LOCAL MUSICAL EXPORT BACK IN SOUTH AFRICA WITH A CRY FOR UNITY AND HOPE
Singer and songwriter Charl ‘Babyboy’ Pilwan is back with a brand new single titled ‘Africa Mamela’ after spending his years gaining fame and experience abroad.
Charl was born in Cape Town, surrounded by music, and began performing with local jazz bands from the early age of 9. He finished his schooling in the UK and got a big break performing in a London nightclub. A lot has happened since that day, and today, Charl can boast of opening for and performing with the likes of Nelly and Adam Lambert – and he even has a dinner party story to tell about how he once gave Usher a haircut.
Also called ‘Africa Listen’, ‘Africa Mamela’ is Charl’s way to bring his success back home, and this genre-defying earworm will have your head bopping as Charl sings about hope, unity, love and the bigger picture. “’Africa Listen’ is my heart,” says Charl. “It’s my message to every single one of us as Africans. Like Maya Angelou said: ‘When we know better, we do better.’ All I want is to help, and if we all help, we all move forward.”
This is his second single as a solo artist, after his 2014 release ‘Voice of Reason’ – a bluesy number dedicated to his mother as a song of thanks. Charl also released an album during the lockdown titled ‘The Mark Chapil Chronicles’. This album truly stands as a testament to his versatility, with each track offering something different – something for everyone. Here, the musician’s smooth voice fits seamlessly in a range of genres, including soul, soft pop, reggae, gospel, rock, electro, dance and R&B.
With such a diverse discography, Charl is well on his way towards his topmost goal of one day winning a SAMA.
And he is certainly on track to do just that after following the advice he received from British musician Craig David, from whom he learnt the value of telling his own stories and doing so with authenticity.
Well, Charl ‘Babyboy’ Pilwan, Africa is listening.
‘Africa Mamela’ is available on all major digital platforms.
