Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Nandi Madida

Nandi Madida has always known her purpose in life was to entertain others through her art. Whether she’s starring on the screen in projects like Black is King or releasing her original songs like “Organic“, Nandi has always used her craft to break down barriers and to inspire others. We caught up with this trailblazer to learn more about how she discovered her calling, the secret to her success, and what’s ahead in 2021.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Nandi: I owe it to genetics. In my case, I was born into show business. I mean that sincerely. I loved entertaining people from a young age—it came so naturally. I was never really shy; I was extroverted and loved the arts. I loved Whitney Houston and all her riffs. I thought I was Whitney Houston for the longest time.

As a toddler growing up, I knew that I had this bug to entertain people, but my parents are very corporate. My dad is a medical doctor and my mom was a teacher and a lawyer. It was really strange, and they didn’t know what to do with me because all they wanted me to do is get an office corporate job and they’d be happy.

At fifteen years old, I was watching Britney Spears’ MTV Diaries. She was like, “I have an agent and that’s how I got my job.” I was like, “That’s it! I need an agent.” I had never heard of that word. So, I looked up what an agent was, and I tried to get an agent in my tiny city town, which I did.

The first audition that I went out for, I got! So at fifteen years old, I was on my first television show on this really big network in South Africa and in Africa. Funny enough, my show came before Trevor Noah’s show because he was also a kid starting out, so it shows how we’ve been at this for the longest time. That was incredible. I’ve been doing it since then.

I’m very grateful I’m doing what I love. It’s obviously not easy for anyone. Some days are good, some days are bad, like with any job, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Nandi: That’s a great question. I’ve never been asked that. The person who made entertainment look like so much fun from a distance was Michael Jackson…I mean, he’s the King of Pop. There was a form of escapism that a lot of people felt when seeing Michael perform and through his music videos. You felt invincible. There was a sense of being able to conquer the world. There are very few artists who ignite that, especially these days. I think the closest artist of our time is Beyoncé. She ignites this dream world where you can do whatever you want to do and be invincible.

PC: You’ve had tremendous success throughout your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you?
Nandi: I think the moment when I realized that this is what I really wanted to do was when I was a teenager. That changed everything for me. I’m sure you can relate to this: you align yourself with your calling and you have that realization that this is your passion and what you want to do the rest of your life. That’s a very powerful thing to go through. People have it at different stages. That passion can sometimes change, but I was very fortunate that earlier on, I knew what my calling was, and that was to entertain people through the arts, make people feel better through art because it’s not about us. We’re doing it to touch lives, to make people feel good about themselves, or at least evoke certain emotions where hopefully people can be better human beings. The higher powers are working through us.

PC: There are so many different facets to your career. Has that ever been a challenge to manage?
Nandi: Listen, COVID-19 has taught me that you need to diversify. I’m so glad that I stuck to my guns; it’s been my edge. You look at people like Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Lopez, and an array of other people. I mean, Rihanna has been launching every single thing. [laughs] That’s the formula for success. A lot of people in the arts are not limited to one art form. That’s also important for people to understand and acknowledge.

It’s been my absolute edge, not only from a financial security perspective, which is just a reality, but also just from a feeling that I’m reaching my full potential from a creative perspective. I constantly feel fulfilled because if that one thing doesn’t fulfill me at that moment, say it’s acting, at least then I feel fulfilled doing music or whatever the case may be. That’s key. I never feel bored. I never feel stuck because that’s also part of the creative process. Sometimes you feel stuck and you don’t feel as inspired as you should be. I’ve been very fortunate. When the music is popping, I focus on that. When the acting’s cool, then I can shift to that. It’s almost been my form of therapy, being able to jump into different forms of art.

Black is King

PC: You were speaking about Beyoncé earlier. You got to star in Disney+’s Black is King and were hand-selected by her. What was that experience like?
Nandi: It was incredible. That experience was really something else. It’s too surreal to put into words and I’ll tell you why. From an artist’s perspective, we had Michael Jackson in 1988. Obviously, he’s no longer with us. Like I was saying earlier, the next generation of that is someone like Beyoncé. She takes her craft so seriously. She’s trying to break boundaries and is iconic.

For me, I was constantly studying. Can you imagine? I was a complete geek in my element. Also, what’s so beautiful—and I really want the world to know this—is that she’s the most humble, most incredible, kindest human being. You really see that when you’ve been with someone for hours and hours. It’s hard to fake that. At some point, you’re going to get tired of having this facade and she’s not that. She’s truly humble and so hardworking.

