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.

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Tags: Africa, Alessandra Sbrana, Botswana, Giuseppe Sbrana, Heavy Metal, Kebonye Nkoloso, Skinflint, Soulfly

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."