Unathi's honour

Over the years Unathi Nkayi’s metamorphosise has seen her go from being a Lauryn Hillesque sista in A line skirts and All Stars to someone you’re most likely to see rocking David Tlale and Sun Godess couture.

She’s had dreads, a shaven head and now sexy braids to match those toned curves. Not to mention that she is now a mother to a three year old son and soon to be wife of fellow radio personality and long time boyfriend Thomas Msengana.

On Wednesday, the former house babe is hosting a mega live showcase of her new album In Honour.

Her media and music moves over the years reflect this transformation.

As a Rhodes University Journalism graduate and the holder of a Media Studies diploma from the University of Utrecht, Grahamstown born Unathi is a multi media powerhouse, that’s for sure – she started out on the SABC 1 TV show Castle Loud, then was to be heard on YFM before moving to the more adult contemporary Metro FM where she now hosts the afternoon drive with Glen Lewis.

Whearas media was always on her horizon, she got into the music mix by default: featuring on kwaito star Zola’s massive track ‘Sana’lwam’ led to her  doing vocals on a few house tracks, which eventually led to her appearing on a number of compilations, she reminisces: "The Zola thing spiralled out of control.

"I was watching something I had no control over: the Glen compilation came through, then Maho-ota’s compilation, and then the TV show Gaz’lam also called wanting to include me on their soundtrack..."

Soon Ghetto Ruff signed her up and produced a houselicious debut My First Time.

"It was wonderful, I know My First Time was the album that made me more credible as a vocalist and a music composer.

It opened me up and taught me a lot as a performer, in terms of what to do and what not to do."

Back then, though, she feels, "I wasn’t taking my voice as seriously as I should have. I had to learn to be as passionate about it as my radio, my family, my spirituality…"

Leaving Ghetto Ruff proved remarkably beef less, she feels everyone knew it was part of a neccesary journey, "It was a natural progression. Lance Stehr (Ghetto Ruff’s owner) knew about it, it had to happen, I knew it was always going to happen even though I never told anyone.

Even at an early stage of my musical career, Oscar wanted me to go to Kalawa, but I was not ready to work with such greats at such a young age.

I had to be honest with myself and my state of being inexperienced, immature and insecure.

Now I knew I wanted a bigger sound, a sound more musical and warmer, an experience that Kalawa had.

So when Oscar came knocking the second time, I was finally ready and he just said the world is yours just dream, it was absolutely beautiful!"

August 2008 saw the release of In Honour through Kalawa Jazzmee records, and she believes it shows off her passion for music. "I love music, I love the sound of the bass.

"When performing I know that’s one of the things I was born to do and I hope that I can find the balance to do it for years to come and make something out of it.

"I started working on the second album in 2006, I’ve been performing and writing at the same time, it’s been a beautiful relationship. I’m not going to be one of those artists that come out every year; I’d rather work on truly bringing out my sound..."

She continues "On this album I wanted to honour as many people and things I can. I’m honouring the voice that God gave me, I’m honouring a lot of my blessings.

"I’ve honoured love. Every song honours something in someone. I honour my parents, my twin grandmothers. I honour different things in different ways...a lot of the conversations I had on this album are very private, because I wrote as we Xhosas speak. 

We truly write as we speak in Xhosa, because it’s so melodic."

Clearly the judges and music critics - at the Metro FM Awards she picked up the Best Female Award, and at she’s just recieved a Best Urban Pop SAMA nod, and The Star’s Munyaradzi Vomo, who said her voice was so lovely even listening to her talking about rubbish would be sexy - think differently.

And at her big ‘In Honour’ launch event on Wednesday night Unathi will get to prove herself.

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