After winning Mzansi with her song Thandolwethu, Afro soul singer Berita is back with her brand new single Nguwe wedwa set to be the ultimate song for summer weddings.
ZAlebs had a chat with Berita to know more about her latest offering.
Congratulations on the release of your new single "Nguwe wedwa". Please tell us more about it.
Thank you. I'm really excited as well. Nguwe wedwa is a song about true love and adorning the one you love. I wrote it with summer weddings, joy and happiness in mind. I wanted to create a song that would be a song for first dances at weddings. One song that inspired me to create this [song is an old South African classic Emlanjeni by Mafikizolo.
How is it different from your old music?
Honestly, not very different. But, I have fans on social media commenting on how my content and voice has matured.
You are in your 20s and most of your songs are about love. Where does the inspiration to write about the matters of the heart come from?
I feel like the 20s is a period of exploration. Some of my love songs are inspired by my share of heartbreaks and relationships. I also sit with my friends, we discuss and I pick up things and I write about them. You are going to hear a few songs in my upcoming album coming March 2017 written in this manner.
We like how you are true to yourself, music wise and style wise in an industry where everyone is trying to fit in. What keeps you grounded and true to yourself?
Thank you. I don't know actually. I know I'm genuinely a people's person even when I bump into my fans at a grocery store, I keep the same sweet attitude as I would on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I don't do it for the show. I genuinely love my career and in my industry I would rather be myself, rather than fit in. Let's inspire each other and grow. I believe there is enough space for everyone.
You have shared a stage with the legendary musician Oliver Mtukudzi and Hugh Masekela, please tell us about that experience.
Collaborating with Baba Oliver Mtukudzi and Bra Hugh Masekela was an amazing experience. It was actually the first time they also collaborated together as well. I met Baba Oliver Mtukudzi through an industry friend and he agreed to collaborate.
So, I went to Harare and recorded the song with him. When I came back I did a festival in the Eastern Cape with Bra Hugh Masekela and happened to play right after him in the line up. Luckily he stayed and watched my perfomance and we got to chat afterwards. Only to find out that we had been invited to Baba Oliver Mtukudzi's celebration concert back in Zimbabwe. When we met the second time, he got to hear the song we had done, and he insisted on how he wanted to be in the song. The rest is history.
Many people have negative comments about the music industry. Considering the fact that you studied Financial Information System, but you followed your passion for music, is a career in music something that you would encourage your sibling to pursue?
If she is keen, yes. However, I would encourage her to read and research on how the industry works. I believe there is so much information available that can assist in getting to know the industry better. This is what I encourage all young people that ask me how they can get into the industry. I believe there is a lot of talent in the streets, people just don't have the knowledge on how certain things work. It tends to become difficult because if you come into the industry without the slightest knowledge, you will be taken advantage of.
What challenges did you come across in the music industry, and how did you overcome them?
My biggest challenge was not having the knowledge on how the industry works. That affected the growth of my brand from day one. I was discovered whilst a first year student at varsity, I didn't have the slightest idea on how the industry works and I made so many mistakes because of that. Over the years, I've taken a back seat and took time to read and network, now I understand the industry better. I'm not bitter about my past mistakes, I'm ready to move my career to the next level and I will always persevere and keep learning.
What more can we expect from you musically?
2017 is going to be a great year musically for me. My album is done and is to be released in March 2017.
We know that you are a very private person and we respect that, but we would like to know about the very lucky man in your life. Who is he? How did you meet? Could he be the inspiration behind your new single Nguwe wedwa?
I'm definitely happy to keep that part of my life private. I'm not ready to talk about that just yet.
Image Credit: Instagram/beritaafrosoul