Thandeka Moyo
Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
THE name Thandeka Moyo does not ring a bell for many but the moment she opens her mouth and sings, she leaves a lasting memory for anyone who has had the privilege to watch her perform.
With her recent offing, So Sweet but Taboo, a house track, Thandeka has undoubtedly struck the right chords in many people’s ears in the country and beyond. The song ironically was released in October last year, but most people started to take notice when its music video was released last month.
When she is not pursuing her solo career, Thandeka is part of all-female acapella group Nobuntu which she tours around the world with.
After one of their tours last year, Thandeka said she found the right formula at Sol Native MusiQ studios in Bulawayo with local wheel spinner MduSevan who produced the track. The song tells a story of forbidden love between two people, hence the title So Sweet but taboo.
Thandeka said she had visited MduSevan’s studio to let her hair down after a tour of Europe and found him playing around with an instrumental. She said she was interested in the lyrics and when MduSevan suggested that she should be on the track, she obliged.
“I liked the instrumental he was working on and he asked me to sing some lyrics. At first we were playing around then we started to work on it.
“It wasn’t easy working on the song, but eventually it worked out. The music video also took time to be released but that too was worth the wait,” said Thandeka.
The house music video was shot by renowned videographer Tswarelo Mothobi at a city lodge and was released on YouTube.
She said she loved house music and wants to show the world that Zimbabwe can also produce quality music.
Thandeka said singing was an in-bred fixation, as she discovered her talent when she was in high school at St Columbus where she was part of a girl group that was given the moniker Destiny’s Child.
“I used to sing with Claire Dangarembwa, Tanya Mathwasa and people used to call us Destiny’s Child. Fellow schoolmates would organise sing off competitions which I often won. I was groomed by the school choir,” she said.
Other than music, Thandeka is a qualified cosmetologist who runs the page Thandi’s Canvas on Facebook that offers make up and beauty tips.