SATMA nomination for Tshivenda music prince Sikheli Junior

Afro-beat maestro Sikheli Junior has been nominated in the Best Album category for the South African Traditional Music Awards. The album in question, which was released last year, is called A li ngo lala.

Sikheli Junior flung his name into stardom with the release of his previous albums, called Ladzani Shango, Malovhele and Nwali O Sinyuwa.

Born Joseph Nengudza, Sikheli Junior is not new to this prestigious award. In 2013, he won the Best Album award for Ladzani Shango.

A li ngo lala can be loosely translated to “there’s no peace in the land”, and the singer believes that this work is his best yet. “My previous albums have been flying higher and higher, but what I like about A li ngo lala is that it has this renewed quality to it.” He says he is very excited about his nomination for this album and now looks forward to winning the award.

A li ngo lala comprises 11 songs, including Ndi lilele nnyi, Masasana, Ndo vhona, Phathutshedzo nwananga and Ro tshenuwa, which leave listeners with a sense of familiarity, belonging, and a feeling of déjà vu. “I always strive to compose music that resounds [with] an energy of its own, not forgetting to inject some positive lyrics into the songs,” he said.

The song Ndo vhona tells an inspiring story about the difficulties and challenges he had encountered as a social entity and how he came to conquer them, despite unfavourable circumstances, while Phathutshedzo nwananga offers guidance to the young to seize the opportunities they get and follow their dreams - while time is still on their side.

Looking at the kind of issues he relays through his music, Sikheli Junior has clearly reached a point of maturity as a musician. He invites his fans and readers to vote for him by SMSing “Satma191” to 49495.

To order Sikheli Junior’s music, contact him directly at 082 538 5406 or 079 486 3179. His music is also available in online music stores for purchase and streaming.

Entertainment - Date: 08 October 2021

Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.

Email: [email protected]