He has been in the music industry for nearly three decades. Musician, Ringo Madlingozi established himself as one of South Africa’s most singular and widely popular solo artists. The veteran singer returns to the music spotlight with the long-awaited release of his consolidated back catalogue. 

SIGNING A NEW DEAL

The upcoming release comes through the new deal between the Sondela singer and Sony Music Entertainment. It will see 13 albums from his old and not-yet-released music available on streaming platforms for the first time. "This is an exciting moment in my career, and I am really looking forward to meeting old fans and new music lovers through the music that I’ve recorded over the past 27 years and the music that’s still to come," says Ringo. Sean Watson, Sony Music Africa’s Managing Director has in the past worked with the legend and looks forward to reliving some of the special moments they once had. "A little while ago, Sean Watson sought me out and asked what was happening with my music," Ringo adds. "Sean is now the head of Sony and is the person I began my career with when he was at EMI. It was as if he had read my mind because, at the time, I was thinking about going back into music, in an even deeper way, and I was trying to figure out how best to do that. I realised that while there are many positives to the independent route, in the world in which we live it’s important to have some muscle behind your music and I saw no other company to do that with than Sony." 

A LIFE-LONG CATALOGUE

For Ringo’s long-established and loyal fanbase, the release of his back catalogue will be nothing short of an early Christmas present. Through his warm, unforgettable voice, melodic songwriting, and messages of love, social commentary, and upliftment, Ringo soundtracked the lives of music fans as they explored new relationships, became parents, found their footing in a democratic South Africa, and navigated their lives. And those who were too young to have experienced Ringo’s music when it was first released, will also have a great deal to unearth in his back catalogue. Among the treasures that await is being able to head to the source when it comes to African Pop that is grounded in traditional folk and roots music - in Ringo’s case, through giving expression to the "ukuxhentsa" rhythms that had inspired the singer in his youth when he used to listen to "amagqirha" or traditional healers in his neighbourhood. "The sound of my music is formed around the ‘ukuxhentsa’ rhythms, and, to me, it feels like the pulsation of the heart," Ringo says. "It can be a fast heartbeat or a slow one but, in the end, my music is an emotional heartbeat that anyone can connect to and I am excited to share my earlier records again and the new music that we are starting to work on."