“It’s exciting, it’s unbelievable that I can still be here and still be active as an artist as well as a wife at home, a mother and a TV host and still be able to travel the world and perform,” Malope enthused during her interview.
Her arrival at the interview caused a ruckus among staff members working at Fournos Bakery as they all wanted to have a word with her and pose for a photograph. Malope, always in good spirits, was happy to oblige.
“I’m used to people coming up to me all the time. They are here to appreciate me and tell me how they love me and my music and that makes me the person that I am,” she quipped.
Before winning the Shell Road To Fame music talent search in 1987, Malope said she was a sickly child who grew up in Mbombela in Nelspruit.
“I only started walking when I was eight years old. So God is a big part of my life because I came from that wheelchair to wearing high heels today and it’s a miracle,” she said.
Malope moved to Jozi when she was 14 years old and, since then, has lived in the spotlight. “I never had that typical teenage lifestyle. All my teenage years, I was in the music industry and I was famous already.” However, she stated that she truly appreciates the people who stood by her all this time. “I was very lucky to meet people who had the best interests at heart for me as a person and as a child because I was still very young.”
This year, to mark her milestone in the music industry, she plans to break out some big celebrations. “People from outside of South Africa, from the UK and Ireland, they’re putting all these things together for me to come. They want to celebrate my 30 years with me. It’s nice that I’m still appealing to a lot of people – it’s amazing.”
Her plans include a performance at the Kora Awards in Namibia on 20 March, a celebration in Birmingham in England on 7 May, and the release of a 30th anniversary live DVD recording at Mbombela Stadium.
Her advice for musicians out there who aspire to be in her shoes in 30 years’ time is, “Originality goes a long way. Be yourself, don’t try to be something that you’re not. Don’t try to be somebody else, be you, because we need to hear and see your talent. Take the industry very seriously because, if you take it seriously, it can easily change your situation and your life.”
Details: www.rebeccamalope.com; #RebeccaMalope30thAnniversary
Which one of Dr Rebecca Malope’s albums is your favourite?
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