Just so happy to be heard
ONCE in a while you meet genuine people who really appreciate what they do because it took them a while to get there. Budding gospel artist, Ncamisile, is one such person.
“I am so happy that you called. Everything is working out well for me and I think it is going to be a good year,” said the singer.
“My album is called Ngingum’hambe, which means ‘I am gone’. You could call it my first album, but I have been making music for a while now. The only thing is the other three albums I made before were done independently so they did not go far. I am glad that I am now doing this with Zuz’ Music which is representing me well because look, I am even talking to you,” she added.
She recalled how she started out and how hard it was for her to break into the gospel music industry.
“After singing for years and feeling like I wasn’t going anywhere, I thought it would be great to try and find some sort of managing company to guide me. I asked a few people, but nothing came to pass until I stumbled on Tshepo Ndzimande’s number. When I called him, he sounded busy and said if I was serious I should come to his offices in Joburg. I did and I brought my old albums. He liked some of the songs, but didn’t want to go with the rest,” said Ncamisile.
As Ndzimande took a liking to her, she was signed and in no time she was in the studio making music, the way it is supposed to be done.
“I was signed and got a producer to work with me throughout the Ngingum’hambe album. The producer told me not to be nervous about the process. He said I should imagine that I was in a stadium with a number of people. That relaxed me a lot,” she recalled.
Out came Ngingum’hambe and Ncamisile is proud of the work that she has done.
“The theme of the album was based on the fact that I wrote the songs from a place of pain. I lost a lot of close relations so I was saying I, too, was ready to leave. It’s not to say ‘I am dying’, but I’m longing for those who’ve passed and I am praying to God for strength,” she said.
The media, too, have been paying attention and the singer was visibly excited to share her experiences: “Sitting next to Mom Rebecca Malope on her TV show was a dream come true. I was on Dumisa TV with sisi Winnie Mashaba on Monday and have been on Ukhozi FM.
“It’s all like a dream because there was a time I sang at taxi ranks for money and I never thought I’d be here today,” she said.