Tshegofatso Bennia Makube (stage name Bennia) is based in Grahamstown, South Africa where she is a PhD candidate at Rhodes University. She has years of experience in singing and performing. The talented musician has also performed with Makhanda Kwantu Choir.

Her passion for psychological wellbeing and her musical prowess blend well together in her singles such as “Lost In Giving” and “Living/Dreaming”. Bennia sat down with us to discuss her music, studies and the inspiration behind her gorgeous music. ^{*KM – Kudzai Mhangwa, BN – Bennia}

KM: Hello Bennia! Thank you for agreeing to the interview. Please tell us a little more about yourself.

BN: Hello, thank you so much for having me. I am Tshegofatso Bennia, a singer, songwriter, creative, and Founder of Kgalalelo Creatives, which brings awareness to different mental health themes within communities of colour that are conveyed through different artistic mediums, for example, live music and visuals and real stories brought to life for healing, awareness and self-expression, last year we put on our first show titled “BREATHE: Embracing Vulnerability”. I am also a PhD candidate who gets to combine her love for knowledge, advocacy for mental health and passion for music to be a part of knowledge creation and alternative ways of giving back to my community.

KM: Where do your musical roots come from and when did you start your musical journey?

BN: My musical roots come from my parents playing or listening to music; no one at home played any instruments or was a performer, but it’s the way music was experienced and felt, the different ways they used music to express themselves and communicate is what made me truly connect to music. Someone was always singing or playing music at home. My earliest memory of falling in love with performance was when I started pre-school, and I truly started to engage with singing and performing while still learning about my head, shoulders, knees and toes. And I think that’s where and how it all started. From there, I joined choirs, had solo performances and never stopped singing or being part of creating music.

KM: How best would you describe your music/sound?

BN: I am constantly playing around with different sounds from different genres and exploring different ways of expressing myself through music, so this is a tricky question for me because it all depends on what I hope to evoke when people experience the music and in the creative process. When I create, I tend to focus on the feelings behind the song. For example, in a rehearsal or recording sessions, I would say, “I need the kick to sound more like a heartbeat that gets faster and faster at this point because I am singing this-that-this and I need it to match the emotions behind those words”, and the sound follows that feeling; I guess I would describe it as emotive and still in discovery.

KM: When was the first time you recorded music and how was that experience?

BN: I think my first memory of recording music was primary or high school. I was in a choir that was not part of my school, and we had to record a CD. It was so exciting for me because I got to see what the process looked like. Then, in high school, a friend of mine asked me to sing in one of his rap songs, and that was fun because it was in a little bedroom studio that only had a mic, but I knew I wanted to do more of this. I did a few other recordings with different people and groups on their projects, but it took a while for me to start recording my own songs, and even then, they were just songs I recorded and kept to myself and a friend. The first time I professionally recorded my own song was in 2022, and that entire experience changed everything for me. I wasn’t just the voice behind the mic but I got to create the entire sound from scratch with the engineer/producer. We played around with the chords, we explored different instruments and sounds throughout the creative process. I got to be fully present in every moment, and I knew that’s how I wanted to continue to create and record more of my music.

KM: One of your singles “Living/Dreaming” has the line ‘healing scars that were never about you, but best you start’. How did this message come to you while writing this song?

BN: That line touches on the importance of healing the generational trauma you carry that you didn’t start but have to fight to end.  Breaking the unhealthy cycles, we see in our daily lives and healing childhood traumas while still trying to be present with ourselves is not an easy thing. But if you don’t acknowledge, break, unlearn and heal from those experiences, the cycle never ends, and the pain continues to consume and become you, pulling you away from being present with your dreams.  

KM: Another of your powerful songs is “Lost In Giving” which is a powerful track which speaks of people pleasing and giving to your own detriment. What was the story behind this song?

