Interview with Tuelo

We had the pleasure of interviewing Tuelo over Zoom video!

Tuelo Minah (stage name simply Tuelo) released ‘The Life of Margaret Cornelius’, not only her debut full-length album, but also a recounting of a journey that has taken the artful South African rocker from her home and all over the globe in search of her own personal corner of the world.

From a childhood growing up on a remote farm amid the political upheaval during the end South Africa’s apartheid, to venturing alone to New York City at age 17 to pursue music, to writing in Ireland, composing in Turkey & Germany, and heading back to NYC & South Africa near the start of the pandemic to finish the record and then filming music videos in Colombia, ‘The Life of Margaret Cornelius’ is a raw and powerful glimpse into the creative mind of one of rock’s most exciting new artists.

Once called “New York's Best Singer (and the World's)” by Huff Post while AfroPunk described her performances as “an inspiring and spiritual experience”, Tuelo’s four-year journey to create this collection has resulted in an album that is a "mesmerizing cross-cultural mashup of punk, rock, soul and the Afro strains of her homeland" (Magnet Magazine).

A mystical, soulful and sometimes haunting rock record, Tuelo’s debut album uses her powerhouse and uniquely stirring vocals to create a soulful wave of art-rock inspired by the great traditions of South African protest music and the polyrhythms and tonalities of her native Tswana and Khoikhoi tribes. Two videos have rolled out leading up to the album (“Saint Margaret” & “Canary”) with several others to come, all continuing a singular narrative of rising, falling and discovering one’s self worth. Also recently announced is a collection of artwork NFTs that Tuelo has made herself including the album cover and single artwork for every track on the album.

Just listening to “Happier” (a punk-infused reflection on compounded African immigrant issues and freeing herself of burdens of conforming), “Trouble” (a beautiful swaying plea for her troubles to leave her), and “Killer” (a spacey slice of psychedelia and also the first full song Tuelo ever wrote) exemplifies the breadth of a powerful new talent injecting the indie rock scene with a fresh, insightful perspective. Tuelo also stares squarely and unafraid in the face of those who don’t see a woman of color inhabiting the current rock landscape, saying “I can't wait to show the world what music can do, how music can be, that rock can be elevated, and that black people who started it have a place here.”

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