Sjava quits cameras for chorus
JABULANI Hadebe’s road to music has been paved with detours. The 33-year-old knew in grade 10 that he wanted to sing and rap, but life had other plans. He went to an audition for Zone 14 “when I didn’t even know what an audition was,” he tells me, and got it on the spot.
He then had stints on shows like Generations and eventually nabbed a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the 2009 South African Film and Television Awards for his role in uGugu noAndile. But the artist who is known as Sjava to the masses found that he was better off telling his own true story than playing a character.
“Ngimdala manje (I’m grown up, now),” Sjava tells me matter-of-factly. “It’s sad how we put ourselves under pressure because of age. Someone will tell you that you should be married by now, or compare you to someone else. But there’s no time frame for success. As long as you’re still alive, anything can happen.”
His debut album is titled Isina Muva. The full Zulu phrase, Isina Muva Siya Bhukwa, refers to traditional dancing where men show off their skills, but really, the best is saved for last.
In that way, the wait through the show is worth it. Sjava firmly believes his journey to finally releasing a full-length project with singles like Uthando and Ekseni, which have been well-received on radio, is well worth it.
“The reason I called my album Isina Muva is because I’ve been at it for a while. When I quit acting, people thought I was more successful as an actor and should stick to that. Clearly, they didn’t have the same vision as me. I want to inspire people and change their perspective of things with my music. These are not just songs.”
This well-rounded artist is one of the signees to the groundbreaking indie record label, Ambitiouz Entertainment, which is also home to Fifi Cooper and Emtee. Over trap beats by Ruff, Sjava sings and raps mostly in Zulu and attempts to bring to the industry an aesthetic that marries the core values of traditional and modern life.
His first single, Ekseni, which has a video that looks like it is set in dompas-era South Africa, is a token of appreciation to the women who see the potential in a man and aren’t quick to dump him because of the expectations of today’s world.
“The reason I made that song is because after I quit acting, I was broke as f*ck,” Sjava recalls, “we were in (Joburg) town with aboEmtee. I met a girl who gave my life shape. She was the kind of person who calls you to ask if you’ve eaten. Those kind of calls are rare in this industry. So the song is about her and showing my appreciation to her.”
Other songs on the album are also about his life. He thanks God for keeping his grandmother – his pillar of strength – alive long enough to see him start on the road to success. He also pens songs about regret ( Madludlu) – knowing he let a good girl go – as well as motivation ( Hlasela) and more.
Sjava might have a good album on his hands, but he’s showing no signs of slowing down. He carried the chorus of Miss Pru’s Ambitiouz Entertainment posse cut, Ameni. And he became part of one of the biggest songs in the country at the moment, Vura, by DJ Citi Lyts also featuring Saudi.
Sjava believes he and his compadres in music, Emtee, Saudi and more, have been working in the trenches of the CBD for so long, they haven’t forgotten where they came from.
“We see ourselves as street kids. Emtee came and f*cked sh*t up. Sama Song of the Year. Metro song of the year. SAHHA (South African Hip Hop Awards) Song of the Year. We are the real definition of ‘from nothing to something’. This album talks about my life and my past experiences.”
Get Sjava’s Isina Muva now.