At just 10 years old, Port Elizabeth-born musician Moonchild Sanelly’s firstborn daughter is following in her mother’s footsteps with her own music career.
Artemis Wafika Twisha is a young singer, rapper and songwriter with a newly released EP and a couple of TV appearances ticked off her to-do list.
Formerly based in KwaZulu-Natal and set to start school in Port Elizabeth in 2019, Artemis said she had been handling her singing career and school quite well.
A child star like her mother, she started performing and singing covers at the age of five under Moonchild’s supervision. It became more than a hobby when her mother recognised and believed in her talent.
“I used to sing along to ringtones until my mother said I should start singing, so she started making beats for me on her laptop and I wrote lyrics and sang,” Artemis said.
The young star writes her own music about life in general.
In her recently released song Ngudlangudla (Bully), the budding young performer takes a stand against bullying. The song was inspired by a real-life event.
“This one time I was out with my sister and we came across two other kids who would not let us get into the swimming pool until we called my mother and they called their grandmother. The event inspired me to write a song about bullying,” she said.
Artemis cut her teeth in songwriting with her debut single, Hola Ben10, which is on her EP along with Ngudlangudla.
The EP was released earlier in 2018 before the singer shot a music video for Ngudlangudla with DJ Guru. The video was released in November and is attracting interest on YouTube. Ngudlangudla is the first single off DJ Guru’s debut album, When Stars Align.
Artemis frequented TV screens in 2018, making appearances and talking about her career on The Scoop TV, MTV Africa and Afternoon Express.
“Appearing on TV makes me very nervous, but it’s also very exciting. I’m not scared to perform in front of big crowds anymore,” she said.
Like a true celebrity, Artemis interacts with her fans on social media platforms Twitter and Instagram – her Instagram account has more than 2,000 followers.Her account, managed by Moonchild, is often flooded with pictures of the young star rubbing shoulders with celebrities, such as Sho Madjozi, Nadia Nakai and Sjava.
Artemis is convinced she has found a permanent home in the entertainment industry and plans to dominate it as she grows up. She also dreams of opening her own dance and vocal academy.
“I want to be a lot of things: a fashion designer, actress, artist. I also want to start my own music show and a dance school where I can teach kids how to dance,” she said.
Though she comes across as quite shy in real life, the young singer’s social media accounts show a great resemblance between her and her mother, including rocking colourful hair and a daring fashion sense. Moonchild, also a designer, often dresses herself and her daughter.
Ahead of starting grade 6, Artemis has moved to Port Elizabeth with her family and her younger twin sisters.
Follow her on Instagram and Twitter, @artemis_wafika.