BY SIPHOSETHU MABUZA
MANZINI— Tribal Natives manager Penny Bouwer, who took part in a virtual fireside conversation with American rapper and entrepreneur Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., popularly known as T.I., was more than simply an opportunity to engage with an international music star.
The conversation, hosted by Veromo Enterprise on Wednesday, brought together music industry players from across Africa to discuss music, culture, career development and opportunities within the global entertainment industry.
Bouwer, who participated as a representative of Eswatini-based electronic music group Tribal Natives, described the experience as both exciting and meaningful, particularly because of the group’s continued interest in connecting Eswatini’s creative talent with wider African and international markets.
“It was an incredibly exciting and meaningful experience,” Bouwer said, adding that engaging directly with T.I. around music, culture and building a global career was “both inspiring and valuable.”
For Bouwer, one of the strongest messages from the discussion was the need for artists to be deliberate about the direction of their careers.She believes Eswatini already has the talent, but artists need stronger networks, platforms and partnerships to help them move beyond the local market.
The conversation also opened discussion around international collaborations and the growing influence of African sounds globally. Bouwer highlighted Afrobeats and Amapiano as examples while pointing to genres such as Afro House, Afrotech and 3-Step as sounds with potential to gain greater international attention.
“For Eswatini specifically, I believe there is an opportunity to position our artists not simply as local talent, but as part of the broader African creative economy,” she said.
While Bouwer confirmed that conversations around possible collaborations and partnerships could continue following the engagement, she stressed that it was still too early to reveal specific initiatives.
For Tribal Natives, however, the experience has strengthened its ambition to build connections between Eswatini, the wider African continent and the global music industry. Bouwer said the focus should ultimately extend beyond individual artists or projects and create opportunities that can benefit the wider creative community.
The fireside chat therefore left Tribal Natives with more than inspiration. It reinforced the importance of building bridges, creating networks and positioning Eswatini’s music within a much bigger African creative story.
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(Courtesy Pic)
