Songbirds hitting all the right notes

LIAM KARABO JOYCE

On the beat

Sha Sha

One of Zimbabwe’s hottest exports of the moment, musician Sha Sha (real name is Charmaine Mapimbiro), started performing at music festivals in Zimbabwe after her friends encouraged her. Growing up she would sing in the choir and at school plays but never thought she could sing – but others did.

After pursuing music professionally and having her singles hit the airwaves in Zimbabwe, she moved to South Africa to pursue music here. She started doing gigs and started growing a fan base but things changed when a taxi driver she befriended introduced her to DJ Maphorisa. Sha Sha went on to be featured on some of the biggest hits in 2019 alongside stars like Samthing Soweto and Kabza De Small and she released her debut EP, Blossom. She was awarded Best New International Act at the 2020 BET Awards and later released a single, Woza.

Tyla

After racking up nearly 2 million views independently and receiving early praise for her hit single Getting Late and receiving praise from i-D, Paper Magazine, and more, the singer and songwriter has inked a global deal with Epic Records.

Born and raised in Johannesburg, Tyla grew up listening to American R&B triple threats like Aaliyah and Cassie. It is these MTV TRL staples of the day mixed with a curation of homegrown sonics like SA House, Gqom and Amapiano that shape Tyla’s sound.

“I’m proud of being South African and I want to take Africa everywhere I go. It’s amazing how social media connects me with the world. TikTok allows me to express myself and show the world our South African dance moves like Pouncing Cat and the Gwara Gwara,” Tyla said.

“I actually have a challenge for this video that combines some SA moves, so it’s like a little window into our culture. You have the Harlem Shake, so you must also know how to Vuli Gate.” With Getting Late making waves, Tyla has now set her focus on building a career as an entertainer.

“I’m a singer first and foremost, but I love acting, dancing, drawing, and writing. I just love to express myself in all these different ways and I hope to explore all of these paths as I grow as an artist. I want to build a legacy for my family and South Africa. I see myself involving a lot of African people wherever I can just to build the continent and bring the world’s attention to us.”

Nomfundo Moh

Nomfundo Moh recently released uMthwalo off her upcoming album, Amagama. Nomfundo describes her music as authentic, from its sound to visuals.

Moh sings in isiZulu, over a sparse Afropop instrumental with strong elements of trap soul.

“Umthwalo is a song about hope. It talks about the difficulties of life, how everyone has got a burden on their shoulders. Most importantly, it encourages people to talk about things that bother their soul, someone is always willing to listen. Depending on how you feel, the meaning of the song can be religious, where you get to pour your heart out to God, so you feel lighter,” said Moh.

Speaking about her sound, she said, “I would like people to pay attention to my lyrical content. In every song, there’s a story, and that story is a gift from me to them.”

Ami Faku

Singer and songwriter Ami Faku has cemented her place in the music industry with every single she has released.

Faku started making a name for herself when she auditioned for The Voice South Africa and was picked by Lira in 2017.

Although her time on the show was short-lived, she caught the attention of the show’s music director, who later connected her to record label boss, Raphael Benza.

The award-winning star has performed on stages across South Africa and bagged 3 nominations at the SAMAs – Best Female Artist, Best Song of the Year and Best Rising Star categories.