Gospel according to idol Yanga
Winner wants to spread the Word to the youth via music
The Cape Flats must have magic waters after it produced two Idols in the past two years.
Yanga Sobetwa, from Delft, lives a stone’s throw away from Paxton Fielies’ neighbourhood of Bishop Lavis.
“I never ever saw her around – only on Idols. I thought to myself if she can do this, I surely can,” Yanga says of her neighbour.
The teenager, who won season 14 last Sunday, says it was the support of her community and purely God’s work that she won the Idols crown. She now wants to be used as her creator’s instrument to change the mindset of the youth to follow a more spiritual path.
“I’ve been on this spiritual path for the last two years. Music is an international language everyone understands so I decided to speak to the youth especially through gospel music,” says the 17 year old.
Since she walked off the stage last Sunday evening, she’s been inundated with requests for interviews and says the news has barely sunk in. She adds that her life as she knew it has changed.
Although she’s still a scholar, she agrees that she is mature in her years and mentally framed to handle the fame.
“I hope to remain grounded and focus on the main goal. It’s about the music,” she says adding that she has put her winnings on hold and is not planning on spending the R1m any time soon.
The youngest contestant in season 14 says she was inspired to enter by Loyiso Gijana, who was a contestant in 2015. He was also 16 at the time. “I was literally counting the days to when I turned 16 so I could enter.”
Although the grade 11 pupil tried to keep up with her school work through distance learning, due to the demanding rehearsing schedule, she couldn’t keep up with her studies in the end. But she says all is not lost as she will make up for it through progressive tests to be able to progress to grade 12 next year.
“My school, Rhodes High, was very supportive throughout this journey. And I need to focus next year because I’m passionate about studying entertainment law and furthering my music studies beyond matric,” she says.
“I also want to do motivational talks, I wanna be able to establish my own music academy so I can give back to young people who are talented. I must get into Juilliard Music school which is like the best musical school ever!” The iconic institution is in New York.
Passionate about many things, succeeding in the gospel genre is by far her main goal.
“I started writing music many years ago. So material for the album is not an issue. I also sang [as a] back-up so I knew I could do this Idols journey. I chose to do gospel pop because it’s the perfect platform to reach the youth. It doesn’t have to be boring.”