He turns what is meant to be a sad and gloomy day into laughter.
While people cry at burials, when he is around, there are no tears in sight. He came out of nowhere when videos of him singing at a funeral and entertaining mourners went viral.
When the first two videos surfaced on the internet, families started asking him to attend as a professional mourner and sing at the loved one’s graveside.
Moses Sibiya (31) also known as Lady Mo, has taken advantage of the opportunity of his social media fame to release music and his latest song Dumi Dumi Dumi is earning him bookings as a performer, MC, and social media influencer jobs.
“This all happened by coincidence,” he tells Drum.
“I would attend funerals and while singing, people would take videos of me and post them on social media. I wasn’t aware until friends started showing my videos going viral,” he says.
“It only when I saw Bongani Litswele, who has since become my manager, take my voice and turn it into a song that I realized I could make a living out of what I do.”
Moses has always loved singing and joined different choirs while in high school.
“I didn’t think I could make a career out of it. But it’s really the funeral stuff that has made things possible for me. I grew up singing in school and doing choral music. I only saw it was possible when Bongani produced the song.”
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Moses’ job as a funeral mourner started when he came out and told his family he was gay around October 2021.
“I recently accepted my sexuality and came out of the closet in October.”
He has always known that he was gay but was afraid to come out.
“I didn’t want to be judged by people. But I wanted to live my truth.”
When he did share who he really was with his mother, some members of his community rejected him.
“My mother still thinks that I am possessed or bewitched. But I don’t really care. My grandmother who raised me and took me to school with her pension money accepted me and loved me for who I am,” he says.
“There is not a single church I didn’t go to, as far as ZCC, growing to prophets and drinking anything to try and ‘get the gay’ out of me. But this is who I am” he says.
Many people have tried to stop him from going to funerals, saying his flamboyant character is a distraction.
“I get asked to attend the funerals because people appreciate me and I know not everyone will like what I do,” he says.
Moses loves the church and he believes there is nothing ungodly about being himself.
“God loves me the way I am,” he says.
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Born and raised in Nelspruit, he is the second born out of five children.
Before he accepted his sexuality and became the flamboyant Lady Mos, Moss, Moses described himself as a “clean boy” loved by ladies.
“I came out because I was tired of always hiding who I truly am. I used to wear my friends’ clothes. Most of my friends have always been girls and I knew who I was. I was very depressed because I couldn’t come out.”
But since he has been living his truth, people have become more accepting.
“I am free. I love this Moses more, he can colour his hair green if he wants to. I love to look good, smell good and take care of myself,” he says.
“Before coming out, I was a clean boy. I was wearing skinny jeans, like a cheese boy. Girls used to love my shame, they didn’t know. But one thing for sure is that I have always been dramatic. I loved music and the spotlight. So, this attention is something I’ve always wanted to do but couldn’t get because I was not true to myself,” he says.
“When I eventually came out, people became confused. But I wasn’t. My friends supported me. They were amazing. My grandmother remained loving and caring but my mother still believes that I am bewitched.”
Before the Tik Tok fame, Moses was working as a waiter and customers loved him.
“People thought I was rich or this businessman, but I made lots of money through tips. I was taking care of my grandmother who put me through school with her pension money,” he says.
After high school, he was not able to study due to funds and worked various jobs as a waiter and restaurant manager.
“I was doing well. Now I am doing even better. I get bookings and social media influencer work and promotions. I MC at events and I am making a living from being myself. People need to accept who I am because I am not going anywhere. I will always be this way.”
Moses is currently single and not looking.
“I don’t have a girlfriend and boyfriend. I have been there, done that, and got hurt. I only date men but I don’t want to because I have been hurt.” Moses is not fussy about pronouns and being called He or She. “People identify me as a woman, I am loving it, I accept it, some call me he, I am okay with it.”
Moses sees himself as a wealthy entertainer.
“I see myself rich and famous. I don’t want to compare myself with anyone. I want to build my own thing. What was seen as negative, I have turned it into something good and living my truth."
