Music

The prolific 2011 South African Traditional Music Award (SATMA) winner, Jininka, is confident that she will win the Film, Arts, Music Entertainment (FAME) SA Awards trophy tomorrow (Saturday) evening  at the University of Limpopo Turfloop Campus. Jeanette Nkanyane (her real name) is nominated in the Best Traditional Tshivenda Artist category.

Jininka, who is presently busy in the studio recording her sixth album, says it is an honour for her to be nominated for this inaugural award. “Being nominated is a very important thing to me and taking the award home will be a bonus. I will dedicate the award to my fans who have been supporting me for many years. I encourage all my fans to continue voting for me as many times as possible by sending the number 36 to 47052 at R2 per sms.”

Jininka’s producer and the founder of Masana Records, Victor “Da Vic” Nemungadi, is confident that Jininka will win the award. “I have worked with her for many years and she is a very good musician. I have no doubt that she will continue her winning spree and put Masana Records on the map again.”

Since her fourth album, Ndi Muvenda, for which she won the SATMA, Jininka’s music has gone to another level and she is undoubtedly one of the best Afro Pop artists Limpopo has ever produced. Many have tried to copy her soothing voice but failed because she is so unique and differently gifted.

It has been a long and winding road for Jininka to be where she is today. She was born at Ha-Ravele outside Louis Trichardt and started her music career in 1992 at the age of 10 in a church choir. In 1993, she joined a community choir, The Holy Servants Choir, and they used to perform at funerals, parties, weddings and community gatherings.

In 2004, Jininka moved to Gauteng and started working with her cousin, Humbulani Ramagwedzha, as a backing vocalist. She was then introduced to Masana Records, where she recorded her first Afro Pop album, Love Life, in 2005.

“I was surprised by its instant success, but I did not let fame go to my head. I became artist of the week on both Phalaphala FM and Univen FM. I knew there was lot of work ahead and I continued to build up my career by rehearsing on a daily basis.”

In 2007, Jininka worked with Mukosi Netshiheni on her second album. This time, it was a reggae offering, called Nne Na Inwi (You and I). The album was nominated for the South African Traditional Music Awards (SATMA) in the best female and best new comer categories, but it did not make it to the finals. “The fact that I was nominated was a fulfillment to me and it encouraged me to work hard,” she said.

In 2009, she released her third Afro Pop album, Ni Wanga (You are mine), which was again nominated for the SATMAin the best female category. Her fifth album, Ndi Lwendoni, still continues to make waves in the local music industry.

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