Hidden Conversations with Ofentse Sebula

In life we experience numerous defining moments which in hindsight make up landmarks along our life journey. For Ofentse Sebula, one of those defining moments is on the day he was given a recorder and taught to play for the time, showing him that what he lacked in football talent, he made up for in musical talent. Another landmark on his life journey would be the day he picked up the lonesome saxophone in his music class, deserting his dream of being a pianist, only to find that he was always destined for the horn.

A landmark for me, is the day I first saw Ofentse play. It was September 2022 at the Javett Art Centre where this young saxophonist walked up to the stage, dressed to the nines in a black double breasted suit coupled with black blazing shoes on which I could see my reflection. Unassuming in posture yet verbose in play.

Ofentse’s debut album H.O.P.E is a sonic expression and interpretation of the internal battles humans experience in the pursuit of their dreams and ambitions. It is a reflection of his hopes and evidence of his courage, a story relevant to anyone who’s lived. In this conversation, Ofentse allows you and I to peep the man behind the music.

Watching you perform is a sight to behold, so much so that it makes one wonder about the backstory. Take us back in time and tell us how the dream of becoming a saxophonist came to be?

In primary school I had a group of friends, I think we were a group of four or five, and they were all good at football, I was not. In fact I was the weakest link because I couldn’t play football, but I felt that I needed something to get me off the streets so I stuck with the football even though I was the ultimate benchwarmer. I was also short and chubby back then which I also adopted as the reason for my lack of football skill.

Then one day when I was in grade 4, Ntate [Jerry] Molelekwa came to my school and gave us a lesson on playing the recorder and on that day I was the fastest learner in the whole class, which made me think that maybe this recorder thing is something I could give a chance to and I did. Fast-forward to grade 7, we graduate to bigger instruments and at that time I wanted to play piano but there were so many piano students that I never got time to practice on the piano. The silver soprano King saxophone on the other hand sat there all lonely because no one was interested in it, so I decided to pick it up and learn to play it. At the time, I had a teacher who played trumpet and he offered to teach me how to play the saxophone.

After I learned my first scale, the C Major scale, Ntate Molelekwa then took over and taught us other scales and songs. So my dream initially was to play piano, but in hindsight I realize that the saxophone chose me. And that’s why I think I love it so much.

… So you start on the soprano sax, when do you change to the tenor?

I played the soprano sax for a year before migrating to the tenor and this was when I was in grade 8. So you can imagine, I was this short chubby kid playing this big instrument and I was diligent with practice. I would practice in the morning before going to school, then again when I got home after school just before I would head out for music class. It was fun! I wish I still had that stamina to practice now as I did back then. During my early days playing the sax I really wanted to excel in it and that’s why I invested so much time in it. There was also the added benefit of finally being cool because I could do something my footballer friends couldn’t, and if you ask me – I was finally leading the pack (laughs).

Evidently the Molelekwa Arts Foundation played a critical role in you being the musician we know today. What were some of the highlights for you during your time there?

One thing is for sure, I would not be half the person and musician I am had it not been for the Foundation. I was there from when I was in grade 7 all the way through my first year of varsity. We used to do a lot there. The emphasis was on practicality which helped me a lot because we would do gigs and I realized when I was in varsity just how much those gigs had pumped my confidence as a performer. On Mondays we had sharing sessions where we would gather and just talk about anything and everything. We shared problems and figured out the solutions together. We even prayed together. Now that I’m older I think back on those teachings and apply them in my life. I see now how impactful those moments of community were and I am forever grateful for my time there.

You know all relationships have embedded lessons, what lessons have you learnt from your relationship with the saxophone?

Patience. More than anything, the saxophone has taught me patience. Every time I play I feel like I can always do better, and better than yesterday is good. There are plenty of frustrating moments when learning to play and the sax has taught me to never quit, just keep going because every bit counts. There were moments where I felt like my peers were progressing faster than I was but the sax has taught me to take my time because when all is said and done, my time will come and I will not miss it.

The sax has also taught me to express myself. Lately, I have been trying to look at it as more than just an instrument but an extension of myself. I believe God gives us gifts so that we may use them to touch lives and heal people through them and because of this belief I feel that I need to find a way of connecting with my instrument that offers me healing as I play. When I write and play music I want to evoke a certain emotion or I’m translating something I’m feeling into song and people can feel that when I play, but now I want to advance to a level where I get healing as I heal.

