Moving to the beat of beauty

One of the leading acts at this year’s Cape Town International Jazz Festival, the iconic Judith Sephuma shares her harmonious approach to life.

jt’s been 16 years since a young, unknown jazz singer-songwriter by the name of Judith Sephuma burst onto the scene with A Cry, A Smile, A Dance, an album that won instant acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Since then, the Polokwane-born star has swept up three SAMAS, produced another six megaselling jazz albums, ventured triumphantly into gospel and collaborated with the likes of Michael Bolton, Kenny G, Ringo Madlingozi, Oliver Mtukudzi, DJ Pepsi, Kabomo and Wanda Baloyi. We sat down with the famously hard-working songstress on the eve of her performance at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival to talk past, present and future success.

GLAMOUR Where do you find inspiration?

Judith Sephuma Most of my inspiration comes from daily life – my own and the experiences I see other people going through, whether that means chance encounters or things that affect my close family and friends. I especially love seeing people overcoming challenges. And being in nature is always an inspiration to me.

What are you looking forward to at this year’s Cape Town International Jazz Festival?

Getting onto that stage! It’s been a while, and I’ll be doing rearrangements of songs from my previous albums as well as new material. It’s exciting to perform for true jazz lovers and I also love having the opportunity to see my peers on stage. Altogether, the festival is wonderful for the audience and the performers!

Who’s on your must-see line-up?

The entire festival line-up is exciting, but I’m particularly looking forward to seeing Manu Dibango, Thandiswa Mazwai, Laura Mvula, En Vogue, Jazz Funk Soul and Skyjack on stage.

What can we look forward to by way of future albums from you?

My most recent album, One Word, is a jazz-funk sound, but I love experimenting with genres. Gospel is close to my heart, so I will be releasing a gospel album later this year, followed by a jazz album with strong Sepedi influences in 2018.

Which artists do you love listening to?

Nancy Wilson, Brenda Fassie, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Dianne Reeves and Aretha Franklin are my all-time favourites, but there are different sounds for different times in life.

Who would you love to collaborate with?

I can’t name a specific artist, but I love to work on fresh sounds with trailblazers who challenge me.

“Most of my inspiration comes from daily life – my own and the experiences I see other people going through.”