"Arm yourself with a good qualification before you fully venture into the music industry. You will be able to better understand contracts and minimize the chances of being ripped off in this competitive industry." This advice comes from Ndamulelo Tshifura, a final year BA Criminal Justice student at the University of Venda who released his debut album last month.
Famously known by his stage name of Dazeey, Tshifura resides at Ha-Magidi, a stone's throw away from Sibasa. He surprised even the veterans of the industry with his 13-track compilation, titled Prince of Amapiano. "I took my time to release this album, as I had to balance my music with my education. Sometimes I would work on a song and shelve it for days while I was busy with my schoolwork. Now that I am about to complete my studies, there will be more time to dedicate to my music career."
The album already seems to be received well by both music lovers and radio stations. "If you do your work with passion, success will automatically follow. I am not surprised that the album is doing well, because, like everything else I do, I put a lot of effort into the album," he said.
Making the album, Dazeey collaborated with artists such as Swed, DJ Les MSA, C Phiwe Silverton and Alliance. Prince of Amapiano contains songs such as Naho nda wa, Pik man, A thi nyagi problem, Chasing dreams, Deep love, Makhosi, Knocking at your door, and Giligida. He is currently working on a single, called Ndi do mu landa, which will be released at the end of this month.
"Although I love music, education is my number one priority because I know how important that foundation is. I have seen many big names living on handouts today because they neglected their education once their music careers started to blossom. If we all get proper education, South Africa would be a better place to stay," he said.
Dazeey's music is available at various online music stores, and he can be followed on social-media platforms. For bookings and public performances, call him on Tel 071 230 1729 (voice calls and WhatsApp).