What does life currently look like for you as a musician?

It’s a tough one but I have also been really blessed in having done as much as I have. The industry is tough. I went to school with people who have not had the privilege to do as much as I have been given and I do not take that for granted. Some days are good, some days are bad. Some seasons are cold, some seasons are hot. Some seasons are too hot to a point where I have to reject some gigs because I’m booked to capacity. Then there are seasons where it is so cold I don’t even know where my rent money is going to come from. However, I do acknowledge that I am young to the scene, having graduated in 2021/22, and so I take on whatever opportunity presents itself to me because I am also exploring all the industry avenues. I have also come to realize that you can do other things and still become a musician if you balance your time so, if I continue to apply myself, I can explore and succeed in other avenues while keeping the music alive.

How affirming was your recent win at the Yamaha Young Soloist Music Competition?

That win was special because at the time I had been praying for a sign that I’m still on the right path and whether or not this music thing is still what I should be doing. Obviously, I was in the dry season of gigs and I entered the competition predominately for the experience, the first prize was both a confirmation and a bonus. It showed me that there are people who get what I’m doing and who connect with what I do.

The one burning question I’ve always had steams from your debut album and now I get to ask it. What is the debt of pain?

Yoh! The song Delivered from the Debt of Pain is about being delivered from the pain of what was bound to happen because I do not believe in coincidences. Unfortunately pain is something we face everyday, it is a part of life and it is something we have to be comfortable with when it comes. Pain comes in many forms and manifests in so many different ways, some of which we don’t even recognize. In the same way as pain is a part of life, change too is a part of life. Oftentimes the two happen in succession. Sometimes change leads to pain and other times pain leads to change, but both are inevitable. When we resist their existence we create discord within ourselves because the new version of us can’t come through until we let the old version of us die. So the debt of pain is the debt of evolution which we settle when we get to other side – the after picture of the change or evolution.

On the topic of evolution, how has Ofentse (the person and musician) evolved from the time of H.O.P.E to the upcoming Shifting Perspective?

The objective of H.O.P.E as a project was to emancipate myself from my own fears and doubts. I used to perceive myself as someone who was not worthy which resulted in me having really low self-confidence, but I had a good support system that planted and watered the seed of loving thyself which enabled me to grow into that understanding and belief in myself. My perspective of myself changes daily and there are days where I’m defeated with myself, but I am so much better than what I used to be. I don’t get depressed over the small things I used to get depressed over and that for me is progress. 

Changing how I viewed myself changed a lot of things. My playing changed. The way I treat myself changed. The way I conduct myself changed. There are certain things that I do not do at all now that I used to do then. I now prioritize taking care of my health and doing things that fill my cup so that I can perform at my best. Playing an instrument can become a rabbit hole and I am now conscious of the fact that I should not only take care of the instrument but its player too, and I am finding more ways to take care of the player.

Even the doubts I had in my skill as a composer have reduced drastically and I noticed that recently when I started working on Shifting Perspective (Upcoming project). Working on these new compositions has affirmed my voice as a composer to myself and that is important to me because I want to approve of Ofentse first before adorning myself with external affirmations. I believe that my voice as a composer is distinct and can stand its own.

Spiritually, I have grown a lot over the past few years and I am more grounded in my beliefs and my understanding thereof. Modimo o teng (God exists) and he sees the heart. No number of good deeds can supplement a bad heart. It all starts in the heart. If your heart is good, then your deeds will be the evidence and people can tell the difference between a good person and a person pretending to be good.

The Ofentse from the H.O.P.E era was holding on to the little positivity he had left to discredit the voice of doubt and went on to create a beautiful album. The Ofentse of today still holds on to hope but has no doubt that he is the architect of his own destiny and lives everyday like its his last because only today is given.

Let’s wrap up on a much lighter note – how is your surname pronounced?

Funny enough I get this question a lot, and I blame Home Affairs for it. My surname is pronounced Sebola but spelt Sebula because of a typo on my mother’s ID, and changing it now would require so much admin because all my important documents would need to be redone as well. I do think about correcting the spelling every now and then but the admin tied to it deflates me. So I guess future generations will know me as the guy who was too lazy to do his admin (laughs).