Latest news with #Mlindo
The Citizen
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Mlindo The Vocalist releases his long-awaited album on Mandela Day as a way of ‘giving back'
Mlindo The Vocalist released his long-awaited album 'Uhambo The Journey' on Mandela Day. Mlindo The Vocalist has released a new album, Uhambio, The Journey. Picture: Mlindo the After being unsatisfied with the mixing of two songs, Mlindo The Vocalist decided to push back the release date of his album from June to July. Mandela Day seemed the right time to give his fans the music they've long been waiting for. 'When we moved it to July I just thought since the 18th is Mandela Day, it's about giving back to the community…and people have been asking for the album, so I thought why not,' Mlindo The Vocalist tells The Citizen. The musician also went into the community to do charity work in Alexandra together with other artists, for Mandela Day. Real name Lindokuhle Mgedezi, the 29-year-old singer-songwriter released his third studio album, Uhambo The Journey. The title refers to Mlindo's past few years, during which he took a step back from the limelight to focus on himself. 'I took a break in music to focus on myself as a person because sometime you can get lost as a person in this industry,' shares Mlindo. ALSO READ: 'It's a kiss; there was no nudity': L-Tido responds after YouTube restricts episode visibility Mlindo dealing with fame Mlindo released his debut album Emakhaya in 2018. The album was certified platinum by RiSA and it racked up almost 45 million streams just under a year after its release. Emakhaya is the most-streamed album by a South African solo artist on Spotify. This saw him experience resounding success at just the age of 23, which attracted bad company, he said. At the height of his career, Mlindo had one of his lowest moments when he went viral for being drunk and struggling to perform on stage at a 2020 gig in Tshwane, where he says one of his close friends put something in his drink. 'The time when I got spiked, that was the hardest thing to deal with. It was something that was not in my control… it's like they were teaching me a lesson or something. I thought I was accepting a drink from a friend, it was out of love from my side, however, they were on another mission,' he says. Reflecting on that period of his life, he says he would have probably handled things differently if he had had a mentor. 'I think it was a mentorship thing. I didn't have the right people to advise me at the time,' he said. Mlindo received support from industry peers, such as Sjava and Somizi, during his time away, who would call to check on his well-being. 'I'm grateful for that and I wish they continue doing that for other young artists who have just come into the industry because it's not easy when you're alone.' 'I'm grown now, I've learnt my lessons. The love of music is still there…but more than anything, I have grown over the last few years.' Part of those lessons was mending his relationship with DJ Maphorisa, with whom he had a fallout. The pair's dispute stemmed from accusations of betrayal and backstabbing, with Maphorisa claiming Mlindo and his manager cut him out of a deal. 'Maphorisa and I got on a call, and we ironed things out. I told him I had no issues with him, and all that was said didn't come from me,' shares Mlindo. ALSO READ: WATCH: 'Come get me, I am not above the law' — Kelly Khumalo hits back at Advocate Teffo's Senzo Meyiwa murder claims Music Even during his sabbatical, Mlindo's debut album remained in the top ten most-streamed albums in South African. 'I'm grateful to the people who stream the music. This made me feel good about myself, that the music we made was timeless. To actually go through those years, where other people were releasing music but we're still in the top 10 most streamed albums since 2018-it really motivated me,' Mlindo said. 'The music is helping people. We don't just make music for clubs, but we make music that heals people with things they're going through.' During his adversity, Mlindo was listening to a variety of music to help him heal. 'I could say Simphiwe Dana played a role, Sjava's music and a lot of Sun-El Musician's music. Also, something that I never listened to growing up but that I stared listening to a lot was gospel music,' he shared. He adds that Dana's Zandisile album from 2004 is one he listens to a lot. 'It's been on my playlist since lockdown and it remains there.' Mlindo says listening to Zandisile inspired the direction of his new album, which has more live music. 'I was experimenting with a lot of different sounds. In terms of the message, it's still like the Mlindo that fans love, but in terms of sound, there's improvement because I was going for something with a North African feel.' NOW READ: Lauryn Hill and sons to headline 12th edition of Delicious Festival
The Citizen
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
WATCH: Mlindo the Vocalist on earning R120K per weekend
Mlindo shot to fame in 2018 after DJ Maphorisa discovered him on social media. Musician Mlindo the Vocalist recently opened up about his music journey and how some of Mzansi's top artists including Riky Rick, DJ Maphorisa and Sjava played a pivotal role in his career. Mlindo shot to fame in 2018 after DJ Maphorisa discovered him on social media. That same year, in September, he released his debut album Emakhaya, which marked the peak of his career. ALSO READ: 'It's not just music, it's a story': Showmax celebrates Kabza De Small's Amapiano brilliance Mlindo on earning big at the peak of his career Speaking to Sfiso and Thakgi on the latest episode of Piano Pulse, Mlindo revealed that during that time, he was earning approximately R120 000 per weekend from gigs. 'There was a time when we were charging R60k. With a live band, we would charge R80k,' he said. Sfiso, the show's presenter — who was also Mlindo's co-road manager at the time — added that Mlindo would make an average of R250 000 per weekend, with Mlindo receiving around R120 000 after expenses. Mlindo also spoke about how the late rapper Riky Rick helped him in the early days of his career. 'Riky once asked me what I was wearing, and it was the only clothes I had. He went to his wardrobe and gave me a Maxhosa tracksuit and sneakers. 'He didn't take me shopping or send me money — he gave me clothes from his own wardrobe when I went into the studio because I was wearing nonsense,' he said. Mlindo was making about R250k per weekend when he was at the top but he'd take home R120k 'after deductions'. 🫢 How? You ask, his co-road-manager S'fiso breaks it down for free. VVIP S/O to Nyiko The Great! 😂 — YaseBlock B 🇸🇿 (@ThisIsColbert) June 24, 2025 NOW READ: Malik Yoba talks Kings of Joburg, his first African film experience, and more
