Contestants of the toughest South African music competition, the Idols SA, usually put their schooling days on hold as they try to impress the judges and Mzansi, but Nosipho Silinda was determined to finish school.
The star, who shot to fame as one of the finalist of Idols season 14 is now waiting for her Matric results after a gruelling school year in 2020.
The soon to be 20-year-old musician released her debut single under Gallo Records last year, Thembalami.
The single become a huge hit with fans and garnered massive radio play.
In an exclusive interview with GLAMOUR’s Luthando Vikilahle, Nosipho said she was able to manage her exploding music career with the demands of school by prioritising certain things at different times.
Nosipho added that the lockdown implemented by President Cyril Ramaphosa worked in her favour as all performances were cancelled.
She adds that this allowed her to put most of her time and energy into her studies while using social media to stay visible as an artist.
To read more on what the impressive, and talented singer has said continue to read below.
How would you describe yourself as an artist and individual?
I would describe myself as Liberal, unorthodox and very out of the box in terms of my style of writing.
Take us through your music journey, including being one of the finalists of Idols season 14?
I was born into a very musical family. I sang in church, school choirs and did cover songs for YouTube until I was ready to share that with the world on the idols stage.
I would say my experience on idols was a great experience which forced me to grow although the growth was an after-math result. Once I was off the show, I was able to apply everything I’ve learnt.
How are you feeling now that matric results are about to be announced?
It’s almost like being in idols waiting for your results and knowing that the results will determine your path and the next chapter of your life.
How has the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic affected you both personally and professionally?
I had more time to bring myself towards myself and spend quality time with my family, wrote more music and connect with my supporters.
It got frustrating at times when I knew I was supposed to be performing but also was grateful for the gift of life and the support from my family.
What lessons did you learn through all of this as an artist and a student?
I’ve learnt to adapt to change.
What are the plans after matric in both your music career and school?
I plan to study further; I have mad love for the arts so I’ve gone into acting although I can’t disclose much on that but people can expect to see me on their tv screen soon.
Music is my first love and I am working on my first album which people can expect later in the year.
How do you balance your lifestyle and music?
How I live is intertwined with music and acting, I plan my life around work.
The music industry is a cut throat one, a clear example for this is the closure of music distributors Musica, so if you could give 3 key pieces of advice to anyone considering a career in music what would it be?
The growth of digital consumption might be a cause of the downfall for music distributors but it is beneficial for the artists because the digital space allows cross cultural interaction which allows you to reach a much larger audience than you would with a distributor.
Which means that you would not have to wait In line to compete with the major artists to get your music distributed. You simply can be a major star from one tiktok challenge which filters down to your digital sales.
What’s the one misconception people have about you?
People think I’m shy based on what they saw three years ago in the competition but they forget the show was not a manual on how to live my life. I’ve grown vastly post the competition ,I’ve grown out of my shell.
One of your songs, Themb’lam’ become popular last year, how did it come about?
Thembalami was inspired by love and hope. For me especially from my family and supporters. The song is however open to different interpretations. I wrote the song for anyone and everyone who had love and hope for something or someone.
Another song that had the potential of becoming a big hit was Wena Wedwa, but based on streaming store results it was not as big as Thembalami, so what would you say you lacked on it?
To compare two different songs and their trends is an unfair comparison to begin with.
Not all songs you release will follow the same trend as the previous and Wena Wedwa is one of those songs that needs time to grow on people.
A week ago, Wena Wedwa showed on the radio monitor as the 10th highest most played song whereas Thembalami never made it to top 10 on the monitor.
Mention three of your favourite songs right now?
My top three favourite songs:
Thembalami - Nosipho
Don’t kill my vibe - Nosipho
Wena Wedwa - Nosipho
And lastly, can you please give us at least 5 songs you think lovers should listen to on valentine’s day especially if we are still on lockdown level 3?
Lovers should definitely listen to:
Thembalami - Nosipho
Wena Wedwa - Nosipho
Inyanga - Cici
Hamba Naye - Cici ft Mafikizolo
Right Here - Brandy
