There seems to be a thin line between acting and singing in Mzansi’s entertainment industry as actors are now flooding the music space.
This is probably because they already have a strong following, which makes it easier to get into anything entertainment related.
But the truth cannot be ignored that in music you either can or cannot sing. Some have tried their luck and failed dismally, but some are indeed blessed with double talents.
The actors- turned-musician over the years include Simphiwe Majozi, DSK, NaakMusiq, Sicelo Buthelezi and Khaya Dladla – however, not everyone managed to release more than one single.
But how do they begin to juggle time between these two demanding professions?
Simphiwe Ngema was known for a long time as Thuli Nkosi, of Muvhango fame, in 2019 introduced herself in the music industry with the release of Thanda Ngempela under the stage name Quing Simz.
“I released this song because that was one of the ways I remembered Dumi and it just meant so much to me.
“It was not because I was trying to make my followers feel pity for me so they could buy this music and then I’m suddenly rich from that; that is not the idea I had when I released this song,” said Ngema.
The song was a special dedication to her late husband and actor Dumisani Masilela, who died during a hijacking incident in Tembisa in 2017.
A journalism graduate said she always wanted to be a musician but she was blessed with an acting opportunity first and could not deny herself the opportunity.
Her acting career then required most of her time as they work for 12 hours a day, six days a week which did not give her enough time to be in the studio and practice.
She said she opted for feature films as they allowed her time and space to focus on music and her personal life.
“I’ve always been passionate about music, it wasn’t about the followers I had.
“I did not wake up one day and decide that ‘oh no, I’m famous, I should probably sing and my followers will obviously buy the music’. I wanted to sing, acting happened to come first,” said the songbird.
The bubbly yet hilarious Sibusiso Makhathini on Uzalo, real name Simphiwe Majozi, also released a single in 2020 as he set his foot into the industry of melodies.
Majozi said he had longed to release his music for a while but did not have the time. He also was not prepared to face negative opinions from people who would also claim that he was following music only because of his fame.
But he used the lockdown restrictions to review his music ideas and finally hit the studio to give his best shot.
“As much as people assume that actors who sing are guaranteed large music sales, I admit that my first release was not as expected because I did not do as well as I thought,” said Majozi.
“Joining music was not necessarily to make more money. I know our people assume this.
“I always loved singing and yes, you need to build a good number of followers so that your music trends and people want to buy it, but acting is not necessarily a free ticket to music.
“If you really can’t sing then uzosha!” exclaimed the artist.
Majozi will be releasing his next single, titled Amalobolo this week and is toying with the idea of releasing an album mid-year.
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