IOL News
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Mlindo the Vocalist reveals his struggles before fame on the 'Piano Pulse' podcast
Mlindo the Vocalist opened up about the financial hardships he faced despite the success of his debut album "Emakhaya". Image: Instagram. In an enlightening episode of the "Piano Pulse" podcast, South African singer Mlindo the Vocalist opened up about the triumphs and tribulations of fame. Known for his melodies and emotional lyrics, Mlindo revealed the underlying shyness that accompanies his public persona. "I'm a very shy person ... They didn't tell me it comes with all these things. If I knew, I would have told them to let me just record the music and not show my face. When I am on stage performing, for the first two songs I close my eyes," he admitted. Taking listeners through his journey in the music industry, Mlindo recounted a moment with the late rapper Riky Rick, who played a crucial role in shaping his early career. "Riky asked me what I was wearing, and it was the only clothes I had. He went to his wardrobe and gave me a Maxhosa tracksuit and sneakers. Riky gave me clothes. He didn't take me to the shop to buy clothes or send me money, he took clothes from his wardrobe when I went into the studio, because I was wearing nonsense." This generous act marked the beginning of a successful collaboration between the two artists that resulted in the hit song "You and I". "From there was the birth of Mlindo with the album 'Emakhaya', featuring DJ Maphorisa and Sjava," he said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Before his breakout success, however, he had experienced his own share of struggles, having recorded tracks with artists like Sun-El Musician and Simmy. Later, Mlindo confessed his challenges with songwriting: "I always doubt what I write and I lose interest, so all I need is the idea, like what are we talking about on the song, how am I flowing on this harmony and then sharp, that's it." However, fame came with its challenges. Despite the success of "Emakhaya", Mlindo shared the financial hurdles he faced during the lockdown. "Lockdown hit when I was home, in Port Shepstone. I couldn't be locked down this side. The coins were not coining," he said. Yet, in a positive turn, he used earnings from his past gigs to buy his mother a house in Margate, KZN. The podcast episode has sparked widespread discussion on social media, with many fans expressing outrage at DJ Maphorisa's perceived lack of support for Mlindo. Comments flooded in, questioning how an artist with such a successful debut could walk away with little to show. @DladlaT_ wrote on X: "Phori robbed our boy, 'which money'." @uKilla_K said: "Ahhhhhhh, broer didn't make anything from 'Emakhaya'? That's a top 10 most-streamed album. How is this possible?" ahhhhhhh, broer didnt make anything from Emakhaya? That's a top 10 most streamed album. How is this possible? — ModernDay Laqhasha (@uKilla_K) June 24, 2025 Meanwhile, @swartblack commended the professionalism of DJ Maphorisa: "After watching #PianoPulse with @MlindoRSA look, the respect I have for @DjMaphorisa shows maturity and level headed human being. Le botho." After watching #PianoPulse with @MlindoRSA look, the respect I have for @DjMaphorisa shows maturity and level headed human being. Le botho. — MfanaWaLeSUPA (@swartblack) June 24, 2025 Watch the full episode below.
TimesLIVE
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
Mlindo The Vocalist celebrates his musical milestones with intimate ‘Emakhaya' documentary watch party
Mlindo The Vocalist is taking a moment to reflect on his musical journey by hosting an exclusive watch party for his long-anticipated Emakhaya documentary. Surrounded by friends, collaborators and key figures who have played vital roles in his rise to fame, the intimate event marks a celebration of legacy ahead of his return with new music. After bursting onto the music scene in 2018, Mlindo cemented his status as a breakout artist with the release of Emakhaya, his multi-platinum and award-winning debut album. ' Emakhaya is a special album for me and my fans,' said Mlindo. 'It relates to so many people and households countrywide as it breaks down our daily problems and real-life experiences. I feel like Emakhaya is music for the soul, and it's hard to forget or get over that album.' With the Emakhaya documentary, Mlindo offers fans behind-the-scenes glimpse into his beginnings. Shot five years ago during the early days of his career, the film chronicles his journey from unknown talent to household name, a journey coming full circle as he prepares for his third album, Uhambo – The Journey. 'We shot the documentary when I was young and new to the industry,' he said. 'A lot has happened since then, but it fits perfectly with the new album. It shows how and where my journey started. 'I think fans appreciate the authenticity in the songs. Emakhaya couldn't fully tell my story as I was figuring myself out. My second album Lindokuhle was more personal. I got to work with people I admire including Ami Faku, Ishmael and Mthunzi. With Uhambo, I've grown musically and embraced a fusion of different styles and experiences.' Set to premiere soon, the Emakhaya documentary promises fans raw, emotional and authentic moments as Mlindo invites them into his home and heart. 'Fans will get to see my family and where I'm from, my siblings, my mother. They'll get to meet the real Lindokuhle. They'll witness how Mlindo The Vocalist came to be.' Mlindo is gearing up to drop his latest single Inkomo Zika Baba, featuring long-time mentor DJ Maphorisa and Cowboii. A return to his amapiano roots, the track signals the beginning of a new chapter. 'It felt right to start the Uhambo journey with the song. DJ Maphorisa was there at the beginning. Our first big hit Amablesser came from that collaboration. The new track is a nod to the past and a step toward the future.'
