NOMFUSI

NOMFUSI (23) HAS SHARED THE STAGE WITH SOME OF THE BIGGEST LOCAL
AND INTERNATIONAL NAMES IN THE ENTERTAINMENT WORLD. RECENTLY SHE PERFORMED AT THE OPENING OF THE NEW ONE AND ONLY RESORT IN THE CAPE TOWN WATERFRONT WITH GRAMMY-AWARD WINNING ARTISTS HUGH MASEKELA AND BEBE WYNANS.
THE STAR-STUDDED AUDIENCE INCLUDED HOLLYWOOD STARS ROBERT DE NIRO,
SHARON STONE AND CLINT EASTWOOD. IN THE SHORT 6 MONTH SPAN OF HER CAREER, SHE HAS FEATURED EXTENSIVELY ON TELEVISION, INCLUDING TOP BILLING (TWO APPEARANCES), ARTCHA, MORNING LIVE AND SABC3'S THE POWER WITHIN. A TV INTERVIEW ON SABC NEWS INTERNATIONAL WAS BROADCAST TO A GLOBAL AUDIENCE OF 18 MILLION AND A RADIO INTERVIEW ON VOICE OF AMERICA, BROADCAST FROM WASHINGTON D.C.,
TO AN AUDIENCE OF 134 MILLION. EVEN BEFORE THE RELEASE OF HER DEBUT ALBUM,
HER STRIKING FEATURES HAVE GRACED THE COVERS OF VARIOUS MAGAZINES, AND ARTICLES ACCOMPANIED BY GLAMOROUS PHOTO SHOOTS HAVE BEEN COMMISSIONED
BY SAWUBONA, MARIE CLAIRE, DESTINY MAGAZINE AND O BRIGADO.

HER MUSIC CAN BE DESCRIBED AS A BLEND OF TRADITIONAL AFRICAN, AMERICAN GOSPEL, ROCK, R&B AND EARLY MOTOWN. THERE IS THE EXCITEMENT OF 50'S MIRIAM MAKEBA,
THE WILDNESS OF 60'S TINA TURNER, WITH GOSPEL ELEMENTS DRAWN FROM 80'S GEORGE MICHAEL AND A STRONG R&B UNDERCURRENT OF MARY J. BLIGE. SHE HAS THE VOCAL ABILITY AND STAGE PERSONA OF POWER HOUSE SINGERS LIKE BRENDA FASSIE, WHITNEY HOUSTON AND TINA TURNER, WHILE HER LYRICS ARE SOULFUL, STRONG AND OUTSPOKEN. IN THE WORDS OF PETER TROMP, MUSIC CRITIC FOR THE NEXT 48 HOURS: 'HER COMPOSITIONS HAVE THE DISCIPLINE OF POP, THE PROPULSION AND PASSION OF ROCK
AS WELL AS THE HEART OF SOUL AND R&B, AND SHE AND HER MAGNIFICENT BAND DELIVER HER SONGS WITH GLISTENING BRAVADO. DESPITE BEING OF DIMINUTIVE PHYSICAL STATURE, HER POWERS OF PERFORMANCE ARE ALREADY DEVELOPED ENOUGH THAT SHE COULD COMMAND JUST ABOUT ANY STAGE, NO MATTER THE SIZE."

NOMFUSI WAS BORN IN THE TOWNSHIP OF KWAZHAKELE IN PORT ELIZABETH. SHE AND HER SIBLINGS WERE RAISED BY KWAZIBANI, A SINGLE MOTHER. NOMFUSI'S FATHER SPENT 21 YEARS IN PRISON, ONLY TO BE RELEASED IN 2007. KWAZIBANI (WHICH MEANS 'WHO KNOWS?') WORKED AS A DOMESTIC, BUT WAS ALSO A MUSICALLY GIFTED SANGOMA (MEDICINE WOMAN). THERE WAS ONLY ENOUGH FOR FOOD, BUT KWAZIBANI EVEN TOOK IT UPON HER TO LOOK AFTER KIDS THAT WERE NOT HER OWN.

