HELLO FRIENDS

We’re celebrating – it’s Father’s Day, youth month and our birthday too! TRUE LOVE turns 45 this June, marking years of empowering women with current and inspiring content. What better way to celebrate than with great tunes? And this issue is all about song and dance. For me, music is expressive and uniting – it connects people from all walks of life. At home growing up, I’d watch my mom and stepdad dance to Wake Up Everybody by Herold Marvin & the Blue Notes. When they played the duet I Want You by Barry White & Glodean, I knew things were good. But when dad put Beau Williams’ Alvina on repeat from morning till noon, then mom had left him. It’s music that drove my uncle, Bra Pa, who after a drink or three, would come back in the wee hours of the morning and play Fly Away by Laid Back on full blast. It’d be a rude awakening for the family but we loved it when he danced alone in the dark. That’s what good songs and happy memories do – they capture the mood perfectly. It was Mariah Carey’s cover of I’ll Be There that helped me deal with my first heartbreak, and to Buti Ngihamba Nawe by Mafikizolo that I walked down the aisle. It’s still a firm favourite in my home; my kids know and love those stories very much. I have no doubt that you too have many music memories... We can’t we talk about singing and dancing without mentioning our cover star, Judith Sephuma, who’s also celebrating her birthday this month. Throughout her career, she’s shown versatility, and still maintains local and international acclaim. However, the sad reality of the SA music industry is that only a few make it big, while some end up dying poor. Our indepth article on page 98 explores this topic in great detail, and how artists can make money. We love hands-on dads and to honour Father’s Day, our writer Phila Tyekana shines a spotlight on fathers who’re involved in their children’s lives. As the cold creeps in, this issue will bring positivity into your life. Music is in the air – happy reading!