Johannesburg - Dyslexia has not stopped singer and songwriter Nkiyase, or Sister Nswembu, from rising to the top of the music industry. Instead, this condition, which is associated with reading and writing challenges, has made this hard-working and multi-talented singer the woman she has become.
Over the past 23 years, since she began her music career as a dance and kwaito music vocalist, Nkiyase has used all her challenges to traverse the worlds of music and business with aplomb.
This year she is celebrating 23 years in the local music scene and continues on her journey as a philanthropist, musician and capable businesswoman.
She says her career might have started slowly, but this is what has made it more long-lasting and meaningful than the early glory that many of her peers might have tasted but soon allowed to fizzle out.
“Music has always been part of my life, as I grew up in a home that sold alcohol. I would sing on top of tables and crates from an early age, which is why it was not surprising that I ended up being an artist. Also, being dyslexic allowed me to use music as my form of expression, and taking to the stage was a form of escape and an outlet for my creativity,” Nkiyase said.
When asked if she has been away from the stage in recent years, the stylish lady of song said she had been actively involved in music and other aspects of the music business.
“I have not been away or hiding, but have been busy behind the scenes with other projects, including organising shows and touring, and will be celebrating this milestone through more shows, more tours, and more collaborations,” Nkiyase told The Star during a recent sit-down interview.
The music veteran, known for her catchy dance-like music, is proud that, unlike many of her peers, she is now celebrating 23 years in the music industry and with it many hard lessons that have allowed her to be brave and diverse in her musical choices.
This has allowed her to work with such doyens of local and international music as America’s Keith Thompson, Dr Mbongeni Ngema, the legendary kwaito group Trompies, an award-winning music producer named Joe Nina, and many other great acts over the past two decades.
Besides her current album, “I Am Who I Am”, released in November 2023, Nkiyase is establishing herself not only as a South African brand, but also as a global one, having already partnered with international acts such as Keith Thompson. New collaborations with artists from Dubai, Nigeria, and other parts of the world are also on the cards.
She says working with legends such as Joe Nina and Mercy Pakela in creating the album was a great experience, which makes the offering an inspirational gift to both older and younger audiences as she straddles the two through the collaborations and features.
“Working on the album was a great experience, as it reflected the kind of person that I am. I have worked with legends such as Mercy Pakela and Joe Nina, on the one hand, and younger artists such as 2woshort, Fake Ano, Frey Music, and Slovas, on the other. The album itself is an inspirational offering, as it touches on and tackles issues of GBV and suicide. I wanted to send a strong message about the scourge of GBV, which is rife in the country. All in all, the album has a strong message of building, and the songs are generally inspirational,” she said.
Nkiyase, who has had her fair share of a tough life as a young girl struggling with dyslexia, says the learning difficulty never dented her spirit, but instead made her the hard-working and self-reliant woman that she has become. She says that, besides music, she does awareness campaigns on the condition through her advocacy group, the Momba Foundation.
“It was really sad being ridiculed for not being able to read and write, and being told that you will amount to nothing. When I think about it, dyslexia really pushed me to the stage and made me the driven and ambitious woman that I am,” she said.
The Star