Naledi Masilo, a former Albertonian with a passion for jazz
She is a strong believer that opportunity does not fall in one’s lap – one must constantly chase it to be successful.
NALEDI Masilo, a former Albertonian with a passion for jazz, has the ultimate goal of empowering women to grab their dreams with both hands.
She recently got accepted to further her jazz studies at the New England Conservatory of Music in the USA. To be equipped to reach her goal, however, she is reaching out to local communities for funding. The RECORD recently paid Naledi a visit and got to know her a bit better.
Naledi (21) has a 15-year-old brother and a 33-year-old half-sister. She went to school at Saint Martins School in Rosettenville and completed her International Relations and Sociology degrees at the University of Cape Town.
Afterwards, Naledi did not only get accepted into the New England Conservatory of Music but three other American universities as well. In the end, she opted for New England.
Chase opportunities
Naledi says the fact that she graduated and got accepted at multiple international universities, are her biggest achievements yet. She is a strong believer that opportunity does not fall in one’s lap – one must constantly chase it to be successful.
The next dream – and probably the one which will make her life complete – is to open a female-oriented art school (similar to Oprah’s Academy for Girls) that focuses on the arts and female empowerment.
Naledi wants to make a big impact in the music and human development industry so that she would one day be remembered as a “sister” to the women she inspired and empowered. She aims to be a positive role model and a pioneering female in the jazz industry.
And all that jazz
She’s been playing classical piano since the age of 10. However, her passion really took off in 2015 after she got inspired at the Grahamstown Jazz Festival. Today she is a zesty jazz singer, working on her instrumental skills and, if she is able to gather enough funds, she’ll start furthering her jazz studies in the USA in August.
How does she plan on standing out above the rest in the jazz industry?
“I will be open to experimenting with different cultures and styles. I plan on being a jazz musician who is not just the typical female jazz singer, but a versatile instrumentalist who stands back for nothing or nobody.”
She admits that this will come with a few challenges.
“In South Africa, jazz is not greatly supported. People don’t realize that jazz is a very academic music genre that requires a lot of studying and hard work before quality music can be made. Another big challenge is the fact that women in the jazz industry are not taken seriously,” she said.
Her biggest inspiration is Beyoncé, but not just because of her music.
“I’ve always loved her because of the constant hard work she put into her career,” says Naledi.
“Her drive and vision is something to be greatly admired, which I do.”
Please help Naledi get to her dream school in August. Give her a call on 076 619 3085 or email her at naledimasilo@gmail.com.
If you would like to help her with a donation, follow her crowdfunding link at https://gogetfunding.com/get-naledi-to-her-dream-school. Alternatively, donations can be transferred to the following account: First National Bank, savings account, account number 6264138650, branch code 250655.
She leaves readers with a final message of inspiration by John Maxwell.
“Leaders become great not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.”
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