…Working on his come-out album for 2023

MUTARE born United States based musician Peter Thulani has bounced back after a two year hiatus and has come up with a new sound for his ThulaniMusic that he believes brings out his other side that most people did not know about, which he will narrate through music. Easterntimeszim editor Ngoni Dapira talked to Peter Thulani via Whats App just to hear what has been going on since his last single released in 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 era, when he said he felt inspired to pen a song of hope to encourage those that had lost loved ones to the global pandemic.

In his latest single, ‘Mskana Akanaka’ that was dropped together with the video last week Saturday on Christmas Eve, Peter Thulani said he sings his heart out and talks about how he is asking the Lord for a kind hearted, loving and cultured girl to marry and live with till death pulls them apart. He said for the first time, his forthcoming album will bring out his other side of penning love songs and not just the club bangers. In the song, the deep soothing lyrics and catchy chorus reminds one of the late talented and legendary music prodigy Fortune Muparutsa of the ‘Wangu Ndega‘ and ‘Kure Kwaunoenda‘ fame. Maybe Peter Thulani will rise up to reincarnate the musical genius of Fortune Muparutsa  given that he too hailed from Mutare, but rose to fame and produced many chartbusters from the 1990s until the time of his death in 2008.

The catchy chorus and soft melody in ‘Mskana Akanaka‘ resonates the powerful catchy choruses of other such Zimbabwean love songs that turned out to be hits, the likes of ‘Musikana akanaka‘ by Alexio Kawara and ‘Nerunako Rwako‘ by Trevor Dongo, to mention a few.

Below is the link to his new video and the interview with Easterntimeszim.

Mskana Akanaka by Peter Thulani

ND: Who is Peter Thulani (Age, family background) and what is ThulaniMusic all about?

PT: I’m a 38-year old singer, songwriter and producer based in Dallas, Texas. I’m the youngest in a family of three and music has always been such an integral part of my life. It might sound cliché to say this but it’s true, music helped me cope with the worst situations that I’ve had to encounter even from a young age. My upcoming album is pretty much releasing my personal journal in music format.

ND: Your last single was released in May 2020 titled, ‘Please Heal The World’. It was a Covid-19 inspired track. What have you been up to for the last two years and what inspired this new project you are releasing? How will you be releasing this album since you hinted that you will be releasing singles gradually before the full album comes out?

PT: The last two years helped me channel so many emotions into my music especially my new album. My previous album was all about club bangers and party tracks, and there are still some heavy hitters that I produced this time as well, but my fans will get to see my vulnerable side that I thought would be ideal to share as this is also therapeutic for me as well. My first single called ‘Mskana Akanaka’ dropped on Dec 24^th, and it will be followed by ‘Uzere’ next year on February 13, and this will be a special Valentines Day dedication track. Each of these singles have videos which were shot in South Africa by the amazingly talented director Kyle White. The full album will drop in July after two more singles are released (TBA).

ND: How has been your musical journey? You have been doing well producing very creative videos over the years. In 2016 ‘Nhasi’ track topped the video charts in the first month of release on the DStv Zambezi Magic channel on the Zim-Top 10 chart and that same year the video for ‘Clues in the stars’ directed by the legendary Johannesburg-based music video director, Bruce Patterson also stole the limelight.

PT: I plan to continue releasing quality videos. The video for my latest single ‘Mskana Akanaka’ is no exception. I flew to Johannesburg just to shoot these videos because I specifically wanted to work with Kyle. The final production is stellar. I can’t wait for my fans to experience this over the Christmas holiday.

ND: Let’s delve a bit on your discography. When did you start commercially recording music? How many singles and albums to-date? Did you write and produce all your music?

PT: I started commercially in 2010 and I have released two albums under the Peter Thulani brand, but I have also written and produced for other artists over the years. I write and produce all my music, but I still love collaborating with other musicians to add their flavour to my tracks.

ND: What is your dream for ThulaniMusic and are you into music fulltime now?

PT: I took a sabbatical to focus on crafting my new sound, but my goal is to release a new full body of work each year and release at least four singles per year. PETER THULANI is back!!!

ND: Which prominent collaborations have you had and what is your take on collaborations?

PT: I love collaborating…This album has got the most collaborations yet. Plenty of Zimbabwean artists including my homies from Mutare, artists like Adrian Tate, Flexxo, MK47, Pastor G, Chelsea Mguni, FaRose, Tehn Diamond, Junior Brown are all featured on tracks.

ND: Known to be the ladies heartthrob, are you still on the market or taken?

PT: All I can say is my track ‘Mskana Akanaka’ answers that question 100 percent.  I promise!

ND: I want to get more personal. What is your favourite food, your role model musician, favourite pastime/ leisure activity, favourite sport or sport role model and lastly your favourite actor.

PT: Machikichori special served at Gava Restaurant in Harare is my favourite Zimbabwean traditional delicacy. The late Simon Chimbetu is my all-time favourite Zimbabwean musician. As my pastime activity I love lifting weights. For me every week day is a gym day. My favourite sport is soccer and my favourite team is Chelsea. My favourite actor is Denzel Washington. He is one actor that never disappoints in all his movies.

ND: Where do you think Zim Afro-pop music stands compared to Niger (Nigerian) Afro pop? Do we have the talent to produce global chartbusters like P-Square, D’Banj to mention a few?

PT: I think we are closing the gap with our own rising talents like Jah Prayzah, Tamy Moyo, Blessing Chitapa to mention a few. Zimbabwean producers are also upping their game like Nyasha Mak, Tagz, DJ Tamuka etc.

ND:  Lastly, what is your message to your fans that have stood by you all these years?

PT: I really appreciate their patience…I haven’t been as consistent over the years  but going forward I won’t disappoint, God willing! Keep supporting your boy!!!