LISTEN | Lwah Ndlunkulu opens up about family, risking it all for music and Inkabi Records

Singer Lwah Ndlunkulu, who's the first lady of Inkabi Records, reflected on her journey before she became a musician who's topping the charts today.

She moved to Joburg in 2020 to pursue a music career that led to her realising her dreams.

“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.”

It was during her waitressing days at a club in Maboneng, that she decided to kick-start her music career.

A chance meeting with Big Zulu is what set her career in motion because she was later signed by the musician.

“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.

“So every time Big Zulu came he would find me there, until a song played of mine and he asked who was singing and he complimented my voice and said he would like to have an artist like me on his record label. We ended up recording.”

Leaving her family back home in KwaZulu-Natal was not an easy thing for her. She shared with TshisaLIVE that she had to make a tough decision to realise her dream. 

“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.”

Lwah's musical influences were icon Brenda Fassie and American singer Rihanna but the artists who had a lot of impact were those who sang in her native language.

“When I started music the people that I listened to a lot were Sjava, Big Zulu and Kelly Khumalo. So when I heard them sing in isiZulu and when they sang, I felt like I could relate to some of the things and I thought if they could sing like that then I too can because I specifically wanted Ushun that's not there, that fetches the old, and merge it with the new.”

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