Nobuhle plans to let the music move fans with her new EP ‘Indlela’
NOBUHLE’S new offering is an experimental project where she played around with amapiano to tap into African soul music to create what can be described as spiritual amapiano.
Indlela, a 10-track offering, features some of the country’s musical heavyweights such as Kabza De Small, Josiah De Disciple, Mpumi Mzobe and De Mthuda.
The album is a beautiful blend of Zulu love peppered with gratitude to higher deities.
“We are seeing spiritual people, beautiful song writers entering into the space of amapiano as well,” she said.
Nobuhle is an Afropop house musician with a spiritual undertone. The singer uses her music as a form of healing.
“I heal up within my craft, I create songs for the purpose of healing and self-empowerment,” she told IOL Entertainment.
When it comes to her new offering Nobuhle played around with amapiano and was able to find a way to make it her own.
“What would my voice sound like in a piano beat?” she wondered.
She blended her spiritual tone voice into it.
Since she wanted to re-introduce herself again to fans post-lockdown, she decided to come out strong.
There’s no better time for her to release her EP.
A music and drama graduate from the University of Kwazulu Natal, she is now a mainstream artist.
Nobuhle said: “It’s completely different from what I studied.”
However, her qualification has equipped her with the tools that assist in navigating the music industry.
“It is really helpful when it comes to performing, as well, and just understanding the music business. So there’s a lot, it really just meets up somewhere, in a very weird space,” she says.
Nobuhle has worked with different house DJS and producers, such as award-winning artists Black Motion, Sun El Musician and DJS duo Lemon & Herb on their album, and DJ Merlon with Sifunimali.
“I think everybody that I’ve worked with has had an impact on my life and they have fully supported me in so many ways.”
Most of these collaborations were birthed through DMS on social media, where most links are made these days.
“We realised the power of social media as well, everything is there for me. Social media has been my way to go.
“My career literally started because of the lockdown. I’ve been doing this thing and just using online resources, socials and what not to keep moving, but, you know, Kabza as well also saw me on Instagram.
“He just DM’D me that one time. I still don’t know how he knew about me and he won’t say. Yeah, he keeps on telling me that, no, I heard your voice somewhere,” she revealed about linking up with De Small.
Social media have proven to birth stars – no longer are artists passing around CDS to radio stations and A&RS, hoping to catch someone’s attention. Now “the music moves and people talk”.
“It’s a matter of, you know, those conversations that you have with people in the industry and they pass on and then they pass on,” she said.
With 2022 almost over, Nobuhle has had the honour of doing so many things she can hardly count them.
She calls featuring on three tracks on De Small’s King of Amapiano album one the biggest highlights of the year.
On a personal level, going through her spiritual transition has been “amazing” for her, learning about herself has been “a beautiful journey”.
Nobuhle’s EP is available on all digital platforms.