Discover the multi-talented Zoli Sway, an award-winning singer and songwriter from Johannesburg, South Africa. With over 14 years of experience, Zoli has ventured into diverse genres, collaborated with renowned artists, and earned accolades, including an Eminent Music Video Award for her EP “Musicine.” Now, as a fiercely independent artist, she focuses on continuously marketing her EP and setting the stage for her next album.
Join us as we delve into Zoli’s soulful musical journey and get a glimpse into the promising future of this remarkable artist.
Your upbringing in a music-filled home and early experiences in school choirs laid the foundation for your musical journey. How have these formative experiences shaped not just your musical style but also your approach to connecting with audiences and expressing yourself through your artistry?
[ZOLI SWAY]: My grandmother was a singer at church and she was famous for singing solos. I used to watch her practice at home, mimicking her, and how she would perform her solos at church. My dad was a vinyl collector and used to host parties at home. I learned his music and what his friends loved to listen to where I started to play music for him and his friends at these parties. These things taught me how to perform live and what music people liked to hear. The message in the songs. Timeless music.
As a self-taught singer and songwriter, your diverse musical explorations have been instrumental in crafting your unique sound. Tell us about this experience – what lead to choosing music and pursuing it as a full time career?
[ZOLI SWAY]: I don’t really think I chose music. I know that I would not live a fulfilling life without music. I have many times, separated from music, we broke up, but it has kept coming back and me being pulled back to it in some way. I had to accept that it is part of me. I love it so much. After acceptance then it’s the question, so what now? Answer, I live a life where I pursue my passion, music
Your musical journey is a mix of various genres like Reggae, RnB, House, and more. How have these influences shaped your creative process and the style we hear in your music?
[ZOLI SWAY]: It has messed it up, ha ha ha ha. I know that my music falls under the RnB genre in general but it’s an interesting feel of RnB. I don’t have a name for it. The mix has made it mine. It has made it timeless. It has made the sound so good. It has made it different. It has made it Musicine (music plus medicine = healing).
Collaboration seems important in your career, having worked with notable South African artists. Could you share a standout moments or experiences from these collaborations that significantly impacted your approach to music?
[ZOLI SWAY]: Lebo Mathosa is by far one of my favourite experiences. I remember being with her when she wrote a song. When she recorded the song and when she performed it. To create something out of nothing and honestly expressing yourself in the hopes that someone understands what you are feeling and connects with it. Write, delete, rewrite. Record, erase, re-record. Leave it in, trust yourself, leave it in. From this, my approach to music is to express it as honestly as I can.
Your EP, “Musicine,” beautifully blends your vocals with up-and-coming producers and musicians. How did this collaborative process evolve, and what challenges and rewards did it present during the creation of this project?
[ZOLI SWAY]: On the EP I worked with a producer named 1st Tape. For us the rewarding part was sticking to the sound we wanted. When I met him, he was one of a few producers that understood my sound. So for us it was easy to create whether I wrote first or he created the beat first. The challenge was not doing too much on the songs. When is the song ready? When are we at the end of the song where “that’s it, no more changes “. Deciding that was challenging.
“Heaven” (my absolute favourite) received acclaim, earning the Eminent Music Video Award for Best RnB Video. What was the creative inspirations behind this song and its accompanying video?
[ZOLI SWAY]: Thank you. Heaven is about the people I have lost that have passed away. It’s about me thinking about them and wondering if they see me, hear me. I call them my angels cause they watch over me. I wanted to remember them, let them know I still think about them. I wonder if they were here what we would be doing, saying.
The video is me chilling on my couch and playing a vinyl talking to my angels through music.
Being an independent artist involves shouldering the costs of production and marketing. What strategies or approaches have you found most effective in navigating this independent journey in the music industry?
[ZOLI SWAY]: Being an independent artist in this music industry is challenging. My approach is to take opportunities that come and use them fully. I pay all the costs for everything, production, marketing, band and transport. It’s a pity that most restaurants and event organizers want to pay you with exposure. It gets really tiring to a point where you question the purpose. I am learning to separate the feeling I get from doing music from the music industry fluff. Remind myself why I am doing this.
Music often acts as a source of healing. How do you intend to channel this aspect during your upcoming projects, and what role do you hope your music plays in connecting with your fans on a deeper level?
[ZOLI SWAY]: My intention is to heal with my music, hence my EP is called Musicine (music plus medicine = healing). I intend to do this by continuing to make honest music that feels good. My hope is that it is received as intended by those that connect to it. That when someone listens to it feels something, anything. That it translates what I feel when I make it. That it connects to people through the beat, the vocals, the words and the melody.
As a self-taught artist who’s explored diverse genres and performed in various settings, what advice would you give to emerging musicians on finding their unique style, managing an independent career, and staying authentic to their artistic vision amid challenges in the music industry?
[ZOLI SWAY]: I would say, to find your unique style, you have to be yourself. It sounds cliché but it’s so true. You are the only you. I am not the next anybody, I am the only Zoli Sway.
Managing an independent career is very challenging. It is also rewarding. Just remember why you are doing music in the first place.
Looking ahead, what legacy or impact do you aspire to leave through your music, and how do you hope your artistry will resonate with audiences in the years to come?
[ZOLI SWAY]: The legacy and impact I aspire to leave through my music is to heal through my music. I want my music to heal and last forever. Timeless Healing Music = Zoli Sway.
Check out Zoli Sway’s Medicine EP Live Band Performance
Featured Image(s) Source: Supplied
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