Interview: New Artist - "Kyjah"

In honour of Nelson Mandela Day this week, I recently had an online chat with an inspiring super-talented young South African 🇿🇦 Music Artist, Kyjah, who also shares a birthday with our Nation’s Great Icon, and got some exclusive news on new music and upcoming Music Albums – including our new bonus, fun Top3 Trivia section below:

>Who are some of your South African Role Models?

I don’t have many role models now that I think about it. But I think Nelson Mandela would be one of the few people I genuinely see as a beacon of light for humanity.

>Do you count Nelson Mandela as a Role Model and/or inspirational? What does he mean to you?

Yeah, for sure. Mandela represents one of the few instances where the possibility of change for the betterment of society became a tangible reality. He truly represents a willingness to address social struggles and the volution to take action in the struggle towards liberty.

>How do you experience life as a young South African?

Life in SA certainly has its ups and downs. I could probably spend hours ranting about how silly the idea of loadshedding is...,but there are more pressing socio-economic issues people my age face, like the unemployment crisis, that really stresses us all out. And then, of course, there’s the absolute beauty and diversity of our country that makes me feel really lucky to have been born here.

>What is your intention, purpose or meaning with your songwriting?

Songwriting has been a therapeutic outlet for me. It allows me to hold up a mirror directly into my soul & forces me to confront my past. This, however, is different to the recording process. I decided to start recording my songs after I realized that there could be people out there who have been dealing with the same things as me & my hope is that they all find some solace in my music. I hope that when listening to my songs, they feel seen, and know they're not alone in their struggle.

>What are some of your goals and aspirations as a young South African Artist?

I feel like there’s not enough international appreciation for SA’s music scene. So, if someone were to really put us on the 'pop culture' map, I wouldn't mind being the artist to do so.

>Who is your favourite Local Artist and who is your favourite International Artist?

Locally, I've always loved Miriam Makeba! Her click song was and still is absolutely iconic. Internationally, I’m currently really obsessed with Alicia Creti. She’s a Canadian singer who recently came on to the music scene, and her voice is incredible.

>Is there a story behind your Artist Name/Alias? Is there a specific meaning and what is the inspiration behind your name - how did you decide on it?

Choosing my artist name was kind of silly. I wanted to use my own name. But ‘Kyja’ was already taken, unfortunately. So, I thought long and hard with myself trying to figure it out. I even contorted my name into ‘Khai Zhia’ for a while. And one day just went, “ Yo... why not just add an ‘H’ at the end?”. I grew up being taught that names and words have spiritual power, and that adding an ‘H’ at the end of your name can allow a deity -or whatever you believe in- to breathe abundance into your life since the letter ‘h’ is basically just an exhale when spoken.

>Who does your Album Art? Is there any specific story, design or inspiration behind it? I actually do it myself. I drew the weird creepy smiley face in a drawing app on my phone one day after I decided on my upcoming album title & thought it looked sick. :)

>Do you have any exciting updates and upcoming news that you would like to share? What are your plans for the future?

Yeah, I think I can say for sure now that my debut single, Hades, will be released in October this year. It’s been such a cool experience recording music at the amazing Mark 7 Studios, and I can’t wait for people to feel the emotion in my music - to cry, be angry and then be freaked out by my songs.

>Where can people check you out online, support and follow you so long?

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Kyjah

>When is your Birthday and how ‘young’ are you? 😉

My birthday is on the 18th of July. And my age is... well, I don’t have an age.

>Top3 Trivia:

What are your Top3 favourite foods?

Bun Ga, Sushi, Tikka Masala.

What are your Top3 movies?

Everything Everywhere All At Once, Dune, Wednesday (the series).

What are your Top3 Music Albums?

Formation by Beyoncé, A Liquid Breakfast by Audrey Nuna, and my own personal album that I'm working on right now.

>Any final comments or thoughts that you would like to share with the readers?

I would just say enjoy life. Do what makes you happy and fight for your dreams!

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