Not many people know that Muvhango actress Maumela
Mahuwa can sing.
The actress, well known for playing the role of the chief’s wife Susan on the SABC2 soapie, said acting was a detour on the way of her musical journey.
“I actually started singing professionally in 2002 when I started doing music with Chicco Twala. The first time I met him, he liked my voice and we worked together for two years. I featured on two songs off his Jimama Ji album.”
Mahuwa said her acting career came at a time when she needed money. She was fresh out of high school and had no money to further her studies at tertiary level.
“When you are growing up you get to a point where everyone expects you to get married or get a job. I was looking for work that would help me put money away to go to school. I heard about the auditions for The Lion King in Thohoyandou, and that’s where I met Duma ka Ndlovu.”
It was that meeting that would lead her to the role that would make her a household name. Mahuwa didn’t realise that Ndlovu was the creator of the Tshivenda soapie.
“He gave me his numbers, and when I called him, he asked if I could move to Joburg, and I agreed. He introduced me to so many people in the industry, it was amazing,” she said.
She had never been to Joburg but decided to chance it, and it paid off for her.
“I remember him (Ndlovu) asking me if I wanted to act and all I asked was ‘does it pay?’, and he said I would get a salary. For me it was about money at that time. It eventually became a fun discovery about myself. I was wowed by how I grew from it, and I enjoyed it so much that I forgot about becoming a musician,” she said.
Mahuwa said that even though she started out not knowing she could be an actress, it has now become her life, and she shares the talent with other rising talent.
“I opened a film school in Maboneng - the African Academy of Cinematic Arts, that’s how far the love has gone.”
But music was always part of who she is and last year she released an album, One, featuring the praise song Yahweh.
Her latest single is called African Thing and it explores being proudly African.
“I’m so African - if you know me, you know you can take the girl from the farm but you can’t take the farm out of the girl. I have been writing poetry about Africa and I know how it is to live in a place that has no technology and a place that has everything. I’ve seen the difference of being raised by a village and how now everyone just minds their own business.”
Mahuwa said the song was inspired by how the world changes a lot and women are often judged by their appearance.
The song is produced by Dr Frank and aims to celebrate everything that is African, including different skin tones.
“You can’t control what people say but you can choose to embrace and celebrate who you are. I’m dark, I’m African and beautiful.”
She said the music she was doing was universal.
“I don’t want to be boxed into a genre because it will limit me and I won’t enjoy myself. The point is to use my talents and explore music as much as I can.”
Mahuwa wants to work with a variety of African musicians in the near future and have a possible collaboration with Amanda Black as well.
“I want to work with people in Congo, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and other parts of the continent as long as they are there. “Music is the only universal language that can actually put Africa together.”