Not only does her sound ooze individuality, but her personality and mentality are non-conformist and if none of these qualities springs out, Port Elizabeth-born musician Moonchild Sanelly’s signature blue hair will most likely catch your attention when she performs at the Buyel’Ekhaya Pan African Music Festival in East London next weekend.
The singer, whose real name is Sanelisiwe Twisha, will return to her home province to perform alongside Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Jonas Gwangwa, Zahara, Dumza Maswana, Busiswa, Shekhinah, Sun-El Musician and others.
“I love performing for Xhosa people because they really get the context of the lyrics, hence they often laugh so much at the stuff I sing. Other people just love the entertainment even though they don’t understand what I’m saying,” she said.
She was already in the spotlight at six months old when her mother put her up for an Edgars advertisement. Whether that experience paved her way to stardom or if fame was simply her destiny, the singer has set her mind to winning by simply being herself.
“I don’t care about what anyone else thinks, so I just do what I want and that keeps people on the edge of their seats because they don’t know what to expect,” she said.
Now known for her unique look and chicky-yet-humorous Xhosa and English lyrics in the hit single iWalk yePhara with DJ Maphorisa, DJ Raybel, KO and Zulu Mkhathini, the singer and fashion designer has not always been as famous in her home country, despite having been in the music industry for more than a decade. She has over the years spread her wings abroad, familiarising fans and colleagues with her brand.
Her “Future Ghetto Funk” sound blew up in SA in 2017, after she was featured in DJ Maphorisa’s Midnight Starring with Busiswa and DJ Tira. In the hit song, Moonchild is in love with someone who will not recognise her and she tells of how she follows them on social media and gets upset when they ignore her posts even though she sees herself as their future wife. The song was one of the biggest summer hits of 2017. .
“The thing about SA is we talk a lot about Mandela having fought for our freedom, but mentally we haven’t freed ourselves enough to celebrate our own originality until it’s been [validated] overseas.”
But the edgy singer believes things happen as they should – at the right time.In 2018, she has been setting performance stages like Idols SA and the DStv Mzansi Magic Viewers Choice Awards on fire with iWalk yePhara. She recently performed with Wizkid at the Global Citizen Festival, arguably SA’s biggest music event of the year, which included performances by the likes of Beyonce, Pharrel, Jay-Z, Usher and Black Coffee.
“I appreciate [the experience]. It was so crazy and I know it wasn’t by luck but a manifestation of every effort I have put into my work. It was humbling and awesome.”
The former Woolhope Secondary School pupil grew up between New Brighton, KwaDwesi and KwaMagxaki before moving to Durban to study fashion at Damelin shortly after matric. While she visits her Port Elizabeth family when she gets a chance, she has never performed in her home town.
The 10th Buyel’Ekhaya Pan African Festival is on December 16 at Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium. Tickets cost R250 at Shoprite, Checkers and Computicket nationwide.
Port Elizabeth Damelin fashion design alumnus Thandolwethu Piliso will represent the Bay in Buyel’Ekhaya’s fashion leg on December 14 at Hemingways Mall. Piliso, who recently completed an internship with Gert-Johan Coetzee, will showcase alongside Coetzee, Sonwabile Ndamase, Zimbabwe’s Chimanye Nyasha and others.