SINGER, songwriter and theatre graduate Angella Mulaudzi is determined to make more music and collaborations this year.
The 22-year-old from Soweto grew up in a Christian family listening to music, and that is where she drew her inspiration.
“My musical journey began at a very young age. My earliest memory, however, stems from when I was three years old. My parents had gifted me a toy microphone that lit up and they had me perform for family and friends using it.
“I would also often mimic singers I saw at church and on TV, so it became obvious to my parents that I had a great love for singing because of that. My mum put me in the church choir at the age of nine and I was the youngest member, but I wasn’t fearful because I was doing what I loved,” she said.
The love of singing grew in Angella and propelled her to study music.
“At the age of 12, I heard about the National School of the Arts (NSA), and I begged my parents to let me audition.
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“I auditioned for the music department, and I made it in. That’s where I think my career really began. I got professional music and vocal training at the NSA, and I was also exposed to the world of performing arts. I absolutely fell in love with all of it, from my lessons to being on stage performing. That’s when I knew that my heart was home and that I wanted to be a performer,” she said.
Like any other up-and-coming artist, Angella has also experienced challenges on her path to becoming a superstar.
“I think one of my biggest challenges has had to be starting my musical journey. I’d been wanting to do it forever however I needed to complete my studies, which I felt took a very long time. Another challenge was finding the right people to work with. I’ve had so many people request to work with me but upon finishing school, they’d disappointed and rejected me."
She is working on making more music and hopes to release an EP this year.
"I aspire to be the voice of my generation just like the late music great, Whitney Houston. I believe that I have a beautiful story to tell and create through my life and music. I want to travel the world and share my music. I’d like for my life and music to bring light into the lives of others," said Angella.