Patriotic PJ Powers back on a softer note

After a four-year silence, cross-over artist PJ Powers is back with Sondela. Powers, aka the much-loved Thandeka, first made a splash in the 1980s with her raspy, Joplin-esque Afro-pop anthems. Now she returns with much softer tones on a comeback album.

The past few years have been tough on the singer, but despite having two nervous breakdowns, PJ is once again on the up. "One thing that did keep my head above water is my work," she says.

"I've never had the opportunity to work with the calibre of producers such as Victor Masondo and JB Arthur."

With new inserts, such as When Madiba Dances and Rolihlahla, it's clear the old Powers's patriotism is still very much intact. Says PJ, "As South Africans we've become very blasé about living with one of the greatest men (Nelson Mandela) on the planet. He's the third-biggest brand in the world. That's inspiration, and I decided to write something about the Madiba jive."

Sondela doesn't have Powers's typical rock power-chord edge, instead there is the occasional jazz nuance that shapes the mix.

Will we ever see her hard-rock side emerging?

"I don't know whether it's been a fortunate or unfortunate thing. I do love the rock stuff, but some people also want me to do a swing album.

"But as I get older, I get less scared to try new things, and I've got to the point where I can do what I want. That's what the people of this country have given me."

On her early trailblazing years, she says: "I went into black music by a glorious fluke, because I wrote a rock song You're So Good To Me.

"Suddenly the band found ourselves on the Radio Zulu charts, and we were invited to perform at the huge Jabulani Amphitheatre. This was before Jabulani was written."

Sipho Mabuse, Amampondo and Harare were the bands that inspired her.

"What happened once on Republic Day in Soweto, which wasn't a cool day for a white person to be in Soweto many years ago, was amazing.

"I was dragged onstage to drink out of a calabash. For me that was my Grammy Award - to be, in 1984-85, performing in the townships was an absolute honour."

Sondela is PJ Powers's 15th album, and it's still got that distinctive Thandeka stamp all over it.