1st Lady K launches her music career, sheds light on her spirituality

24 October 2023 - 16:00
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1st Lady K on balancing her music career and ubungoma.
1st Lady K on balancing her music career and ubungoma.
Image: Supplied

1st Lady K has made her musical debut with the release of her single Nomalanga — which she wrote after her mom called her to let her know that her sister was not home. 

The song is about her begging her sister to return home. 1st Lady K, real name Khanyisa Clementine Mabasa, 25, was inspired to write about the incident as a way of comforting herself.

“I wrote the song saying that liyashona ilanga (the sun is setting) and you have not arrived,” 1st Lady K told TshisaLIVE.

All her music has significant meaning for her, whether spiritual or to raise awareness. She writes most of her music about personal experiences and those around her. 

“We come from a thwasa home. But we have an initiation school at home. I am a sangoma full time. I however don’t wear beads because of my singing career, but I do when I am at home. I feel I need to respect idlozi lam.”

Raised in Mpumalanga and Pretoria, 1st Lady K became a qualified sangoma at 15 and dropped out of school in grade 11 to focus on her calling.

At 16, she auditioned for Idols SA but her journey was short-lived because of her youth. 

Coming from a lineage of izangoma and healers, she did not spend a lot of time at church but sang during spiritual gatherings at her home where they used and trained izangoma initiates. 

1st Lady K has dabbled in other industries and worked as a packer for three retail companies before accepting that singing is her calling.

She has spent years working on her craft behind the scenes, which balances spirituality, and feels it is now time to share with the world her years of hard work in the studio. 

She chose the name 1st Lady K as she believes she is the leading lady in the game and aims to be at the top.

“My mom could also sing really well, but never pursued the career professionally.

“I love being number one and being at the top. I am my competition, and K is from the first letter of my name Khanyisa.” 



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