After gaining traction singing covers on social media, an up and coming Eerste River singer has signed with a Cape Town record label.
Zeenah Jonathan signed with a small record label, Studio X Production, which aims to help new local artists.
The 21-year-old R&B-infused newbie is ready to make big hits with her explosive voice.
Jonathan studied tourism at Northlink College last year, but plans to focus on her music career.
She started singing aged 10, but began doing music covers on Instagram and Facebook when she was 16.
“I used to sing in the church, Vinton Anderson AME church, in Eerste River, and also took a fancy in musical instruments. I am self-taught and it was through a friend, Timothy Petersen, who gave me an old guitar and a book to learn from.”
Jonathan was discovered by the record label last year. She performed her first gig before signing with the the label in November.
“The owner of the label approached me and said that I was really good. The label said they didn't want my talent to go to waste. I was contemplating, because I just completed my studies. If something goes wrong, I have something to fall back on,” she added.
Music runs in her family. Her uncle, Johnny Davids, is a gospel singer in Namibia. Her inspiration is her late granddad, Japi Jonathan, as he used to sing in a youth choir. “My family never thought that I would get serious in the music industry.”
Jonathan explained there was a lot of competition for emerging artists in Cape Town. “You need to be unique for people to recognise you as an individual. It is going to be hard.”
Studio X Productions’s Xavier September said: “I followed her on Instagram for about a year, because I saw that she posted cover songs. That is when I realised that she had potential.”
He said they planned to record music that brought out the best in her vocals. “No album was discussed as yet, but who knows what this year holds for her?”
To listen to Jonathan, follow her on Instagram and Facebook with the handle @ZeenahJonathan