MEET A VERSATILE ARTIST
Urbain Tila is a writer, musician, columnist and dancer based in the Free State. As a singer he has performed in countries like Congo, Kenya and Zambia. He has been a fixture at Macufe churning out his music during this festival. He has relaesed CDs and has published two books. Here Pule Lechesa caught up with him.
LECHESA: How do you combine all these things as an artist?
TILA: I grew up, loving music and also writing! I even ran away from classes to enable me to sing or write. I have been lucky to perform on many stages, and just recently I was so happy with my performance at Macufe. Even now pwople are still congratulating me for how I stirred things up on stage!
LECHESA: What about writing?
TILA: I have published two books but the major one - my autobiography is yet to come. It will be like 300 pages! I am happy I have also been writing a column for Free State News (paper) for years now. One of my greatest moments was publishing my own newspaper - Revelation News. It was a thrill to come out regularly for months, though the paper is now defunct. I was always so exhilarated when the papers rolled off the presses. My paper contributed then to FS features, sports, literature, etc.
LECHESA: Who are the artists, maybe writers like me(!) who inspire you?
TILA: I respect and like Mr Omoseye Bolaji a great deal and it is good we both live in Bloem! He has inspired so many people and when I see all those imaginative books of his on library shelves I really respect him. He is also handling his ailment with a lot of dignity. Not that he’s anti social as many beleive; the other day Bolaji took me out to Wimpy’s to eat and we had a great time! I also like Mr Gilbert Kgomotso Malefane, the publisher of e and e.
LECHESA: You speak, read and write French. How does this help you as a writer or so?
TILA: I can communicate with hundreds of people from different countries thanks to my knowledge of French. I read great black African authors who write in French in the original, writers like Senghor, Dadie, Mongo Beti, Camara Laye etc…but right now am happy my (musical) CDs are doing well on the market!
September 17th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
[…] Kindly indulge me as I briefly thank others who have contributed indelibly to my being here today. My father, SL Bolaji, who instilled an abiding love for literacy and literature in me from infancy; sundry authors worldwide - too numerous to be mentioned here who shaped my work; Free State writers like Mr Pule Lechesa, Mr Flaxman Qoopane and Mr Tila who have always been good friends. Mr - Oom Johan Botha, of Drufoma Publishers, who has over the years been my main Publisher; Ms Jacomien Schimper of the Free State Provincial Library service who has always been excited about grassroots literature; Prof Margaret Raftery for her initial help and interest; Mr Aryan Kaganof and his memorable, exhilarating blogs; and I must repeat that I remain permanently indebted to Prof Engela Pretorius, Prof De Klerk and others that I do not even know about. […]