NOMFUSI WOULD ACCOMPANY HER MOTHER OVER WEEKENDS TO SANGOMA RITUALS (INTLOMBE) WHERE THEY WOULD DANCE AND SING FOR HOURS. THEY SOON NOTICED THAT, JUST AS KWAZIBANI HAD SPECIAL GIFTS FOR HEALING, THIS LITTLE GIRL HAD HER OWN SPECIAL GIFT FOR SINGING! 'I WAS A VERY HYPER KID, LOVED THE STAGE AND I ENJOYED PEOPLE WATCHING ME. ' THEY COULD NOT TAKE THEIR EYES OFF THE LITTLE PERFORMER, AND ENCOURAGED HER WITH RAUCOUS APPLAUSE. HER MOTHER INSPIRED HER WITH TRADITIONAL AFRICAN SONGS FROM THE RURAL AREAS, WHO ALSO CAME UP WITH HER OWN MELODIES.

SADLY EVEN KWAZIBANI'S SPECIAL POWERS COULD NOT SAVE HER FROM CONTRACTINGING HIV. NOMFUSI WAS ONLY 12 WHEN KWAZIBANI CONTRACTED DOUBLE PNEUMONIA IN 1998 AND DIED OF AIDS, THE CAUSE OF DEATH OF ALMOST 40 000 PEOPLE
IN THE EASTERN CAPE THAT YEAR. "SHE WASN'T ON ANTIRETROVIRALS AT THE TIME, BECAUSE WE WERE NOT EXPOSED TO THAT AT THE TIME AND I THINK WHAT CAUSED HER DEATH WAS LACK OF KNOWLEDGE."

SHE DESCRIBED THE DAY OF HER MOTHER'S FUNERAL: "I GOT UP IN THE MORNING, TOOK A BATH AT MY MOTHER'S FRIEND'S HOUSE CAUSE THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH SPACE FOR EVERYBODY. AFTER THAT WE WENT TO THE CHURCH AND TO THE CEMETARY AND THAT WAS THE END IF IT. HER FUNERAL WAS OVER WITHIN LESS THAN A DAY AND WE WERE LEFT WITH NO ONE."

NOMFUSI HAD INCREDIBLE STRENGTH AND WISDOM AT A VERY YOUNG AGE. "THE DAY THAT SHE DIED I GOT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT LOVE IS AND THE KIND OF LOVE SHE WAS TEACHING US, AND THAT FOR ME WAS TO LOVE MYSELF SO MUCH THAT I WOULD NOT LET ANY SITUATION DESTROY ME, NOT EVEN HER DEATH." NOMFUSI WROTE HER FIRST SONG, UTHANDO (WHICH MEANS 'LOVE') AT THE TIME OF HER MOTHER'S FUNERAL.

NOMFUSI'S AUNT LOOKED AFTER THEM FOR 4 YEARS, BUT SHE TRAGICALLY ALSO DIED
OF AIDS. HER NIECE LOOKED AFTER THEM, BUT THE SITUATION WAS UNBEARABLE. "WE STILL STAYED IN THE SAME HOUSE WITH OUR AUNT'S DAUGHTER, AND IT WAS A LIVING HELL BEING TOLD EVERY DAY TO GO CAUSE YOU ARE NOT WANTED." NOMFUSI TOLD HER BROTHER RITHULIE THAT SHE COULDN'T STAND THE VERBAL AND PHYSICAL ABUSE ANYMORE. HE PAID FOR HER BUS FARE TO CAPE TOWN, WHERE SHE MOVED IN WITH HIM
IN HIS SHACK IN KHAYELITSHA.

NOMFUSI COULD BARELY SPEAK ENGLISH, BUT FOUND A JOB AT STARDUST, A RESTAURANT IN RONDEBOSCH, CAPE TOWN, WHERE SHE WAS ALSO REQUIRED TO SING BETWEEN SERVING TABLES. WITH HER EARNINGS THEY WERE ABLE TO MOVE TO A BETTER PART OF KHAYELTISHA, INTO A HOUSE WITH RUNNING WATER AND A FLUSH TOILET. SHE ENROLLED FOR A 3-YEAR ACCOUNTANCY DIPLOMA. SHE WAITRESSED IN THE EVENINGS FOR 4 YEARS TO ALSO SUPPORT HER SISTER SIPHOKAZI, WHO FOLLOWED HER FROM THE EASTERN CAPE, AND WAS NOT ABLE TO FINISH SCHOOL DUE TO THE TURMOIL IN THEIR FAMILY.

