Discussing her appearance at the upcoming Queenscliff Music Festival, Sikwila speaks on an unexpected tribute to an idol, her family’s influence on her musical upbringing and the idea of foreshadowing a next big step in her career.
“The 24th of November marks the 27th anniversary of Freddie Mercury’s passing,” begins Sikwila. “I just want to have a nice moment with the audience. I won’t say what song I’m going to sing – it’s a sing-along – but I’m really excited to do it.
“It’s not even because I just watched [the film] Bohemian Rhapsody, but it’s definitely made me realise how much of an influence the music my father listened to had on me. With the date – I felt like here’s an opportunity to pay homage to somebody who’s had such an incredible influence on not just audiences but musicians.”
There isn’t a right or a wrong way to develop music taste, absorb influences or performing styles. However, you could make the argument that what your parents listen to or put in front of you has an effect on the way you perceive or absorb music later in life.
Sikwila admits as the only performer in her immediate family, that she never found her parent’s music taste as the sole driving force of her career, yet the importance of having a house filled with music definitely shaped her performances in hidden ways.
“We used to do really long drives between Bulawayo and Harare back in Zimbabwe,” she explains. “My dad would constantly be putting on albums for the whole drive – he’s playing Tupac albums, he’s playing Ladysmith Black Mambazo, he’s playing a collection of Louie records or Ella Fitzgerald – there was a lot of different music I was constantly exposed to when I was that age.
“As I’ve gotten older, the way that I write and perform stems from these artists without realising it until I’m exposed to them again. All that stuff is buried in my subconscious, so I definitely feel like people are influenced by things that are around them whether they’re aware of it or not.
“It’s not necessarily about having a musical family – but maybe there’s a part of that whole connection to family that lets you hold on to music or anything visual that reminds you of your family or your loved ones without even realising it, which then manifests in your music.”
Those who’ve been following Thando’s career may know of her recent performance in the US, seemingly coming out of nowhere. Scoring a win through an online competition held by website design company Wix and Live Nation, Sikwila and her band performed at an international showcase. Noting this could be another big break for her career, she discusses the driving force behind her last big rise – people.
“Bigsound got me on the radar,” she says. “A management and agency deal only came around a year-and-a-half after our showcase. I’m not managing myself anymore, so I’m now focused on making the best quality content I can while my manager does all the schmoozing for me. It takes a lot of trust in someone to help them manage your career where it needs to go.
“For me there’s never been any other option than music,” Thando says. “The results I’m trying to achieve with my music are not going to have an opportunity to manifest if I’m not putting 100% of my focus into it. It’s this or nothing.
“There’s certain steps I have to take, such as sacrificing administrative or marketing or management control so I can focus on my art – it’s all for the art. I just want to actually be able to make music people care about and I’m lucky I’m able to do that and focus on my personal growth without stressing about ticket numbers for gigs or what my marketing strategy will be.”
Thando will perform at Queenscliff Music Festival, happening from Friday November 23 until Sunday November 25. Head to the festival website for tickets.
