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Kudzai Mpangi, Sunday Life Reporter
WITH countless successful projects since her career kicked off from the corners of the old township Makokoba, award winning UK-based hip-hop star, Awakhiwe Sibanda aka AWA is still hungry for success.
Today the vivacious and revered female hip-hop star looks back to where it all started. Awakhiwe said she grew up in rural areas of Nkayi district before being introduced to the City of Kings life. Being a clever and intelligent girl, she believed in her abilities despite the influences of negative people who always spoke badly about her quest of venturing into hip-hop music.
“It all started with a dream that I had when I was still at the rural areas of Nkayi and rapping in Ndebele wearing traditional costumes made me stand out. Many people enjoyed watching a village girl doing hip-hop music and I enjoyed doing it that’s when I decided that I can take this to places.
“Many people looked down on my dream to make music because it seemed crazy as resources were less that time, all I had been a dream. After I finished high school that’s when I decided to pursue music as my professional career.
“It was a dark path but things fell into place when I started working with a charity organisation called In Place of War in the United Kingdom. The director of the organisation, Ruth Daniel saw a lot of potential in me then she included me in a project called the Makokoba project which took me to Shoko Festival where we filmed a documentary about my life,” she said.
She said her rise to fame was facilitated by her spectacular performance at Shoko Festival as it opened doors for her to tour around places and wow fans that had fallen in love with her music.
“Since my first performance in the Shoko Festival doors started to open and before I knew it, I was performing in the UK, Germany, Belgium and Netherlands which was a great feeling for a mere Makokoba girl,” she said.
Awakhiwe said she is still undone producing music as she still wants to win gongs and make her followers happy.
“I honestly think I haven’t reached the level that I want to reach. I think I have found myself and this is the beginning of my journey. I’m grateful that I followed my dream. It is never easy and it’s scary but the most important thing is that it gives us happiness and satisfaction,” she said.
The talented rapper described her experience in the UK as a life changing journey that took her from nothing to something. She said UK had well received her music and endorsed her despite expressing her music in her native language.
“I have done many projects in the UK as I am part of a band called GRRRL and the experience has been a life changing one. I have been touring around UK and the people there really appreciate the music even though they don’t understand the lyrics but they have shown immerse support for what we do,” she said.
The hip-hop star has so much lined up for her fans back at home as she is working on an album which she will be releasing sometime this year, and a couple of videos. -@kaysludzai
Online Reporter