Khayelitsha Afrosoul singer: Cape Town offers little opportunity for growth

Known to her fans as Thembi K, this afro-soul singer from the streets of Khayelitsha says of her school career, “While studying at Gardens Commercial High School, I realised numbers are not for me. I would find myself singing in class. Maybe if they offered singing classes I would have stayed.”

Music is a common thing in the Mamputa family as both her parents were musicians. Her brother Sakhe plays lead guitar in her band. “I was born to sing. My father Zim taught me how to play the piano and my mom Mhumhu introduced me to old school jazz music.” Brenda Fassie and Miriam Makeba were strong influences on her sound.

In 2009 Thembi K collaborated with the popular Cape Town Rock band Aking on four songs. One of the songs, Twilight was nominated for the South African Music Awards. “I met the band through a friend. We recorded Twilight not knowing it would be such a hit. It certainly opened so many doors for me as an artist,” she says.

She says her career highlight was performing to former President Mbeki in 2009. “I was so nervous and overwhelmed. I was blessed to get such an opportunity,” she said.

Thembi K recently released her first single Khumbula. “My single is doing great, I uploaded the song on Soundcloud and it’s growing day by day. I am grateful for my supporters.” The song is a trip down memory lane in which Thembi goes back to her childhood days to reflect on all the good times and growth. “I am working on shooting a video soon,” she said.

She has some strong criticisms however of the Cape Town entertainment scene. “Cape Town has no growth when it comes to developing their own artists. There is too much exploitation. One has to go away from the city in order to gain respect and acknowledgement,” said Thembi. “I am planning to move to Johannesburg so that I can dig deep into the business side of my music. I have received a great offer from one of the big record labels but I don’t want to spill the beans yet until everything is finalised.”

Thembi K has also participated in various social initiatives like the Motsepe Christmas tour and is very passionate about assisting disabled people. “I love addressing social challenges by using my voice. My affiliation with the disabled stems from the groundwork I have done while assisting my disabled sister,” she said.