What really happened to Amaponi? Ntombi Mzolo unravels the mystery!

Remember Amaponi? Yeah, the kids of legendary music couple Linah Khama and Bheki Ngcobo (Hhashi Elimhophe), who decided to form a group - which consisted of Ntombi, Nkosinathi, Jabulani and Vusiwe Ngcobo - in 1997? What really happened to them?

We spoke to Ntombi Mzolo, who let us in on the group's journey.

Amaponi did something that had never be done before in the country: they created a kids band.

And before you get trapped in the misconception that they had it easy creating their band, given that their parents had already served 20 years in the industry at the time, brace yourself...

The journey began with a 'little stereo'

"It all started with us as kids wanting to be like our parents, wanting to be on stage, wanting to mingle with people and entertaining," Ntombi revealed.

"So they asked us to put together a demo. They didn't even give us any equipment to put it together. So we used a recorder, remember those? Yes, we put in a tape and we started recording in a little stereo."

But wait, before you start feeling sorry for them. Those little stereos that Ntombi was referring to were quite instrumental in those days. You could record your entire life on them with, of course, enough empty cassettes.

But long story short, the parents were more than pleased with the demo that Ntombi and her siblings had created. There was just one little problem: Was there a market for them?

• Spotlight! Ntombi Mzolo relives her days with Amaponi: 'It was the best time of my life'If ever a band were ripe for a ride on the reunion carousel, it's Amaponi. Sitting in the boardroom at our offices, Ntombi Mzolo and I cannot help but relive the decadent 90s - the era of kwaito and child stars during which she, along with her siblings, hit astronomical heights of fame. 

'We had to work ten times harder than the average person'

"At that point, there was no group made up of kids in South Africa. So we were not sure if there was a market for us. On top of that, we faced challenges getting a recording deal, because despite the fact that our parents had been in the industry for a long time, we had to do it like everyone else. We worked ten times harder than the average person."

After an elaborate process of sending out their demos, one record company decided they would be worth taking a risk for.

"Our parents sent our demo to a couple of record companies, and one company said they were not sure if there was a market for young guys, but were willing to give us a try.

With success comes money?

As they became increasingly popular and successful, the group started making copious amounts of money. However, it's not as great as you'd think.

That only meant that they had to become adults at an early age. Bills and all!

"I don't remember how much our first pay cheque was, but what I do remember is, we had to contribute towards groceries, electricity and water at home. So we would split the bill every month among the four of us. It got to a point where we actually learnt that money doesn't fall from trees. We need to work to have money, so that you can have the good things that you want in life.

But it taught us to be responsible and be able to take care of ourselves. We even started paying our own school fees. So my parents would do things for us only if they wanted to. There was no such thing as allowance," she said.

Not all that smooth sailing

It's bad enough that you have to deal with them at home, but can you imagine having to work with your siblings? Ntombi admits that it yanked her veins at times.

"We obviously had our fair share of challenges. We're different personalities, and there would be times when we need to rehearse, and one person is being moody. One would forget their outfit, and steal yours.

We wore traditional outfits, and obviously had to wear tights underneath. You'd be surprised when you get to the show, knowing very well that you packed your tights, and next thing they're not there. And we would literally go mad," she recalled.

But apart from all the unavoidable fights, the love was and still is there.

"As siblings we don't get along at most times, but more than anything, we love and respect each other. And that rises above every challenge. We also get over issues in a matter of a few minutes. Being in a big family also did not allow us to be angry at each other for a long time."

Speaking about Amaponi was tricky for me because I didn't know whether to refer to them in the past tense or the present tense.

So I had to ask, "What happened to the group?"

'Nothing happened to Amaponi, except that we grew up'

"We were just used to working together and being together, because we stayed under the same roof. So it was easy to get things done. But we grew up, some of us got married and other explored other interests.

"Jabu wanted to focus on sound engineering and being a DJ, I wanted to focus on music, Vusiwe wanted to be a lawyer and she was also crazy about TV presenting. So we all went our separate ways. We moved out of the family home, and our schedules started to clash," Ntombi explained.

And in case you need more clarification...

"We've never said Amaponi does not exist anymore."

There you have! The group is still alive, folks! They actually even still perform every now and then.

"But as I said earlier on that we still receive bookings, and if we're told on time, we go to the shows. But it really is difficult, because we find ourselves having to rehearse over WhatsApp at times. We send each other videos of new routines, because as much as are performing old songs, we like to revamp our delivery and therefore, create new dance routines. We still put in a lot of work into our art."