NXT LVL's Zethe Mdletshe got a signal from Mama & she's running with it!
The effects of the hashtag #SheHasNotDied #SheMultiplied that was born in celebration of Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's life are still felt in SA and now thanks to Zethe the celebration of a woman's greatness continues.
Zethe got the signal from mama and ran with it.
The 2017 NXT LVL winner has finally released her debut EP and said her album forced her to also look at issues such as feminism. She said through her music she celebrated both weakness and strengths.
"I'm not a feminist, I won't lie but I am such a lover of all women. I'm in awe of them, even now just after Mama Winnie died; we saw an eruption of celebration for women. We are celebrating women more and more in this country."
"70% of the music on my album focuses on how great a woman is. My mother is also a great woman that inspired some of the songs on my album and some are dedicated to her. I grew up admiring great women and I wanted to celebrate that."
Zethe said as much her album, titled Qhawekazi was all about female power, she would still not call herself a feminist.
She explained that even though for her being a feminist meant one is pro-women, she wanted to dissociate herself with the term because it was always open to different interpretations.
"We all have different definitions of that term and for that reason I don't want to associate myself (or my brand) with it. Especially in this country. I don't want to associate myself with that because we have ripped it apart so badly that it has become (synonymous) with someone who hates men. I am pro women, but I am careful to avoid being associated with a term that can easily be misinterpreted."
Zethe walked away with a R1 million worth of prizes which included R100k in cash, a car worth R300k, a public relations deal worth R250k and many other things which she told TshisaLIVE was the kick-start she needed.
She explained that despite burying her father a week before the finale, things had gotten notably better after the competition.
"Winning the competition also really helped me. There's a certain standard that I wanted with the material. So it gave me the push I needed. But also the timing in my life was just perfect, you know. Things just sort of fell into place after the competition."
Zethe said her sound was not necessarily commercial but she knew counted on the uniqueness of her sound to sell.
The musician said she's not in the business of "just moving" with the tide and she reckoned that would be her strength!
She said she's here for original black girl magic and she would sing it until someone heard her!