What I love most about Black is King is that I know our ancestors are proud of it. I mean the African continent, the African diaspora as a whole, because it’s a narrative that has so much gravitas, so much substance, and one that truly speaks about our intellect as well when it comes to astrology, to clothing, to music, to different lifestyles. We are the blueprint. We are the creator of humankind. It all started here. Whether it’s the pyramids aligning to the planets in the universe, different tribes, we’re speaking from ancient Africa and modern Africa, and who we truly are.

From an intellectual perspective, you don’t see that a lot in pop culture and art. It’s riveting to watch. I’m forever honored to be a part of it and play a lead like Nala, but even if I weren’t, there’s a bigger story to this. We’re so accustomed—especially when it comes to Africa—to it being a joke or not the right reflection. Africa has a lot of substance. You see it with people like Lupita [Nyong’o] when she starts speaking. She’s so elegant. I’m so glad that was what was communicated.

Like I said, even if I weren’t a part of the project, I would have been so proud of how this came out. For once, the African diaspora was reflected in the right light. The visuals are insane. The costumes are insane. The cast is incredible. The directors came from all over the world, whether it was Ghana or America. The team, both behind the scenes and in front of the cameras, was all African or the African diaspora, and then everyone else was around the world. That’s what made it so special. We had no idea that this would come during COVID, but at the same time, in a strange way, the timing was so perfect for such an important message for humanity. Black is King really shifted how people viewed all people of color.

PC: You’ve always used your platform to celebrate women and champion female empowerment. How did you discover your voice as an advocate? Have you always known you wanted to use your platform to do that?
Nandi: That’s a great question. From a demographic perspective, growing up in South Africa, a lot of the areas were predominately Caucasian people because of the country’s history and the Apartheid. I literally was one of my kind, being someone of color, being African, being Black. Because of that, I couldn’t relate to anyone around me. I was bullied. I was forced to dig deep and find myself. Using my platform is something that I have to do. There are so many incredible people, like Miriam Makeba, who are advocating for people to be proud of the way that they look and be unapologetic.

That resonated with me. I had to have an internal journey to find myself and be comfortable with myself and in my own skin. I had to learn to love myself for who I am. Thank God, it worked out, not only for myself, but for many people. You can only be yourself, and that’s your edge. That’s your DNA.

PC: Speaking of empowerment, you just released a new single. Tell us about “Organic” and the response you’ve seen to the song.
Nandi: There’s a lady named Sarah Baartman from South Africa. In the 1800s, she was taken from South Africa to France because of her beautiful, unique body shape. She was exploited in many ways and abused. They made a mockery of her body back then. Eventually, she died in terrible conditions.

Now, in mainstream pop media that body—the booty, the tiny waist—is what everyone is obsessed with. It originated in Africa. What I’m saying with “Organic” is that we have that organically. We are truly magic. You just have to love yourself. Even if you don’t get celebrated, you can see that the world is constantly inspired by us.

That’s the narrative. Africa has always been the blueprint for everything. You’ve seen people injecting their lips to get bigger lips, trying to emulate our bodies. We can’t be flattered by it because, unfortunately, we’re exploited. You can see that the inspiration is constantly there. It was important to have a voice and say, “Let’s celebrate who we are. We’re organic. We’re truly, truly magic.”

PC: As we look ahead to 2021, what does the year hold for you?
Nandi: Well, for one, just to live. I hope all of us can have great health. I’ve had a great year personally, but it’s hard to celebrate anything when the whole world has been devastated by this virus. It’s changed the whole world and how we function. People are losing their lives. So, one wish is for everyone to live a great life.

I have a lot of projects coming up. I just signed with Sony Music, which is really exciting. There will be a lot of music being released. From an acting perspective, there have been a lot of conversations, so that’s exciting as well. There are a lot of incredible projects coming out. What’s also exciting is all these networks have now become more inclusive of the world because they’re realizing that’s what people want to see. People want to see themselves. The game has changed completely, so the narrative is shifting.

From a global perspective, there’s a lot that you can expect from me. It’s so exciting. I just signed to A3 Artists Agency. My management is MACRO Management. Charles D. King, who produced Fences with Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, that’s his baby, so for me to be signed to them now is incredible. It’s been a blessing to be a part of such a great group of esteemed people. It’s incredibly humbling.

To keep up with Nandi, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Black is King today. Pick up or stream “Organic” today.

Photo Credit: Adile Mthembu