Brenda Mtambo opens up about ‘Sane’ album that brought healing and sanity

Brenda Mtambo says her album Sane brought healing as she was navigating all that life was throwing at her. 

This is her third studio album and comes five years after the release of her second album, So Much More

The musician told TshisaLIVE the album is very personal because it came at the lowest and darkest time of her life.

"I've been very open about my struggle with chronic anxiety. I have anxiety that is inherited. Because my mom suffered mental health issues I got chronic anxiety. I don't have to be sad or in a miserable space to feel it. It just happens. It is in my nervous system."

She said her music became her refuge and she started to understand the purpose of her music was to heal.

"Suffering from that and not knowing I'm suffering from that, going through divorce, losing my mother and losing a lot of things, it hit me rock bottom  and hit me to the core. I think Sane became my sanity. That's why I called it my sanity, it became something I went to.  I went to the studio and I would cry or sometimes I wouldn't sing, not knowing how to utter words. I was in a dark place and I was able to come up with Sane as an album that has Hamba Nathi as a prayer and Awuyedwa because I realised I'm going through the most, but I'm not the only one.

"If I can be strong and hang in there, I could probably help a lot of people and that is the purpose of my music. It has always been about healing. I needed healing. I didn't know I was the one who was going to be needing the healing more than anyone else and the music gave me that healing. Every song tells a story on Sane."

World Mental Health Day was commemorated on October 10, and as someone who has been openly vocal about her mental health journey, Brenda said she is in space where she is aware of how to live with her chronic condition. 

"There are many things I've learnt to do now. One is to allow myself to feel and allow myself to go through it because I find in most cases when you are fighting the feeling or fighting whatever is happening you suffer more, so I allow it to happen. Also I spend a lot of time by myself, I pray a lot and I write my thoughts down. I'm on medication, I'm not scared to share that. I take anxiety medication every day to keep me afloat."

" It is one of the things I'm going through and I always come out of it. So I'm able to motivate myself as well, I'm able to say 'okay, I'm having an episode'. I'm able to identify this is a problem, I don't run away from it, I face it. I pray about my life every time, every day going on stage. I've invested my time in prayer and empowering myself with books. I read a lot. I take care of myself too."