Women From South Africa

"We are in the system, and it's rigged. Better we get to know it if we are to survive, break out and thrive, at this moment its near impossible to live outside it. So we need to equip ourselves with the knowledge that will allow us to have more than a fighting chance"

"You don’t talk about how you become OK and how you went through it, and this is what this album is about ... I ignored my emotional, psychological because I was in the battle ... and I neglected me."

"I went through a break-up, and all my plans were in the trash. I kind of just shut down and I remember that there were so many things happening all at once ... I went through a mental block for two-to-three months, and I was at home ... it made me reconnect with myself."

"Going through the break-up within the lockdown, I was actually seeing what had actually happened, I had time to think about it and ask myself questions. I couldn’t really run away from myself any more, there was nothing to distract me ... Even being home, it reminded me of myself"

"I remember I was not able to express to people in the house that I don’t feel like getting up from bed, and not being able to give that a name, I just went through this darkness that I couldn’t explain"

"Firstly, I am showing that it's possible to every poor, unappreciated and broken young girl out there in our country. It's possible to dream and chase after your dreams, it's possible to be heard, it's possible to achieve and break the mould and be something"

"[A] few years as a struggling artist in Mahikeng and seeing people that are half talented being given a chance and messing it up while I was overlooked or being boxed in as just a female wannabe rapper. That is painful beyond words. Thank God I never even thought of giving up, not even for a day"

"I’m starting to feel like myself again, Yoh I went through it. Taking care of your mental health should be a priority, not a lot of people will get it, but zinakekele"

"Satan is taking advantage of the situations we find ourselves in. There's a demonic spirit going around taking our children who are coming with better things for the future of our country"

"Something is going on in the spiritual world. We need to stand up. We stood up and fought apartheid and many other ills that make us fight, let this be one of them"

"One thing about me, I am not shy to express how I feel. I have checked myself into a mental health wellness facility. I haven’t been OK for the past few months. I have been so depressed. I have decided to fight this by taking a break and dealing with this one on on"

"I am excited about the future;Venturing[out] independently after being in a label that took care of everything for me was a bit scary,but I'm ready and prepared to conquer what's ahead"

"i decided to leave because I felt it was time.I've learnt from being at the label,not just as my brand [as]Miss Pru,but I learned more about the business industry.Its time to leave the nest."

"It's not the award that means so much to me;it's the fact that I was the first woman in 20 years to win the award after Brenda Fassie"

"Because we need to keep this winning streak going,we can't let it be another 20 years before another woman wins"

"I had the time of my life doing this, it was like being a kid the whole time"

"It was hard because when I came to Joburg I did not have a place to stay so I had to squat at the studio to record and make music until I found someone who gave me the opportunity. There were many challenges because of that but fast forward, things ended up good after I recorded uMuzi eSandton"

"I would camp at Big Zulu's studio, so whenever he came to his studio we would all run away because I believe we were not allowed to be there. So we would camp there and make music. It was a lot of us in studio, until this one time I decided that I'm not gonna go when others were leaving, I'm gonna stay and see how this thing works"

"I ditched my family because they didn't want me to do music. They wanted me to finish school. So I left and came to Joburg. At that time there was something that was pushing me and that was 'the world needs this and the world needs a message that you are coming with'. Because I believe that every time I sing a song, it has a message"

"Whether its good or bad. Whether it influences others in a good or bad way. I was told by something at the back of my head that I need to go and work on my goals, go and find what you want to do, its possible. I was driven by the passion that I had."

"Soul music is memories, it’s everyday life, it’s easy to consume. I think it’s that the soul, the spirit, resides in Africa so soul music here could also mean the beating of a drum because that’s how we invoke our soul."

"The processes are different for every album. Nothing is ever deliberate. Making art for me is one step in front of the next. You don’t begin with a full art work, you begin with one stroke and then you go. And you ask what else can I do until it’s a full picture."

"A love for the people, a love for country, and a love for justice. They form the basis for what the production is about using audio visual elements to stimulate imagination and explore history while moulding a new world."

"I always knew that there were people who sang better than me, I never thought I would make it to this level."

"All I noticed was that something would happen to people when I sang, I found that people noticed me more when I sang."

"People associate my work with their traditions and culture and maybe there isn't enough of that in the music industry. The music industry does sometimes become a little poppy and more about the accumulation of things. My work is about memories and identity"

"You cannot want to live in other people's expectations Your only intention should be to tell your story and tell it authentically. That is the only culture an artist should have. I don't have a desire for popularity or a desire for anything that people think identify you as a successful person. My success comes from finishing my work. So, as soon as I finish my work, I feel like I have succeeded. Anything that happens after that is out of my hands"

"I have a lot of band configurations. I have a jazz band. I have the band I have been playing with for 20 years"

"I saw army tanks while walking to school ensuring us natives were ‘well behaved.’ It was impossible to miss those things"

"I was interested in something different and followed radical pathways to making art"

"Music gave me a natural medium to express myself and all I was seeing"

"Struggle didn’t need to be a bad thing, so long as we knew what we were pushing towards"

"Having grown up so un-free, there was a euphoria hearing Nelson Mandela was being freed and that we could get an ID and be a true South African with the rights of any other citizen"

"We were kind of swept away by this idea of freedom"

"In spite of having a Black-led government, we quickly realized we still needed to struggle, protest, and fight"

"We were trying to wrap our minds around neocolonialism and the way power corrupts"

"Even as I sing in my own language about a South African experience,she says, I also see it as pan-Africanist music that speaks to the Diaspora as well. I create work that is interested in connecting us and bridging gaps"

"Money draws people in and takes away agency"

"Learn when to say no to the money, because it comes with so many complications and people who feel entitled to steering your career"

"I’ve just become someone who has a whole different level of pride for my home and where I come from."

"I grew up with a love for all types of sounds and never wanted to be tied down to one."

"I want to become the new reference and the start of something new."

"When I was small, I was convinced that I was the best dancer. I never had dance classes but I would always try out all different forms of dance, from belly dancing to krumping, and now amapiano type dancing. I’m still learning but my love for dancing runs deep."

"I wanna eventually buy my parents their dream home and make sure they don’t need to work another day in their life."

"I would tell everybody that I was going to be a pop star. My parents hoped I would grow out of it, but I never did. No matter who asked me what I wanted to be, I’d always say singer. My answer never changed."

"I’m very determined. Tyla adds of her desire for further international success. If I want something, I make sure I get it. There’s a point where things become hard and you wonder if it’s going to work. But I always knew that things were going to work out eventually."

"I always know what I want and I trust [myself]. I also love collaborating and sharing other people’s ideas because everybody has something different. You never know, because initially with ‘Been Thinking’ it was a bit further into pop than I was used to, but I warmed up to it and recorded everything and it was great. That’s happened a lot where I’ve been worried or questioning certain things, but once I’ve done it I’ve ended up liking it, so I’m open to learning."

"I love it — it’s what I wanted. I’m super-proud of myself. I know this is the time when I’m just starting, but I know that it’s also the time when I have to really work because I want to make my home proud. It’s a lot to put on your shoulders, but that’s what I want. I really want eyes on all African artists in general, because we need more attention."

"I have always been a big dreamer, but obviously my parents and family will tell me to be realistic. It’s very rare that we get these opportunities in SA. Growing up, I used to watch a lot of Michael Jackson and Rihanna concerts; I loved it and wanted to do that. We are very close as a family and they are so proud, they get excited and it’s a whole celebration."

"They didn’t want me to be disappointed if things didn’t go my way. But I was so adamant. I was going to make it happen no matter what."