Exposed Vocals just caught an exclusive interview with Buddha Palm
Buddha Palm (real name Fortune Majola) is a definition of a “jack of all trades”. He has been blessed with many gifts which he works to increase and fully utilize. He is a Hip Hop music producer and artist, an aspiring DJ, a singer, a graphic designer video editor, a songwriter and poet, a comic book creator or graphic novelist and author.
He is a South African citizen currently employed as a Graphic Designer and monthly Newsletter Editor. He was born in June, the eleventh, in 1986 to Moffat and Zodwa Majola. He grew up in a Christian home that loves singing, his mother being the professional voice in the family. She also grew up in a singing family and joined groups and choirs even after being a mother to four boys.
Buddha Palm’s grandfather on his mother’s side, Moses J Ngcobo, was one of the first authors to incorporate Southern African culture into novels. He authored seven books, one with his then wife. He is still alive but his ex-wife passed on early in the beginning of this millennium. Buddha Palm till this day has not met his grandfather from whom he got his “author gene”.
Buddha Palm started out as a poet before he ventured into rap. Before both he sang at church with male and mixed groups for years. This exposed him to harmonies some simple and others complex, through US gospel groups such as Take 6 and the Acapella Music Group from as early as the early Nineties. Once he tried poetry he tapped into rap and never looked back.
He infuses rap with his own singing in such a way as to develop a unique style. He does not seek to emulate any other rapper or singer out there or that has ever been, but he likes the late Nate Dogg’s style very much. Buddha Palm creates music that you can sing along to but that is not cheesy or bubble gum rap. He finds no pleasure in rapping for the sake of it but wishes to spread positive messages that speak humanity’s heart. He looks up to artists like Bob Marley and John Lennon in this regard.
He is working on projects related to Hip Hop for some of the top rappers in South Africa that will attract people’s attention to his own works of a similar nature and afford him opportunities to feature on musical projects with the same people he’s working with right now and others. Many people will not see him coming. Buddha Palm will rise from a not-really-known brand to one of the most famous apparently over-night, but this is not accurate as he has been hustling for almost a decade and the fruits of his labour are ripening for harvest. Hard work pays well. Good things happen to those who hustle. He also believes strongly that God planted his dreams in him long ago, and that they will come true. His fervent passion drives him to persevere and push on.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
Buddha Palm: I was born in 1986 and lived ten years in one of Durban’s townships called Ntuzuma, before moving to a slightly suburban area called Newlands West. I was a very religious Christian young man and had my mind set on becoming a pastor until I began my Tgeokogical studies in the Western Cape province of South Africa.
I saw that I stuck out awkwardly there among other students. I asked tough questions which made me look unready to be a pastor. I even considered being agnostic. It was at the height of frustration from studies and my parents’ divorce that I began to jam on organs at the campus’ music house.
I taught myself how to play and relieved myself of much stress. I eventually realised that I am an artist at heart, besides being a philospher. I thought long and hard and decided to quit the four-year BA Theology degree to go back to my graphic and musical arts roots.
I started singing at church from childhood in choirs, groups, duos and as a solo singer. I soon started producing insteumentals and Hip Hop tracks. My music career started in 2009 officially.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
Buddha Palm: Well, I started calling myself names like Skilley D and Morudar, till later I chose Yung Narc. That name had stayed with me till today. Ive been calling myself Buddha Palm for a long tine though. I got the idea from watching a movie called Kung Fu Hustle wherein the unlikely hero of the movie defeats his main enemy with a move called Buddha’s Palm. The enemy asks to be his student in the end. This name has other meanings as I have loved reading Buddha’s words and found that the open palm means revelation apposed to the closed hand which means the opposite.
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
Buddha Palm: I think it is a great way to expose one’s talent and to gain or reach an overseas market. Yes I have offered free downloads of my work for the purpose stated above.
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
Buddha Palm: I believe persisting in hard work and networking can make opportunities for collaborations with people who already have a foot in the door.
Use social media like Facebook, YouTube and Soundcloud to get tour music out. But this is only a smaller part of it. People will appreciate seeing you or your band in live action. Don’t overlook the smaller gigs like open mic sessions. Remember you are a brand. Sell it. Explore all the venues. Many roads lead to one place. Oh and like the Bible verse says, plant your seeds in the morning and don’t become lazy in the afternoon because you don’t know which seed will succeed. Plant. Nurture. Grow. Reap.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
Buddha Palm: My songwriting inspiration can come from what I see, hear and think. On some occasions dreams give me tunes that I wake up to record immediately after and try to fall back to sleep. It comes easy to me. I have written. songs in ten to fifteen minutes. I’ve written raps as well as rock songs so fast one producer called me a genius. A rap hook can come to me as I wake up and walk around anywhere. I find that my mind works quickly and the best freestyles happen in my head, effortlessly. Writing songs is my attempt to catch up with my mind.
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
Buddha Palm: Wow, in South Africa that’s R 7, 525,120.36! I would renovate my mother’s house then get fresh wheels. I would pay all my debts and invest R500 000 in a fast-food franchise. I’d save some for further studies and build a studio, a house really with different studios. One music studio, one design studio and a science lab. I would then travel to a couple of countries and visit the Tibetan monasteries. I think I’d still be left with a couple millions so I’d save some and most importantly put money into my career and company moves.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
Buddha Palm: I mainly use social media and networks. I go out to network and that has contributed a lot to where I am today. Public performances are another way, a great one when accompanied by continuous marketing. What has worked for me is the ability to connect my other projects to my music. The world will know for my music via my books and my books via my music.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
Buddha Palm: Yeah I find Soundcloud to be efficient. You can google Buddha Palm and you will find my Soundcloud account right there or follow this link: https://soundcloud.com/buddha-palm-productions.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
Buddha Palm: Right now my book is about to hit the shelves. I am working on digitizing both it and my first comic book. My book has thirteen poems and raps that will amount to thirteen or more tracks which I want to record mid-year. It will be my first project in four to six years.
I am also working with two of South Africa’s top Hip Hop artists and labels on different projects which are not musical in nature. I hope to work with them as music artists in the near future.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
Buddha Palm: Haha. I think I would still be a comic book creator and graphic novelist, oh, and an author planning to make a comeback as a preacher or spiritual teacher.
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
Buddha Palm: It is not easy. I try to focus on the more important projects, which are so because of their consequent effect on my other projects. I try to utilize my time to my benefit as much as I can while remembering to relax.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?
Buddha Palm: My fans and friends should look out for the projects and I dont want to disclose in detail just yet which I am working on with the artists Reason from Motif Records and Kool Out Entertainment, and KO from Cash Time Life. Other than that, they can get my book and comic book. And they can expect my greatest work so far to be available by August.
