Nephtally Manenzhe, popularly known as Naphy M, made a successful break into the music industry with his debut gospel album, titled Ri Tshi Funana, which was released in the middle of last year.

Even though that album was a low-budget project, it became so popular it proved to be a people’s favourite in taxi ranks, buses and at homes around Vhembe and beyond. True enough, it showed that a lack of funds would never hinder strong-willed artists from realising their dreams of becoming recorded artists.

The aIbum’s popularity earned Naphy M a nomination into the Tshivenda Music Awards (2013) with the song Ri Tshi Funana. “To say that I love music is an understatement,” Naphy M says. “How can we live, or even exist, without music? Music encapsulates life, and life is encapsulated in music.”

He says that the Tshima nomination spurred him on, and he released a follow-up to his first album, titled Murena A Nga Si Tende. This album comprises 12 songs, such as Sathane, Woza Moya, Savhatha, Tauya, Thusa, Ngino Jesu and Vhuyani. On this album, Sathane is a standout and is so well sung, in isiZulu. 

“I enjoyed the rare opportunity, or should I say privilege, of working with the highly talented Vho-Mercy Rambevha on Murena A Nga Si Tende,” he says.

Most of Naphy M’s are songs popularised by church members in the UAAC, or by artists who entered the music industry before him. It seems that he had taken inspiration from the musicians whom he grew up listening to, and fundamentally from the church.

This artist is working on a new album, provisionally titled Ro Tendelana, due later this year. “Even though I am currently working on my new album and investing a lot of finance into the project, I sometimes feel discouraged when I think of people who pirate our work to sell it for R10 in the street,” he says. “In Thohoyandou, the situation has gotten out of hand. You won’t find a South African selling fake CDs. They are all foreigners and when you approach them, they gang up and beat you terribly!”

Naphy M resides at Vhulaudzi village in Nzhelele.