Tugela Fairy the next big thing on the SA scene

THERE are few up-and-coming artists that are garnering as much attention as singer-songwriter Simmy, 24.

Since she exploded on to the scene in 2017 as Sun El Musician’s protégé, Simmy’s been widely viewed as the next big thing in South African music. “But there is a lot of pressure that comes with it,” she says.

Simmy will perform next

Saturday and Sunday at the second annual Vivonation Festival.

Simmy’s breakthrough came when she was featured on Sun El’s smash hit Sonini and her debut album, Tugela Fairy, signalled she was a force to be reckoned with.

“It was just to specify who Simmy is, where she comes from, the stories that I have to tell from my home town.”

Simmy recalls how she was working at a recruitment company while recording the album.

“It was the toughest thing, but I told myself either you push or you are stuck in a place you really don’t want to be in,” she said.

By the middle of last year she had quit her job to give music her full attention.

Given the busy start she’s had to the year, it definitely turned out to be the right decision for her.

“Honestly, it’s been tough, I won’t lie. But I’ve been approaching it as one gig and one interview at a time,” she said.

“Whenever I get time to rest then I rest, and whenever I get time to spend with family and friends, I do that. It’s beautiful. It’s busy and beautiful.”

Her next release will be the music video for Ngiyesaba, one of the standout songs from her album.

She’s also working on the business side of things and getting more involved in music production.

Simmy also sees herself owning a record label in the future.