Sofaya

South Africa had better brace itself for a vibrant bubbling under star blazing her own path to success. Sofaya is a self-made, Afro- Pop singer-songwriter and performing artist born and raised in Johannesburg who has worked, played and hustled for the last 9 years to bring her undeniable talent and vibrant presence to the nation’s attention. After loosing her father at the tender age of 13, being raised by a single parent, Sofaya quickly adopted her mothers Entrepreneurial bone. After experiencing much opulent living and tough times, the burning ambition and passion to succeed, saw her go from homelessness to building a corporate career and stability for her family, which she then left in 2014 to pursue her musical destiny – determined to find an outlet for her flamboyant look, attitude and musical style. In combination with all the skills she aquired after completing a business management cause in 2015 at the Gordon’s Institute of Business Science, she and business partner, co-songwriter and now fiancé, Thami Dineka, com- bined their love, passion and calling for music, to built their own independent record label, RCE, and continue to grow her brand, one record at a time!
Sofaya’s powerful vocal style is a blend of old-school pop & jazz influences like Miriam Makeba, Brenda Fassie and Motown sounds with contemporary Afro-Pop. In 2014 Sofaya was signed to Sony Music Africa where she best showcased her soulful sound on her debut singles, Love In Soweto and second single Amagents featuring Stilo-Magolide, a compellingly soulful and unique sound.
“We decided years ago that we want to be part of the change in the SA music industry,” says Sofaya of the decision that changed their lives. “We bought equipment and started writing songs and rehearsing. There we were, in Thami’s bedroom at midnight,” she laughs. Today, midnight often finds her at upscale events performing and making appearances. Besides that, there have been appearances on TV, radio and in magazines, studio band performances and live shows. And it all stemmed from Sofaya’s talent, self-belief and relentless drive. Those early demos would have languished in piles at studios and record companies, unheard, if Sofaya and Thami had not hustled them. We’d arrive at places and claim to have an appointment with executives. Just to get in the door and make them listen to our music.” When they did listen to that music, half the battle was won.
Sofaya’s electrifying voice wins over most listeners at the first go. Other inspirations include “Madonna of the townships” Brenda Fassie, Tina Turner, Etta James, James Brown, Michael Jackson and Sam Cooke. “My soul is old, but luckily our production is su- per-contemporary.” In terms of writing and production, she’s a fan of the late industry icon Robbie Malinga. Business-wise, she ad- mires the brand-building ability of Beyoncé, Lira and DJ Sbu. It’s a testament to the freshness of the Sofaya sound that some of the biggest names in the industry have teamed up to bring it to...