Chronicle Editor
Rejoyce Sibanda, Showbiz Reporter
PAMELA Nothando Bhulu, a Germany-based singer-songwriter famously known on stage as ‘Nomina’ has pursued her music dream to the international level and one can hardly believe that she is a girl who grew up in Plumtree town and also stayed in Botswana.
She started singing as a hobby but her music videos have been internationally acclaimed on MTV Base and on radio charts in the United States.
Besides her music career, Nomina is a business woman, and is an ambassador of World Peace Berlin, which is in association with the United Nations.
The Saturday Chronicle interviewed the talented artist in Bulawayo.
She revealed that she has an upcoming song with the famous Sean Kingston, an American-Jamaican singer.
“It is a rave, dance, pop song. Kingston has his touch to the song and I also came in with my vibe and it was just a hit. I was given three days to write. I remember one morning I woke up and while at my bedside, started writing and I was like this is it. I recorded it on my phone and it was approved. This particular song is the one opening doors for me as it is inviting other artists to work with me,” said Nomina.
She said she is a big fan of Sean Kingston and she likes his music to the core, hence the collaboration is a dream come true.
Nomina said the Agency she has been working with for years made it possible for her to work with Kingston.
“The upcoming song is titled ‘Closer to you’, it is a love song that has a combination of the languages that l speak and I am pretty sure that it is going to be a surprise to most people. It was supposed to be released on Valentine’s Day. However, we are waiting for the correct date that we are going to release it and that should be on Friday (24 February) this week,” said the artist.
The gifted singer-songwriter said she is will be traveling to Los Angeles around April this year to shoot the music video for ‘Closer to you.’
She said she is looking forward to bringing out an Extended Play (EP) and also other international collaborations.
“So far l have released the current song titled ‘Rise’. This song invites a strong zeal to dance, but it has a much deeper meaning to it. It is out now, but not yet on radios here in Zimbabwe. I am here for the promotion of my German titled song ‘Komm mit mir’ which means come with me that has been trending on the charts on Star FM, Skyz Metro FM and also on the top 200 chats of Zimbabwe Shazam,” said Nomina.
The artist said she feels the great support of her fellow Zimbabweans and she is in the country to get closer to her followers and all the people that listen to her music.
She said she would also like to work with Jah Prayzah, a Zimbabwean contemporary musician who portrays a style in music with a traditional touch that she likes.
Nomina’s music fuses RnB, Soul, Pop and delicate electro-beats with emotional depth, lyricism and an immaculately expressive vocal style. This shows she is not limited by genre or style as now she is also fusing into Amapiano.
“I feel like I am always away and so I have realised that people would be playing my songs and music videos without knowing the actual person behind all that. I want to allow people to understand who I am and get to have those personal relationships with me. Not only am I visiting Zimbabwe but also getting to know what is happening around and the music that people are listening to,” said Nomina.
The Germany-based musician said people should support artists because they work hard and they put their all into music to make ends meet.
Nomina is also doing some charity work for the communities in which she grew up.
She said she recently started a long-term poultry farming programme for Gwambe and Tshankwa Primary Schools in Plumtree and the schools are already making profits from the project.
“Artists should follow their dreams, know what they want and pursue it and have support. There are ups and downs in life and people should not give up. Music at the end of the day is a business, hence You have to try and build yourself and have people by your side who are going to support you because that support is important and it goes a long way,” said the artist.
Nomina said artists should always have a side hustle to back them up in case the music industry fails them.
She urged fans and other supporters of her music to follow her on all social media platforms.
Starting out with a music band in Botswana named Desert Crew, nominee has worked with Germany-based hip-hop bands, among them Wailing Trinity, Later Acoustic Aduo and Roots Worries.
@ReeSibanda
Online Reporter