Zimpapers Logo

Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
No two ways, Sandra Ndebele is destined for greatness with her Up the Ladder album which she launched virtually on Saturday evening being testimony.

The album which has songs that were produced by award-winning Oskid and has collaborations with Iyasa, Mzoe 7, Tocky Vibes and Jeys Marabini shows a lot of maturity and Sandy’s growth in the music industry. It is a mix of mature music with danceable tunes.

Despite a technical glitch that was quickly attended to, her album launch, during its live stream, was watched by 1 000 people. As of yesterday afternoon, over 27 000 people had watched the launch on her Facebook page.

Watching the show, it became evident why Sandy named the album Up the Ladder. She is rising in the entertainment industry and she does not want to do so alone. She clearly wants to rise with other artistes as well as her daughter, Zinhle who she gave a platform to perform during the show. And what a talent she is!

A very confident person, the young Zinhle is raring to go and seems to be following in her mother’s footsteps. Zinhle proved her prowess when she sang with her mother, the song Mthande. Not to be outdone was Babongile Sikhonjwa’s son, Qobolwakhe who also seems to be following in his father’s footsteps as he was a backing dancer.

Other artistes who performed were Sugar Shane, rapper Lord Skillz, comedian Clive Chigubhu and Mzoe 7 with Sikhonjwa on the decks. Proving that Sandy wants to uplift others, up-and-coming Zimdancehall musician, Fidel Country Boy who recently composed a tribute song for Sandy, was also given a slot and he won the hearts of many after singing the song simply titled Sandra Ndebele.

Sandy has become a trendsetter so naturally, most were looking forward to seeing her onstage outfit. She did not disappoint as she wore an outlandish yellow outfit (which had a detachable skirt) with a matching fascinator at the beginning of the set. During this time, she sang mellow songs such as Nguwe featuring Jeys Marabini, Umthande and Usabvume (the Oskid Productions version).

For the second segment, she returned wearing black pants signalling that it was time to dance. The songs were appropriate for the mood, with Zunguza, Qholoza featuring Mzoe 7, Usabvume the Amapiano version and Thala featuring Iyasa being dished out.

Sandy’s album launch at the Bulawayo Rainbow Hotel was different from her last one at the City Hall as it had no live audience to cheer her on. She relied on virtual communication with fans where she encouraged them to keep pressing the like button during her set.

This is the new norm, shows are now taking place without physical audiences as Covid-19 has changed the way people consume art.

In an interview yesterday, Robson Murambiwa who runs Sandy’s publicity and marketing said the singer-cum-dancer, was resting at home, happy with the reception that she got during her performance.

He said this album was meant to show people the direction that Sandy is now taking with her music.

“Her sound is going in a new direction with a more mature sound. This is why her performance was split into two. The first segment had a more mature sound and the second part had danceable tracks,” said Murambiwa.