Thandiswa Mazwai candidly discusses her performance at the noted Tiny Desk concert series.
Thandiswa Mazwai candidly discusses her performance at the noted Tiny Desk concert series.
South African Afro-soul artist Thandiswa Mazwai is opening up about her highly anticipated Tiny Desk performance.
THANDISWA MAZWAI TO PERFORM ON TINY DESK
In December 2023, Thandiswa teased fans about potentially performing on NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert series. Tiny Desk Concerts is a live concert performance hosted by the creator of NPR’s popular “All Songs Considered” podcast.
The concerts are recorded in video form and are known for their raw and intimate performances.
The live music has seen performances from the likes of Black Motion, Usher, Black Coffee, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Tems, Megan Thee Stallion, Burna Boy, Snoh Aalegra, Davido and Giveon just to name a few.
In conversation with the Sowetan, Thandiswa opens up about how excited she was when she was first approached by NPR.
“I mean… this is Tiny Desk. We were beyond excited when I was first approached. To be honest, I wasn’t even supposed to say anything about it, but I got too excited and started dropping hints, much to my PR’s horror; askies Maria [McCloy]”, she shares.
‘I WAS NERVOUS’
The Afro-soul singer further notes how difficult it was preparing for her Tiny Desk performance but is still grateful for her team.
“It was actually very hard preparing for such a small crowd, but I’m glad my team and I managed to do it. I loved the lovely intimacy about it and how the team was incredibly welcoming”, Thandiswa told the Sowetan.
Thandiswa Mazwai continued: “They [Tiny Desk team] usually ask that performances be kept to about 15-18 minutes, we did about five songs, some of them shortened.
“I was nervous. I’m actually very nervous about every gig. It’s a feeling of surrendering to the gift that allows you to transition. Nerves are a part of transitioning into the conduit/sonic healer, so that will always exist,” she notes.
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