Skinflint On Botswana’s Metal Scene, Defying Stereotypes & Expanding Into The United States
Comprised of guitarist/vocalist Giuseppe Sbrana, bassist Kebonye Nkoloso and drummer Alessandra Sbrana, Skinflint puts a unique spin on heavy music, incorporating elements from African culture with metal music. In the process, the Botswana-based trio has attracted the attention of many international media outlets — including CNN, BBC and Metal Temple — and touring alongside Soulfly and Tarja.
Since 2006, Skinflint has been helping to put Southern Africa on the map as a metal destination, and on June 1, 2018 the group issued its fifth full-length release. Last year’s self-titled album was notably released via INTO Records, a label distributed by Cargo Records. Currently, Skinflint is on-tour in the United States — its first-ever U.S. tour — alongside the aforementioned and Soulfly.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Giuseppe Sbrana, Kebonye Nkoloso and Alessandra Sbrana via phone before the first date of the tour, and highlights from that chat are embedded below. More on Skinflint — including tour dates — can be found online at www.skinflintmetal.com.
