Toya Delazy in Conversation with Chapter Z
”When I make music I explore love, empowerment, quietness, power and balance.
CZ: Who is Toya Delazy? Please describe yourself in a few sentences.
T: I’m an eclectic afrorave futurist, living to transform not confirm.
CZ: How did the movement start?
T: 1990 dawg, the day I came out the womb! But OK, enough being cute, I started playing piano aged 9 and started doing music professionally in 2011. In 2018 I found so much power in my precolonial African history and it inspired me to share my culture with others and share the energy through rave.
CZ: Was there a particular song growing up that made you want to make music?
T: Definitely “Idioteque” by Radiohead.
CZ: What themes did you explore when making music?
T: Love, empowerment, quietness, power and balance.
Photo of Toya Delazy
Photo of Toya Delazy
CZ: Can fans expect any exciting future collaborations or do you some dream collaborations?
T: Yes definitely, I’m talking to South Africa Lemon and Herb, Unticipated Soundz, Dj Thackzin. Another dream collaboration would be Kanye West.
CZ: Where are you from? Let’s paint the picture, tell me about growing up in your ends?
T: I am from Zululand, South Africa, in a village called Mahlabathini. Zululand, as you can tell by the name, is where us Zulus are from. There are over 12 million Zulus! Growing up Zululand was a culturally saturated experience but due to the religions brought into the continent I was raised extremely conservative. But where I am from is beautiful, lush and mostly sunny – it’s a beautiful place.
Pick the following tracks:
A song for wash day:
“Splash Splash” – Bobby Darin
A song to calm your nerves:
“Claire Delune” – Debuts
A song that you wish you’d have produced/written:
“Idioteque” – Radiohead
Photo of Toya Delazy
CZ: What themes did you explore in your latest single?
T: Reinvention and transformation.
CZ: Who inspires your sound, let’s build a house, who is the blueprint?
T: Miriam Makeba, especially her song Mama.
CZ: When looking for you on social streaming platforms what genre would I find you in?
T: AFRORAVE which I created and is by definition an unapologetically African genre, celebrating our indigenous languages through rave, left-field bass, techno and DnB.
CZ: Who’s your favourite producer?
T: It has to be, Mxshi.
CZ: What are you currently listening to?
T: I couldn’t tell you, honestly! I listen to so much on Spotify and just hit like when I dig it – I love to discover!