BN: This is such a difficult song to talk about because there are so many painful stories that inspired that song. I was, and in many ways still am, that person who gives everything to everyone, even if I have nothing to give. I would run on empty and still give even if I had nothing left for me. But at some point, I realised that I was really running on empty, with no reserves or the strength to push, and I don’t know; in my head, I thought they would see or understand when I would set my boundaries. But it was received so negatively as if all this time I had given nothing and I was the bad person for just needing even something like time to myself. I felt like I was a bad person for simply feeling drained and being unable to give what I simply didn’t have at that moment in time. It could be mental, emotional, financial, or physical sometimes, I genuinely couldn’t give anything. And because I had set the standard that I was always there or the go-to person, I was never given the grace to be human. I realised that I was also complicit in how people around me treated me because when I wanted to say no, I was too scared to or wasn’t firm in my boundaries and would end up saying yes and that’s why there’s a line in the song that says “letting go of this part of me, cause it’s a form of self-harm”, in many ways I was also hurting myself. People kept pushing and crossing the boundaries until I had to be much stricter with myself, give myself the grace and kindness I needed and realise that those who don’t respect my boundaries don’t deserve to be in my safe spaces. And I know there are so many out there who are also struggling with trying to find the balance between giving without giving too much and reinforcing boundaries without feeling like a bad person.

KM: How is the music making process for you?

BN: My process is different with each song. Sometimes, all I have in my mind is how I want the drums to sound and nothing else, just a specific kind of drum kit and rhythm, and then I write according to that drum set. And then sometimes I already know what I am going to say, and so I sing the lyrics and start adding layers and layers of sound and get lost in exploration. I also get cool moments where I get sent a melody or beat that resonates with me, and I start writing. Then, most of the time, I would work with the engineer/producer and build every single element of the song from scratch, meaning we had no idea what we would create today, and we went into the studio and just created in the moment magic. So I don’t have a fixed creative process. 

KM: Where do you find inspiration to create?

BN: Everywhere, there are so many stories to be told and so many stories that have been told but haven’t been told from your perspective or from you and so there is inspiration in all those things. I am always experiencing something new and different every day even if it’s the tiniest difference, that can also be used to create. I get inspiration from everything and so many people around me. Life is my inspiration.

KM: What inspired you to go towards doctoral studies and what is your research about?

BN: I have always loved and believed in helping people from a very young age. I later became very engaged in wellness and mental health, especially for people of colour; and I want to contribute towards my community, learn more and give back, and that is how I jumped into research and furthering my studies. I want to contribute towards my community in a way that empowers and connects us by sharing that knowledge and making it accessible beyond the academic space. And I believe one of the ways I can do that is through music. My research focuses on bringing awareness to mental health and wellness within underprivileged communities by developing a community-led project that is rooted in acknowledging the complex realities of the community and understanding their needs. This research allows for the sharing and co-creation of knowledge between the research, researcher and the community, ensuring that it is not extractive or imposing but rather collaborative and can be used and further developed by the community and other underprivileged/marginalised communities. The study uses music as a tool to integrate the project into the community because music transcends and allows us to better connect with the knowledge, context and people. Music can be a powerful tool for advocacy and social change.

KM: Besides your art and your studies what is Bennia about?

BN: I love, love, love movies and K-dramas; that’s the one time I get to relax and not think it is when I am deep within a K-drama or a really good movie. I love water and swimming and being at the beach; just take me to where there is water, and my mind and body relax. I am such a foodie, everywhere I go, I want to try something I’ve never had before, but the only downside to that is if the food is not great and I paid for it with my own money, which breaks my heart. I enjoy travelling, even though most of the time it is because of work or school, but someday I will be able to make travelling my hobby because I love exploring new places and learning about other cultures and communities; it always has a great impact on me.  I am secretly learning how to play a new instrument; once I’ve mastered that, it will be my new secret talent; for now, I don’t think I have any secret talents that I am aware of.

KM: Thank you once again for taking time to talk to us. What are your final words for us?

BN: Never stop learning about yourself and everything around you. And don’t forget to lead with kindness. Thank you so much for having me on this platform, I hope you enjoy my music. Bennia’s work is available on her YouTube channel.