NOMFUSI GOT HER FIRST PAID GIG AS A PERFORMING ARTIST, WHEN AN ORGANISATION, HOME OF HOPE, DID A FUNDRAISER FOR ABUSED AND ABANDONED BABIES IN JUNE 2008. NOMFUSI SANG CHRISTINA AGUILERAÕS ÒWHOÕS GONNA STOP THE RAINÓ DURING AN AUDIOVISUAL PRESENTATION. THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE THE UNRESTRAINED VOCAL POWER THAT CAME OUT OF HER SIZE 26 FRAME. IT FOLLOWED WITH AN AUCTION AND AS THEY RAN OUT OF ITEMS, OPENED A BID FOR NOMFUSI TO SING THREE MORE SONGS, WITH WHICH THEY RAISED MORE THAN R30 000.

NOMFUSI'S FIRST SHOWCASE OF HER SELF-WRITTEN SONGS, 'NOMFUSI LIVE AT OBZ CAFE' ON 30 AUGUST 2008, PAVED THE WAY FOR HER BEING AN IN-DEMAND WORKING MUSICIAN TODAY. IT WAS FILMED BY RICHARD MILLS, PRODUCER OF BBC FOOD'S SOUTH AFRICAN FOOD SHOW 'COOKED.' THE RESULT WAS A HIGH QUALITY DVD, WHICH HAS BEEN SCREENED DAILY SINCE OCTOBER 2008 ON CTV, A COMMUNITY-BASED TV CHANNEL IN CAPE TOWN. WITH THE CHANNEL'S FOOTPRINT BEING PREDOMINANTLY THE CAPE FLATS, NOMFUSI BECAME A HOUSEHOLD NAME IN THE TOWNSHIPS OF CAPE TOWN WITHIN 3 MONTHS.

A WEEK LATER, ON 6 SEPTEMBER 2008, SHE MADE HER OTHER BIG BREAKTHROUGH,
BEING THE OPENING ACT FOR MTV-AWARD WINNING BAND FRESHLYGROUND AT ZIMFEST.

SINCE THEN SHE HAS OPENED THE INAUGURAL KHAYELTISHA FESTIVAL, SINGING HER SONG NONTSOKOLO, WHICH DEALS WITH WHAT SHE CALLS 'THE POVERTY OF THE MIND,'
TO MORE THAN A THOUSAND OF HER PEOPLE.

A MAGAZINE PROGRAMME ON SABC3, THE POWER WITHIN, FILMED AN INSIGHTFUL AND INSPIRING INSERT OF NOMFUSI'S LIFE AND MUSIC, WHICH SCREENED ON 13 DECEMBER 2008, MARKING HER NATIONAL TV DEBUT.

NOMFUSI'S STARTLINGLY BIG VOICE, TANGIBLE CHARM AND INCREDIBLE LIFE STORY HAVE COURTED THE ATTENTION OF ALL THE MAJOR MUSIC ROLE PLAYERS IN SOUTH AFRICA. CARVING OUT A SOLID CIRCUIT FOR HER ENGROSSING LIVE PERFORMANCES, SHE IS ENJOYING A RAPIDLY GROWING LOCAL FOLLOWING, SECURING STELLAR SUCCESS FOR HER FORTHCOMING ALBUM, 'KWAZIBANI/WHO KNOWS?'

BEING SUCH AN INSPIRING EXAMPLE OF THE WILL TO SURVIVE AMIDST UNFATHOMABLE ADVERSITY, SHE BEARS A STRONG MESSAGE OF HOPE TO NOT ONLY SOUTH AFRICANS, BUT A WORLD IN CRISIS." SHE COULD SOON HAVE A GLOBAL AUDIENCE AT HER FEET."
WHO KNOWS?