Music

meet the joburg finalists: the ricky tyler show

November 28, 2018

On November 30th and December 1st, eight acts will perform at the AFROPUNK Joburg Battle of the Bands Finals.

The Grand Prize at the Battle of the Bands is the once-in-a-lifetime chance to join the star-studded, line-up of AFROPUNK JoBurg 2018 at Constitution Hill on New Year’s Eve. But the Battle of the Bands is not only an opportunity for a big break most musicians seek in their careers, it is also an occasion for South African artists to showcase their music, their creative spirit and their artistry to the AFROPUNK audience. So this week, we’re spotlighting all eight finalists, asking them questions about who they are and what this moment means to them.

Today we present The Ricky Tyler Show, the on-stage persona of a soulful pop vocalist and rapper from Johannesburg.

What is you name, your age, and the instrument that you play?

My name is Bokamoso Kgomotso Molema and my alias/stage name is Ricky Tyler. I’m 24 years of age and I play the piano.

Where are you from?

I’m originally from Spruitview in the East Rand.

What are your favorite things about where you are from?

Well, because it is such a small community, everybody just knew each other, so we rarely ever had a boring day. I had friends at every corner and we would always come up with new games to play like mookoko. Mookoko is pretty much our own little version of hide and seek in the hood.

Give us a short description of the kind of music you make.

My music is a combination of R&B and hip-hop which we like to describe as trap-soul. But at the same time, I’m very versatile. I like to experiment with different genres and find a way to make them my own. But R&B and hip-hop will forever be my first loves.

If there was one or two core thoughts or ideas that you want your music to convey, what are they?

In some way shape or form, we’re all connected. It doesn’t matter how different your life is from someone else’s, we all experience the same emotions in life. We build strength within ourselves through being vulnerable.

What are your musical dreams and aspirations? Not fame-wise, but creatively. What do you think you can do with music?

What I want to do with music is to push the boundaries by merging genres. Basically I want to show people how beautiful music becomes when we combine different universes. We’re living in a different time now where just sticking to one vibe is no longer that interesting. Music is always changing, so don’t be afraid to enter somebody else’s world and also lead them into yours.

Name one artist that you would like to collaborate with? What do you think that collaboration would sound like?

I would like to collaborate with Childish Gambino because I believe we share the same views on music. I think the song would sound like a combination of Old School and New School R&B, with a new wave trap feel.

What are you most looking forward to if you win the Battle of the Bands? What do you think winning could do for you?

I’m most looking forward to how people are going to react when they hear my music for the first time. I love to surprise my audience. I want to be one of the greatest artists coming out of SA so winning this competition will allow for me to have a platform to prove that to SA and the world that I have the potential to be great. I also want to use my music to spark minds, heal hearts and inspire a generation to be bold, brave and to believe in their art.

Anything else you want to say to the AFROPUNK audience as a way of introduction?

Good Evening ladies and gentlemen and Welcome to the Ricky Tyler Show!!!

READ MORE ABOUT THE REST OF THE AFROPUNK JOBURG BATTLE OF THE BANDS FINALISTS:

MEET QUEER RAP DUO, KEABRUH&JAY.B

MEET LEON, A THOUGHTFUL “SINGING” SONGWRITER

MEET RED ROBYN, SINGER, MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST, “DREAMER”

MEET SOUL POP VOCALIST/RAPPER, THE RICKY TYLER SHOW

MEET ELECTRONIC SINGER-SONGWRITER, SIỎ

MEET AFRO-FOLK SINGER-GUITARIST, SERATI

MEET IKATI ESENGXOWENI, A SOULFUL ACOUSTIC DUO

MEET AFRO-POP/SOUL SINGER, LUIS_THEDON

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