Singer, songwriter and professional footballer Mr Bongani Ndimande – also known as Tiger The Barman (TTB) – has released a 14-track debut album titled: Made In M.A.R.S. (Men Are Really Stressed).
Ndimande’s music can be bought and streamed from digital stores including apple music, iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Deezer, Shazam, Tik Tok, and Instagram. The UKZN Media Studies honours student composes music that ‘speaks to the self before it connects with the rest of the world’.
Said Nzimande: ‘I released my album Made In M.A.R.S. to highlight through my music the pressure men are under in society and help them heal from things they are ashamed of. Making music heals my mind and my soul – everything in my music is real. I compose from my own personal experiences and from things that unite everyone as people of the world,’ he said.
Reflecting on the death of fellow South African singer and songwriter Riky Rick, Ndimande said: ‘I think that people in general, whatever their profession or gender, should learn how to love themselves and eliminate the desire to seek approval from others. As a man in the music industry, you work your way up and when you reach the peak of your career things you do can be used against you and often lead to cancel culture.’
Ndimande says his music is about the pain of loss and the joy of inner happiness. ‘Each and every song on my album has a message that speaks about how I have dealt with depression and when you listen to it you will realise why it took me two years to complete. I have gained a new appreciation for life through finding peace in composing music and believe that it saved my life.’
He plans to continue making an impact on people’s lives through his music and to keep giving them hope through knowing they are not alone in the struggle against depression. ‘I pray that God grants me the strength to be able to create consistently. May I never lose sight of the importance of family and the home base.’
