his full album was released last year. "I wrote and composed all the songs myself, and recorded and produced the album too," he said.
He said that Erupted Souls reflected what had happened to him on the day of the robbery. "This was the only way I knew how to deal with the attack and shine the focus on the ills robbers are bringing into our lives in this country," he said.
When asked about his choice in music, making jazz music instead of Amapiano or House, he said he was not a fan of organised noise. "I like lyrics that talk to the inner soul; music with a message that gives hope to the present and future generations," he said.
His music is doing especially well in other African countries. He also has his own jazz band. "We don't enjoy lip-syncing when we are on stage, so we choose to perform live. We play almost every two weeks around Gauteng. I am busy trying to get a venue where we can perform here at home during the festive season," he said.
For bookings, jazz lovers can contact Raymond Blues on 060 629 9792.