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Inside/Out with Uzanele singer and musician
Kubatana.net
September 23, 2009

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Full interview with Uzanele - Read and listen

Describe yourself in five words?
Fun, very confident, honest, I'll tell you indaba zako that's one thing, I'll tell you my mind.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
Be yourself, no matter where you are, no matter whom you are with.

What's the most ridiculous thing you've ever done?
I've done so many ridiculous things! The one thing that I remember is when I was in Grahamstown I bought a phone and the guy who sold me the phone was very handsome; very cute. So he says ‘What's your name' and I tell him 'My name is Zanele' and he says ‘You have a beautiful name. You're beautiful' and I was like ‘Thanks!' You know when you buy a phone the guys know your phone number from your receipt. He called me that evening and he said 'Hey what's up? Can I take you out?' and I said ‘Yeah!' so I sneaked out of my hotel room, and I went out with him. A perfect stranger.

What is your most treasured possession?
My shoes. I have fancy shoes.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Holding onto the bad memories. Putting them on a shelf somewhere. Then once in while you take them down off that shelf and you stroke them and keep them alive.

Do you have any strange hobbies?
I like looking into mirrors. I like checking myself out.

What do you dislike most about your appearance?
Me? I love myself big time!

What is your greatest extravagance?
Shoes. I buy fancy shoes. I buy them and I wear them once in while.

What have you got in your fridge?
Baby's milk, butter, ice cubes, chicken, beef.

What is your greatest fear?
To underachieve. To get to heaven and God says to me ‘I wanted you to be this, and you didn't get to a tenth of that.' I'd die in Heaven.

What have you got in your pockets right now?
Three bucks . . . four.

What is your favourite journey?
Going to Grahamstown. The 38 hours (on the bus) are worth it.

Who are your heroes in real life?
My mum. She's not an educated person, but all four of us managed to go to A level and do what we want.

When and where were you happiest?
Right now talking to you. I'm happiest in the now.

What's your biggest vice?
Procrastination. I try not to do it.

What were you like at school?
I was Miss All That. I used to bully, I used to beat up boys, but I was this sweet sweet person in class.

What are you doing next?
What I want to do is start writing because my sister and I have been approached by a publisher who says there aren't that many Ndebele books out there. So we want to start writing.

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