Raspy sets out to make her mark in the music industry

Singer and Songwriter, Thandolwethu Ndlovu, initially came to Joburg in pursuit of academic excellence before finding her voice in the demanding music industry. Going by the alias “Raspy” her first ever visit to a recording studio sparked her interest in turning her songwriting talents into auditory pleasures for the masses and set her well on the way towards household name status.

 “As early as primary school I used to write a lot of poetry and I started realizing that I actually enjoy writing and making up my own things,” Raspy said.

The budding soul jazz musician recently released the much-love Love Things alongside popular rapper, Big Star Johnson following her entry into the industry last year, 2018.

“It’s surreal, man. Everytime I wake up I ask myself if this is really happening because looking back to a year ago I wouldn’t have thought this is where I would be. It makes me feel as if I can do more and I’m capable of doing more,” she said.

The song follows different elements of love in all its unexplainable manifestations and the feelings it evokes and saw the young muso take over the airwaves and carve the song into a signature sound. The song was also accompanied by a beautifully shot music video which did not only communicate romance to viewers but also alert them to the amount of work that goes into what makes a relationship work.

“The sound I’m trying to give out is an authentic sound. When a person listens to me, I want them to relate and I don’t want it to be unrealistic. Even when you sing along with me I want you to feel like you know what I’m talking about,” Raspy said.

With a primarily soulful sound, Raspy said she was inspired by a few people and cites Nina Simone, her grandfather – Brian Thusi, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston as noteworthy influences in her life.

The singer said she was currently working on soulful pop music to bring a twist to the soul jazz sound and would release new material in June this year.

“I’m hoping to grow nationally and internationally. I’m hoping to grow a huge fan base in West Africa because I love West African music and looking into working with an artist from West Africa and looking forward to working with local artists,” Raspy said.