Mazwai sister ditches the surname
MUSICIAN Nomisupasta has one message for her fans – she is not her sisters.
Nomisupasta, 32, whose real name is Nomsa Mazwai is the younger sister of popular awardwinning musician Thandiswa and controversial poet Ntsiki Mazwai.
After three albums and a solid career in theatre, Nomisupasta says she still gets compared to her famous sisters all the time.
“People only compare me to Thandiswa because I am so amazing. I get compared to my sisters all the time and, I think, once people listen to my music, they realise that I am actually a stand-alone artist,” she declares. Nomisupasta is set to make even more of a name for herself as she shies away from using her famous surname, Mazwai, as her stage name. “I am great as a musician. I give good quality performances and I make good music. “My sisters say I am one of their favourite artists,” she adds. She says her brand has grown abroad – where fans don’t recognise her as Thandiswa’s sister, but instead respect her craft as an individual artist. The star will host her very first music concert at the Soweto Theatre on Saturday. She says her concert is a one-of-a-kind, targeting youth from all walks of life.
“People have never seen a full Nomisupasta performance.
“There will be talking, poetry and amazing things. It’s a two-set performance of 48 minutes each. We are going to have a DJ as well,” she says.
“People should come here prepared to stay up all night.”
To those who are not familiar with Nomisupasta, the musician describes her music as a mixture of Kyle Deutsch and Shekinah’s hit, with a bit of the performance energy of Black Motion. “People always struggle with the genre of the music I make because of the way I make it. Radio also fails to categorise it, and struggle to find a show they can play it on. “My music is future music. I released the album a while ago and people are only catching up to it now,” she says. Nomisupasta was appointed Soweto Theatre general manager last year. “This is what I do during the day. I am one of those people that wants to be busy all the time. “With music, I find that unless I’m touring, the time that I have available is usually over the weekend or in the evening,” she says. Taking the job at the Soweto Theatre was also a strategic move to fulfil her long-term goal. “My thing is always: how can I help South African youth? South African music is famous for artists that appear for a couple of months and then you never hear from them again. “I want a long career. I am not just a singer, I am also a visual artist and a producer. The theatre for me means I can change minds and that is what I am doing with my life. “I do it in my music. I do it in my work. I see it in young people that come to the theatre and they find this young person here and they can relate to me,” she adds. This year, people can expect another album, a live DVD and more shows – and a jam-packed line-up at the Soweto Theatre from this star.
My music is future music. I released the album a while ago and people are only catching up to it now