SPHEMusic faces fears with release of debut album ‘Beautiful’
HAVING been in the music industry for 16 years, soulful songstress SPHEMusic is now establishing herself as an artist with the release of her debut album Beautiful.
Born Siphelele Sokhela, the musician has had a passion for music from a young age and would bug her elder brother DJ Sox, (Mbusi Sokhela), who is one of the founding members of Durban’s Finest, to put her on a song.
She eventually got him to give her an opportunity to record a demo and her voice was heard by fellow Durbanite DJ Bongz, who featured her on his smash hit As long as you love me.
This all happened while Sphe was still in high school, igniting her career in the musical space.
Having been a part of a choir, the musician got to tour places like Germany, Russia and Estonia before heading into university. Now Sphe is ready for South Africans to see her as more than just a feature collaborator.
IOL Entertainment caught up with the 33-year-old to find out about her comeback into the music scene, the making of Beautiful and all that is SPHEMusic.
The marketing graduate worked her way up the corporate ladder as a brand manager at one of the leading insurance companies in the country.
She has been making music for a long time but is still an upcoming artist. One would think she takes offence at being put in that box, having done so many features in the past.
“I don’t mind people treating me as an upcoming artist because essentially I am. This is the first time I’m branching out on my own and instead of featuring on other household names’ songs. I don’t mind it,” she said.
Two years ago, when she found herself at her lowest, she turned to music, it made her feel “alive” as she recorded in her brother’s home studio.
“Every time I’d go into the studio, I’d just feel alive again and I’d feel fulfilment and happiness again. I just started recording music. In fact, this album wasn’t initially supposed to be an album. It was just going into the studio releasing emotions I was feeling. So, every song on the album is a real emotion.”
Recording the album over the past two years has been cathartic. The title track Beautiful was one of the first songs she recorded and it’s pushed her to keep going. She described it as a note to herself: “It’s about the fact that you set your eyes on the stars and live your dreams because you’re beautiful.
“It’s just an affirmation of your inner beauty and your talents.”
In June, she released the visuals to her chart-topping single Khuluma, featuring award-winning musician Mondli Ngcobo, the first single of the album. This was not her first time working with Ngcobo, who has produced hits for multiplatinum selling artist Kelly Khumalo and Grammy award-winning artist Black Coffee.
She previously worked with Ngcobo when she was 16 on DJ Bongz’s As Long As You Love Me, and calls him agreeing to work with her again a “highlight”.
“We got back together in the studio and did such an amazing work on Khuluma. It was a smash it, it was number one for three consecutive weeks on Gagasi “Top 10 Afropop Charts”.
Sphe revealed that the musician has always supported her.
“He has always been pushing me as far as the music is concerned. So coming back into the studio with him, it was just like it was back in 2000.”
This time, however, Ngcobo is the one who composed the song.
“It was nice being on both sides. He composed the one song and I composed the other. So, there’s a difference in the sound of the songs.”
Sphe has also worked with Phila Madlingozi, who features on Queen, a fantasy love song inspired by King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu’s death and the prospects of a queen.
The two have become good friends and connected over them being related to legends and their passion for music. Madlingozi is the son of award-winning musician Ringo Madlingozi.
Beautiful consists of different sounds, from getting you on your feet to leaving you in your feels.
“What’s lovely about the album is that I’m very musical, in a sense that I love all types of music, so I sing what I like, right? I love R&B. I love our pop. I love Afrotech, I Iove dance, I love house music. So, there’s literally all of those genres on the album.”
Before the album’s release, the singer was fearful of everyone having access to her diary, which is her music.But releasing the project is one of her proudest moments: “To face my fears and finally do what I know is my purpose.”