AEY

CLAUDINE ADAMS

(THEE BHUBESYKAZI)

C O V E R M O D E L

INTERVIEW

Aey: Hi this is Aey Ibhubezi lika Zontonga lase-Thembisa, and I am a lyricist, composer and performing artist. Shout out to Upcoming Mag for having me.

Monate: Are you under any recording label? If ‘yes’ , why? if ‘no' why are you not under a recording label?

Aey: No. I am currently not under any recording label. I was previously under a recording label but I just feel like we did not share the same Vision. So this is why I am not currently under any recording label, because the previous ones did not serve me well and understand what I was trying to achieve. That is why I prefer to work alone for now.

Monate: what is your vision?

Aey: my vision is to use my voice to speak for the voiceless, use my music as a tool to empower women, and also take my music to Africa. So I am not trying to fit in anywhere, or try to sound like anyone, I just want to be me and do what is real and true to me. That is my vision.

Monate: being a vocalist is broad, is there any particular genre that you would like as a vocalist? Aey: there is no one genre that I would say I like, I am versatile and I also listen to a lot different genres, so depending on the mood and what I am feeling at that time, but I would say that maskandi is the one that made me, but there is also a lot of Kwaito that I grew up listening to and hip hop as well. So there is no one specific genre that I would say is my favourite, I just go with the flow wherever the flow takes me.

Monate: currently the leading genre in music in South Africa is Amapiano, so as a versatile vocalist do you have an Amapiano song? If you do not when can we expect to hear an Amapiano song from you?

Monate: with this whole

Coronavirus (COVID19) pandemic

happening, how

are money as an artist? you making

Aey: besides having a day job, I am one of the fortunate people to have a day job; I also have other side hustles which are hobbies turned into income, so it turned some of us into hustlers.

Monate: What are your other side hustles?

Aey: I am a hairdresser, though I do not like it but I am really good at it, so I just thought let me just tap into that.

Aey: I started recording when I was in grade 11 but I would say my music career started when I auditioned for Ziveze Music Knockout in Soweto, where they were looking for original artists to perform in a musical. I auditioned for that and I made the cut, so that is when my music career began, because I was myself but in a theatre play so that is why I also discovered that I also have the love for Theatre. That is when I started to take music seriously.

Monate: you have your music on music app stores, what advice would you give to someone who would like to have their music on the music app stores?

Aey: first of all I would say make quality music because at the end of the day you will have to invest in yourself and your music... so you would not like to invest in music that has quality that is not up to standard. It is unfortunate that you have to have at least some money to have your music on the app stores, so be prepared for that.

Monate: where can people follow you?

Aey: people can follow me on Facebook at Ayanda Oyibhubesykazi, and Twitter, Instagram and tik-tok it is @bhesykazi and my Facebook page is Aey Thee Bubhesikazi. That is where you can follow me. Also I am in a competition called sing your heart, which airs on DSTV channel 260, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so you can go to the Sing Your Heart Facebook page and see when it airs, and I am a finalist on that show so you can check me out on TV.

Aey: I would like to send a shout out to sing your heart, because there are a lot music competitions that expect you to sound in a certain way, and me being myself and considering the music that I am doing, I have always felt out of place, whether it is an a rap or singing show, because I fuse singing and rap. So every time it is either I am not a good enough singer a good enough rapper, but has been that one show that has allowed me to be myself and has celebrated me for being myself and not make me feel weird like I have felt all my life. Go out and audition for the show, auditions are opened for season 2, like the Facebook page. Try your luck there if you are a singer or a rapper. I would just like to say to all upcoming artists, Qina idolo! Is rough out there, the support is almost non-existent especially when you are starting out. You need to be your own supporter, because if you are going to depend on people or need them to validate you, you are not going to get anywhere. So you just need to push push push, and and eventually they will catch up with you. Most of all believe in yourself, believe in your craft, believe in what you do. Do not settle for less and do not try to fit in, be yourself that is the most important thing.

I just want to say thank you to Upcoming Mag, we know that there are lot of upcoming artists who want to be in this platform, so shout out to you. Shout out to my fans, my world has been a roller coaster but thank you for sticking with me and Mfanomsuthu 2.0 is out, go check it out on YouTube on the A Thee Bubhesikazi channel. Tonight I am play-listed on Metro FM on Oskido's show.. so thank you and I hope I will get more fans here.