Mx Blouse On Rediscovering Identity: Music, Memory, and the Art of Authenticity

Zandar Opperman

Could you share with us what has been keeping you busy and excited in life lately?

I have a new EP out, so I’m currently busy with promoting that and figuring out how to present it in a live setting. I’m working on shows to do just that. Other than that, I’m always writing songs and really using my art to understand my life journey. Lately that’s largely been shaped by the concept of remembering. I think as we move through life, whether we’re trying to fit in, get along with other people or simply survive, there are parts of ourselves we forget, hide or ignore; and we eventually forget our authentic self. Remembering has to be a concerted effort. This has certainly been true for me and it’s currently been a joy rediscovering things I used to love, like writing poetry, for one. I guess this is a very long way of saying I’m excited about learning to love every part of who I am, and have always been. I feel like I’ve managed to curate my life in such a way that that is now possible. 

Your music beautifully explores themes of gender identity, queerness, and social justice—why are these topics so meaningful to you, and how do they shape your artistry?

The themes I explore in my music are universal to the human experience. That includes love, intimacy, politics, society, spirituality and life itself. I don’t necessarily write songs with my gender and sexuality in mind; I’m just being true to myself and my life experiences, so those things naturally come through in the music.

Aart Verrips

Growing up in South Africa, what was the music scene like for you, and how has it influenced your journey as an artist?

I’ve used elements of a genre called ‘kwaito’ in my music. Kwaito was a popular music genre in South Africa when I was growing up. I’d say, maybe amapiano is the current version of that—something that is truly unique to South Africa and our myriad of sounds. In general, however, as South Africans we’ve always been mostly exposed to music from the west, so R&B, hip-hop and the like. It’s impossible to escape that because we heard so much of it in our formative years, and continue to. So, while we do have sounds we call our own, it’s not logical to expect that we are not somehow influenced by the music that our ears were exposed to the most.  

Your fashion is always bold and iconic! Has style always been something that comes naturally to you? How has your personal style evolved over the years, and what inspires your current aesthetic?

My current aesthetic is about simplicity, mostly just volume vs. fit, so I kind of play with proportions. I’m also very conscious of my consumption so I try to purchase the best quality clothing I can so that I don’t need to buy new clothes often. In terms of colours, I’m attracted to muted tones, black, white & navy. My style has kind of remained consistent over the years, except I don’t wear colour much anymore. I appreciate good design, clean lines and great fabrication so I kind of gravitate towards simplicity and elegance. 

Zac Modirapula 

How do you approach creating music, and what inspires you when you’re crafting such genre-defying tracks? 

I’m a writer, fundamentally, so for me it always starts with the stories I want to tell. I used to work with different producers but at the moment I’m only working with one producer because I want the sound to remain consistent. I’ve learnt a lot about music-making over the years so I am much more confident in the way I give direction to my producers as well as the band I play with. I don’t necessarily focus on defying any genres, I just focus on how the music feels. At present, when I’m working, I try not to listen to any vocal music, just jazz and other instrumental stuff, because I find that listening to other people’s lyrics and voices can fuck with what I’m trying to do, and I don’t want to be influenced by what other people are doing. 

Do you find inspiration from different forms of media other than music?

Yes. I love art in all its forms. At present, literature is helping a lot with trying to distill my ideas. I’m reading Ta-Nehisi Coates as part of my research for the next project. 

Your performances are always so captivating. How important is the connection between your music and live performances, and how do you create that immersive experience for your audience? 

Honestly, it’s not really that calculated, I just enjoy being on stage and I love talking to the audience in between songs. A lot of my lyrics are in IsiZulu, which is my mother tongue, so I like taking the audience into what the words mean and what inspired each track. For my upcoming shows, promoting my new EP, I’ll be sharing notes, poems and little short stories I wrote while recording the EP, just to give context to the music and also just to combine all the things I love into an experience for my audience. I find social media intimidating, and tedious, even though I do try, it’s just not something I enjoy, so I’m doing what I wish I had the time, and capacity to share online, but generally don’t get to.

Aart Verrips

Finally, here at Pop Palace, we all have our own little 'Royal Court' of artists who inspire us and keep us going. So, if you could build your own musical palace, who would be sitting on your throne, and who would be in your royal court of all-time favorite artists?

Lauryn Hill is on the throne, and in the royal court I have the likes of Thandiswa Mazwai, Erykah Badu, Bonobo, Solange, Doechii, Kendrick Lamar, Nas, TKZee (the most legendary Kwaito group ever), Frank Ocean, Charlotte Day Wilson, Doja Cat, Kelela. As you can tell, I listen mostly to women but also to music that has narrative arcs, sonically and lyrically. I get bored very easily, so vocal music with no discernible narrative arc kind of bores me. It feels like gum—fun but not really engaging, and I don’t generally view music as solely entertainment. It’s therapy, it’s literature. I get tools on how to live life from it. I’ve been fighting this for ages, I guess for the sake of fitting in, but I know now that I just don’t enjoy most of what is regarded as pop music today, but I think the artists I’ve mentioned are pop enough for anyone to get an idea of what I’m into.