Popular Bulawayo dancer and musician Sandra “Sandy” Ndebele has rubbished claims that she is now a spent force following the release of her latest video titled Ingoma in which she was not doing her trademark gyrating dances.
BY SHARON SIBINDI
Ndebele, who features Bulawayo rapper Mzoe7 in the video, said she felt sorry for those who were calling her a spent force, saying “she was moving with the times.”
The musician who is a mother of three told The Standard Style that the way she dresses and dances had nothing to do with her age. She was criticised left, right and centre for dressing in a “tight” jumpsuit during the National Arts Merit Awards ceremony in Harare and another one in the video Ingoma.
However, the musician — who scooped the Outstanding Female Artist award at the recently-held Bulawayo Arts Festival — said she was not moved by negative criticism.
“Critics, I don’t pay attention to such, only constructive ones. Ingoma is now on Trace Africa, Channel O, MTV and YouTube. I am moving with the times and re-positioning myself to a bigger market,” she said.
“Everyone now wears beads on stage, so it does not stand out anymore for me. But I am still a proud cultural Zimbabwean girl who prides herself with who I am.” Sandy, who has been instrumental in marketing local culture internationally, said the arts industry was so demanding and highly competitive.
“It is important for peers and stakeholders to see me as a professional and hardworking artist rather than classify me by my gender. So a capable artist is exactly that, whether male or female and challenges affect both genders,” she said.
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On the issue of relocating to Harare, she said; “I am a Zimbabwean and you can do border to border a day and I am still in and out of Bulawayo because my family is still here,” she said.
Sandra, who has performed in several countries, including Indonesia, has seven albums to her name and her latest offering Izenzo features contemporary musician Jah Prayzah, Jeys Marabhini, Nashie of the Chibhorani fame and South African Doup Teddy Bear.
