‘In fact I am very smart’ – Busiswa talks her new reality TV show: Her Majesty

Black girl magic reigns this International Women’s month as BET Africa welcomes the Queen of dance Busiswa Gqulu with her new reality TV show, Her Majesty: Busiswa.

The reality show will serve as a visual companion to Busiswa‘s musical journey as cameras closely follow her as she opens her life to viewers across Africa.

We got the chance to have a one on one with Queen of dance, Here is how the Q&A went:

1. This is your first reality TV show debut. How does it feel? 

It’s nerve wrecking. I’m terrified, but I’m excited because I’m trying something new, and I think 2021 is the year for trying new things for everybody.

2. Growing up in the Eastern cape in Umthata how did that influence you as a musician and artist? 

I think mostly as a language and being Xhosa. Growing up in Umthata has helped me in the sense that I have a strong command of my home language, and I am able to use that and play wit that in my music consistently. I also think the ways in which I interact with people, growing up I was always taught to be respectful, but also self assured in my career.

3. How do you manage to juggle your music career, being a yummy mommy to your beautiful son and now having a reality tv show? 

I look at my bank balance and then I get inspired. I need to hustle. I need to keep moving. I’m very blessed to have the opportunities I have so that my son never has to experience hardship. My family is a daily motivation to put in the effort in the work that I do, and the things that I put out.

ALSO READ: Rihanna dragged for sampling DJ Maphorisa and Busiswa ‘Midnight Starring’

4. In the show hundreds and thousands of viewers will get the chance to see some intimate moments in Busiswa’s personal life, how does that make you feel? 

I have gotten to a place where it’s not really problematic to me. I try to live an honest life, so one way or another it is going to be public to a certain extent. It’s better that it comes to me and I am the one who is sharing my own story.

5. What have you found to be the biggest challenges with filming this reality tv show? 

I don’t always enjoy having people at my house, so it’s been difficult for me to open up my space, but I’m trying to make it work. The other challenging thing has been to find ways to be actively participating in every task, activity, or day.

Technology also has limits, and so sometimes making the technology work has been challenging.

6. What inspires your style, the hair and outfits? 

I’m inspired by a lot of African beauty, the way that Africans dress from traditional to contemporary to the ways that those have merged. I also have the same inspiration with my hair. Thandiswa Mazwai is my hairstyle icon.

I used to follow up interviews so I can find out where she gets her hair inspiration from, and I learnt that it was from a lot of  indigenous African hairstyles that are recorded. She just recreates those with a modern twist.

I am always finding ways to celebrate my hair and the crown that it is, and I always try to go over the top with decorating my hair, because I really enjoy it.

7. What is a general perception that most people have of Busiswa that is not true?

That I’m not smart, when in fact I am very smart. I think people think that making dance music means that you have no other options in life, you can’t do anything else. I think it’ a general black community perception, which is why our parents usually don’t want us to be in the music industry.

I’m very blessed to be doing what I love, and I’m not afraid to be perceived incorrectly because I believe that in the long run, and when you stay consistent people start to understand the depth of what you do and how you do it, and the fact that it takes hard work and even intellect to operate in the music industry.

Making this reality show will help people understand what goes into being a full time artist.

8. What advice can you give to your fans?

I’ll advise the girls more than anything, and say try as much as you can to be independent and to depend on yourself, to rely on yourself and to extend yourself as much as you can, whether it’s by going to school, exercising, any way you can develop yourself, do that.

When you get out into the world, a lot of how you operate will be a reflection on how much you have developed yourself emotionally, intellectually, and how much dependents you have on the people around you, as apposed to the moves that you can make happen yourself.

Her Majesty: Busiswa airs on Saturdays BET Africa (DStv Channel 129) at 7.30pm CAT/6.30pm.

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