User:John Tsenoli/sandbox

Background
John Tsenoli is a 23 year old singer/songwriter from Lesotho. He moved to Johannesburg in 2015 to pursue his music career. From afrobeats and hip hop to stripped back acoustic or acapella songs, John can perform and work in a number of genres. While he has spent his late-teens perfecting his performance sets, he has recently been working with a number of different producers in Johannesburg to nurture his songwriting ability and master his studio recording sound.

Songwriting
John is capable of songwriting in a number of different genres, having written or co-written all of his own work. His lyrical versatility and both melodic and rhythmic understanding allow him to write appropriately according to the pace and mood of the instrumental. His wide vocal range also makes him the ideal artist to lay down demo vocals for both male and female artists, allowing him to create a finished product from a songwriter’s perspective.

Performances
John has been performing for many years in acoustic/stripped back sets with keys as well as sets with a full band and orchestras, giving him the ability to perform at a high level in a variety of settings. Some notable venues and performances include: Bidvest 2019 - The Spirit of Revolution, Johannesburg Youth Orchestra - Night with the Stars and Gone too Soon - Lyric Theatre, to name a few.

Collaborations
To date, John has worked with a number of high profile artists in the South African music industry, as well as some established international artists. He currently has songs with Tshego, Gemini Major, Aux Cable, Blxckie and Rowlene as well as Oxlade from Nigeria, Kwesi Arthur from Ghana and Rushil and Abi Sampa from London. He has written songs for many of these artists and also co-written a song featuring Mafikizolo, Stonebwoy, Harmonize, Kenyan Boys Choir, Yemi Alade, Sauti Sol and many other prominent African artists.

Upcoming Releases
John’s first release will be a single entitled “Don’t Cry” which he wrote himself and of which he performed an acoustic version on The Wooden Stool. This will be released at the beginning of October 2021 along with the full version of the song. John has also been preparing a two-part Afrobeats EP, the first part of which will be released in November 2021. This will feature Gemini Major, Blxckie and Kwesi Arthur. Alongside this, John continues to write songs for a variety of genres, either to use himself on future projects or to commission to other artists.