‘Idols’ winner’s star on the rise

SA Idols winner Yanga shares a tender moment with mother Linda Sobetwa. Armand Hough African News Agency (ANA)

SA Idols winner Yanga shares a tender moment with mother Linda Sobetwa. Armand Hough African News Agency (ANA)

Published Dec 15, 2018

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Cape Town - SA Idols winner Yanga Sobetwa believed she could scoop the coveted title when she reached the last three of the competition.

The diminutive singing sensation said she had the faith that she could be the country’s next Idol after she received three standing ovations and her first “woo shem”, made famous by judge Somizi Mhlongo.

The 17-year-old Rhodes High pupil has now been included in the Huawei KDay line-up and she will share the stage with some people she has respected and admired for most of her life.

The event, which takes place on March 2 at Meerendal Estate, features some of South Africa’s biggest stars including Mi Casa, Goodluck, Craig Lucas, Kurt Darren, Lady Zamar, Youngsta CPT, The Kiffness, DJ Kent, Majozi, Pascal & Pearce ft Jethro Tait, Doctor Victor and the Rasta Rebels, TiMO ODV, Jamali and Chad Saaiman.

Yanga, who wowed South Africa during her performance on the reality show, was stunned when it was revealed on KFM’s breakfast show that she had been included in the line-up.

“I thought I was coming for an interview. Did you book me?” she asked in disbelief.

Yanga, who has just passed Grade 11, has big dreams of becoming an entertainment lawyer after seeing and experiencing for herself how young artists can be exploited.

“I have had to do gigs for free and I did them because I wanted exposure, but I now realise that I should have, and could have been paid.

“But I always had a roof over my head, so I was always grateful,” said Sobetwa.

Yanga, who is from Delft, joined The Voice season two winner, Craig Lucas (Elsies River) and 2017 Idols winner Paxton Fielies (Bishop Lavis) earlier this week for an all Cape Town affair and sang a rendition of O Holy Night live on air.

“Yanga’s vocal prowess is unmatched and she is loved by the people of the Cape,” said Kfm 94.5 programming manager Stephen Werner.

“We could not think of a more fitting addition to the line-up, and can’t wait for her to impress the more than 15 000 Capetonians who will attend the city’s premier music event.”

While she is now the country’s latest singing sensation, Yanga is still her mother Linda’s little girl and has to follow the rules of the house.

“I know that she is building her career, so her father and I have become much more lenient.

“We have to trust that the people she is with will take care of her and we have to trust that she will remember the ways we taught her,” said Linda.

Yanga is the middle child, and according to her mother, she has always been the little “advocate” of the three daughters.

“She always covers for her sisters,” said Linda.

While her life is very different now, and most mornings she gets home between 1am and 2am, Yanga still finds time for the important things, like sleep.

Weekend Argus

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