Mom dishes out medicine in new album

The doctor and soon-to-be mother of two’s talent is simply ‘Unstoppable’

MEDICAL doctor, musical mockingbird and mother of (almost) two, Jerusha Naidoo, is Unstoppable as she launches her third studio album through which she shares important health awareness messages.

“The main theme of the album centres around inspiring young women to work hard, and follow their dreams to succeed,” said Naidoo.

The 39-year-old has several feathers under her cap, both medical and musical.

Naidoo, who is expecting her second child next month, is a published songwriter and has collaborated with international artists. She is a former military doctor for the UN in Liberia, and currently works as a consultant medical practitioner within the pharmaceutical industry.

Her album Unstoppable was launched in umhlanga recently, following an almost 10-year hiatus from music since her last album release in 2009, which saw her receive a South African Music Awards nomination.

“But nothing in life is for free. Mama always told me ‘go to school and get your degree’,” says Naidoo in her song Blesser, which is part of the album and was released late last year as a taster.

She used her musical talent as a platform to send an important message to young women following her observations as a doctor.

“Being a medical doctor by profession, I am passionate about issues of health. This Blesser phenomenon, or transactional sex, is a major contributor to the HIV/AIDS pandemic,” said Naidoo.

Her appeal for women to be independent was rooted in her childhood as her widowed mother, Sushila, raised three children at her home in Chatsworth, and went on to receive a scholarship in Cincinnati in the US.

“While at school in Cincinnati, I fell in love with music, and released my first album, Got To Have It, in 2003 and Jerushalem in 2009,” she said.

Medicine runs in the family as Naidoo’s husband, Rudy Onia, specialises in clinical pharmacology. They met while studying medicine at the University of Cape Town.

About South African music culture, Naidoo said challenges lay in the patriarchal patterns within the country. “It is challenging being a female in a male-dominated environment such as the music industry. Pop music depends heavily on popular culture, and many cultures in South Africa place the value of women below that of men.”

Unstoppable will be available worldwide, both online and in retail, from April 30.