Pretoria - When you have a passion for something and are doing it for those reasons, in this case music, you find yourself overlooking a lot of things like money because you find yourself fulfilled by just being on stage.
You feel you are serving a purpose.
This is the life motto that has drawn musical inspiration into arguably one of the best vocalists in the country, Vuyokazi Tshaya, who over the years considered leaving the difficult and cluttered music industry.
“Music chose me, you know when you respond to a calling, you actually don’t have a choice but to be content and trust the process.
“I’ve had days when I wanted to call it quits, but the minute I’d be on stage, I’d get fulfilled by how people would just transform from being grumpy, worried, stressful to having a smile on their faces and by just allowing me to take them through a journey of having a good time,” Tshaya says.
Born in Winterveld, north west of Pretoria, but brought up in Vosloorus, East Rand, the songwriter and vocalist shunned the glamorous world of modelling and ballroom dancing for her attachment to music and stage presence.
Having won best backing vocalist at the 8th Ingoma Awards, the singer describes herself as an energetic performer and a storyteller who was already active at the young age of 8.
“I joined a youth club in my street called Top Of the Best where I used to model. We sang, danced, imitated the likes of Mango Groove, we did Sarafina! and I did one of the main parts.
“I was the star of the show because the audience always looked forward to the part where we performed my part … I joined drum majorettes elsewhere and later joined a ballroom dance club,” she said.
When Tshaya joined a gospel group called Spiritual Touched, in high school, and got the experience of being at the studio to record and be on the sleeve of an album for the first time, she never looked back.
Exploring her music options while at university, she reckons she was touched by an angel when a loving mother from church who believed in her musical abilities, only known as Ma Mkhize, paid for her demo in 2007.
“She took me and Thato Mthembu, an amazing pianist, to the streets of Hillbrow where we recorded my demo of two songs. She submitted it to Gallo Records and I got signed and got nominated for the 8th Metro FM Awards for Best Gospel Album within the year of release,” she said.
She has also shared the stage as a back-up singer with the likes of the late Pastor Neyi Zimu, who she says taught her a lot about the industry and how to conduct herself as an artist.
She says she also enjoyed working with Nhlanhla Nciza from popular Afropop group Mafikizolo.
“She showed me a completely different world in terms of performing and entertaining,” Tshaya said.
When Tshaya recorded her Afrosoul album she roped in the help of the legendary late Tshepo Tshola on one of her songs that propelled the record to higher heights.
The songstress is currently showcasing writing skills for herself. She has also co-written a song for music sensation Vusi Nova, Inhliziyo yam.
She also writes for a number of gospel artists, including Omega Khunou and Priscilla Mahamba.
Asked what the glaring challenges facing musicians in recent years were, Tshaya said corruption.
“We can’t be granted an opportunity to have our work speak for itself. You have to bribe someone or know someone first to get airplay or perform at big platforms.”
Tshaya recalls one of her best performances as visiting Gabon and connecting with the audience despite the language barrier in West Africa.
“There was a language barrier but I could connect with the audience with what I had to offer … it was great.”
However, Tshaya has learnt the hard way that it’s not all that easy to perform for a crowd.
“During one of my performances, at a young age at the Soweto festival I got booed off the stage.I didn’t know then that you have to allow your audience to lead you. Instead I continued to change that one song they were enjoying, resulting in us being booed.”
Tshaya is now the resident artist at Levels Rooftop Café in Vosloorus.
Besides music, she also creates her own earrings from scratch with various material, called amaqhosha.
Pretoria News