Get to Know Sindiswa: The Rising Singer Born from TikTok Stardom
In today’s fast-paced and social media-inclined world, there are more avenues of putting one’s name out there than there were decades ago, and even in the blog era of the early 2010s. The cemented popularity of the video-based platform TikTok, which thrives on challenges and the catchiness of the substance, has broadened this gate, allowing younger and more digitally savvy youth to establish their names and build audiences with their artistry – independently – without having to jump through the hoops of the traditional way of doing things. Owning this platform has been key to numerous rising stars, with one of them being burgeoning singer-songwriter Sindiswa.
Boasting a following of over 920 000 followers on TikTok, the songstress has released singles such as “Hambe” alongside hip-hop star Blxckie and most recently “Iphupho”, which became her first work since putting ink on the major-label contract tabled by Universal Music Group.
Born Sindiswa Nhlapho in the township of Tsakane, specifically Braakpan in the East Rand, Sindiswa rolled the clock back to her childhood, characterising herself as a young lady who grew up a homebody. She recollected that her family had penchant for music.
Sindiswa | SUPPLIED
“I grew up in a very musical family, and we would sing all the time. I lived through the era of Joyous Celebration and Zahara, and we’d always have their music on blast. It was also during that time that I began noticing that I have a voice,” she said of her early encounters with music and being inspired at a young age.
Her latest piece of work, “Iphupho”, she explained, was inspired by conversations with God and earnest prayers she offered about wanting to break into the industry after many years of trying as well as being the pride of her family.
“The song “Iphupho” came together during a studio session when they asked me: ‘What are you thinking right now?’ And at the time, I just felt like I wanted to write a prayer to God to make my dream come true. Because a lot of people are making it in the industry, and my prayer to God was that I also get a turn to break. In 2021, I started TikTok, so for many years I was making TikToks without getting recognised. When I made the song, I prayed that this song be the one that breaks through, so that I can make my dreams come true and make my mom and my family proud,” she said.
Listen to “Iphupho”:
Sindiswa spoke about the impact that the digital footprint one left of their artistry had on the trajectory of their potential career. Highlighting that UMG learned about her through the content she made on TikTok, the warbler classified art that is uploaded on the platform as a curriculum vitae of sorts that allowed the audience to co-sign the artist while also allowing scouters to page through the account for anything they’re looking for.
“When I started out, I was doing covers, and people would like, comment and repost until my content reached the eyes of the right people. So, I feel like with social media, you are putting in your CV somewhere somehow because your craft is pretty much out there for people to see and enjoy. UMG recognised me through my videos and then they called me. So, I would say that social media is a space for you to be recognised because, for me, it helped my career a lot,” she said.
Sindiswa spoke about the euphoric milestone of being singed to UMG, and how working with one of the world’s biggest recording labels has been not only been a wholesome experience but a learning curve she’s taking one day at a time with proper tutelage.
“I’d say that I’m still in the development stage with UMG. As much as we are not necessarily starting from scratch, they are moulding me for the future since we are starting out. But so far so good, and I like the way they treat me. The pacing of everything is just right. There’s no rush or any pressure. We are going with the flow and how things should go,” she said.
Sindiswa | SUPPLIED
The widely acknowledged concept of sowing 10 000 hours into one’s artistry to achieve mastery is a path taken by many and yet completed by a few. When it came to the question of how she boosted her musical stats, Sindiswa spotlighted the virtue of patience.
“When it comes to my music, I always pray for patience because these things take time. So, for me to always be at the top of my game musically speaking, I always try to be patient with myself during the process of bettering myself. If you are not patient with yourself, you might end up becoming discouraged when you see things working out for other people while things have stagnated on your side,” she said.
Influenced by the likes Naledi Aphiwe and Lwah Ndlunkulu, Sindiswa spoke about the mark she longed to leave with her music and how she would love people to remember her when everything is said and done.
“I would like to be known for my inspirational songs. Most of the music I make is inspirational and give hope. I want to be known as that girl who, when you sing her songs, you feel like you have a bright future and that better days are coming. I mean, I do have love songs and fun songs here and there, but I’m mostly drawn to putting out music that aims to inspire,” she said.