NOBUHLE: READY TO TAKE ON AFRICA AND THE WORLD!

For Nobuhle, singing and making music is more than just that – it’s about going deep within herself and spirituality to share her gift. With a strong influence from her grandmother, who was a healer, the songstress taps into both painful and joyful memories to bring music that her fans describe as genuine, sincere, spiritual, and elevating.

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We sat down with the Durbanite to hear more about her journey, Imvula, her biggest influences, and some things not everyone knows about her.

WHO IS NOBUHLE AND WHERE IS SHE FROM?
I’m from KZN, and I first started singing in primary school. I then went to the Durban University of KwaZulu-Natal to study a degree in music. I just graduated with my honours last week – mid-November! If I were to describe myself, I'd say that I'm a Zulu girl, I make music, and I write songs. My music could be described as Afro-Soul, Afro-Pop with roots in African spirituality, stories, and African love.



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HOW DID YOU GET INTO MUSIC AND WHERE DID THIS JOURNEY BEGIN FOR YOU?
I grew up with my grandmother, who was a spiritual healer. She had people coming to her home almost every Friday and Saturday to sing. They call this umgidi wezangona. So, I grew up in that family until everybody around me started to notice, at an early stage, that there's something special about my voice. This continued until I was in high school. Because I loved singing, I often wondered what I was going to do with it, and that's when I decided to study music.

I then started doing live shows, poetry and community-based projects until I met Sun-El on Instagram. The rest as they say is history.

SOME OF YOUR FANS DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC AS GENUINE, SINCERE, SPIRITUAL, AND ELEVATING. IS THIS WHAT YOU AIM TO ACHIEVE WITH THE MUSIC YOU MAKE?
Yeah, definitely. I think when you listen to my music, you'll know that I pray a lot – and I do a lot of that in my album as well. I think I'm trying to bring an old soul feel to my music because I grew up listening to Umama Busi Mhlongo, Thandiswa Mazwai and Simphiwe Dana, but at the same time, I'm also trying to add a new age/electronic house feel to it.



PLEASE TELL US ABOUT IMVULA AND THE MEANING BEHIND IT.
I was raised by my grandmother, who influenced a lot of aspects of my life. With Imvula for example, she has a belief about rain – and she loves it! When it rains, it's always a moment of joy for her. She's happy that our plants are going to grow, and that we’re going to have food at home.

So, with this album, I was celebrating that memory. I also did this album during the pandemic – a time where all of us were so confused about life - where it's going and what will happen. I think I wanted to let everyone know that even though life has changed, it has not stopped.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS – WHAT DO YOU DO BEFORE YOU RECORD A SONG?
I really look within myself – and I think that's the most important thing. I always say, "Don't run away from yourself. Look within, and go to where it hurts, go to where you’re happy, go to where you feel inspired." Some songs come to me because I'm a spiritual person, and sometimes I pray about them.



WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME?
I think sometimes you get misunderstood; for example, people take a little more time to understand what I do, and because we're in a pandemic it's quite difficult because there’s a lot of different types of music taking off in South Africa right now.

Another challenge is staying grounded in what you do, as there's so much chaos in the industry. Getting your music out there is probably the most difficult thing for anyone who's trying to break into the industry today.

WHAT ARE THREE THINGS THAT YOUR FANS DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU?
I think when I'm tired I get very angry and I don't sugar-coat things. So if you come to me for advice, I'll give it to you, but then it's up to you to decide if you want to be my friend or not. I also work all the time and find it difficult to take a break.

WHERE DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE OF MUSIC GOING, MAYBE IN SOUTH AFRICA OR AFRICA AS A WHOLE?
Music in South Africa is changing quite fast – there are always new sounds! But I'm seeing lots of different genres collaborating.

I see myself also going into amapiano sounds and exploring that.

I'm also performing in Botswana during December and hope to do shows in Tanzania and Kenya. I'm seeing a lot of growth after this pandemic, and hope to see more African countries.

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WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR 2022?
My plan for the next few weeks is to get out there and see the people and develop a personal connection – that's really what my life is about right now - and hopefully get another album out next year.

BY NTHABISENG MAKHOKHA