Duped singer bounces back

26 Jul, 2015 - 00:07 0 Views

The Sunday News

Nothando Ndhlovu Sunday Leisure Reporter
THE music industry is a difficult industry to break into and most first-timers struggle to have their work recognised. One of those artistes is Sisa Dube, who despite facing numerous challenges that almost took her under, managed to have a Lazarus moment in her career amid claims that her producer Sipho Mbele duped her.

Dube’s music career took off in 2013, when she released her debut album under the name Godiva, but she said she started singing long before then.

“I used to sing for my grandfather as a child. Sadly he passed on in 2006,” she said.

Born and raised in Brunapeg in Mangwe District, Dube relocated to South Africa to seek greener pastures in 2003 after completing her O-level studies. She started working on her debut album Uhlelo Lwempilo in 2011, and it was released in 2013. Dube asked Mbelesi Holdings to release it for her but this arrangement did not benefit her in any way.

Although Dube’s album is afro-pop, she is a multi-talented artiste who experiments with other genres of music. Last year she worked on a house album which is yet to be released.

Of all the songs she has done, her favourite is Ushon’ eGoli, a song about a woman whose husband went to South Africa to work and never came back.

“Ushon’ eGoli was inspired by my parents. As a child I only saw my father once a year for two weeks only. I placed myself in my mother’s shoes when I wrote that song,” she explained.

Dube is also trying her hand in radio. African Crest radio host Ronnie Subuga from Uganda has been training her to be part of the South African radio station.

“I drafted a concept on a show I would like to do on inspiring, healing and encouraging people on day to day issues. The show is called Ikhambi Power Show. It’s my current project and I just want to remind people that they can be the best they were born to be,” she said.

Dube said she is excited about this new phase in her life because she has been through so many challenges and obstacles but she has moved on and is ready to take on new challenges.

“I have been tried and tested. This is one of the toughest industries in the world and it has difficult people as well. I am happy to be fuelled enough though,” said a determined Dube.

Dube’s challenges in South Africa were not because she is a musician in a foreign land as her father is South African but were rather because of poor judgement and impatience which drove her into trusting a stranger with her music career.

“Mbele was my friend on Facebook and he posted a few things on KCRS Radio’s Facebook page and I thought he was a genuine manager. My album had been ready for two years and I needed help with releasing it,” she said.

They parted this year when she realised that nothing had materialised from the union. Mbelesi told her that no one bought her music and that she should remove her promotional pictures from her social media as he had paid for the photo-shoot.

He also claimed to had composed some of the songs with her on the album cover and her iTunes account. Dube is trying to set the record straight by repackaging and re-releasing her album.

She added that although she had faced difficulties, giving up had never been an option for her.

“I love music with all my heart and soul, giving it up would kill me. Do you want to see the dead walking? I guess it’s a no because that would traumatise you,” joked the singer.

She also said her Zimbabwean fans also supported her, but unfortunately she has not performed live in her motherland but hopes to do so soon.

Her favourite artiste of all time is the legendary Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi and she said she respects him as an artiste and she dreams of working with him one day.

She is also an office administrator and works on her music whenever she gets time.

Sisa Dube’s 14-track album will be released before the end of July and no dates have been confirmed yet. In the meantime her Zimbabwean fans can sample her music on her social media platform.

After going through trials and tribulations just to kick-start her career, Dube is definitely a rising star to watch.

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