BY DELISA THWALA
MBABANE – They say you reap what you sow, and gospel heavyweight Nothando Hlophe has some receipts to prove it.
The gospel singer’s music video of the hit song ‘Khulula Ugcobo’ has amassed exactly 4.9 million views on YouTube. This is the first time ever that a Swazi gospel artist has reached that number of views.
In the past our local artists have been only able to get between 5 000 -10 000 views with the highest being Bholoja at 60 000.
‘Khulula Ugcobo’ is a song led by songbird Nothando Hlophe, and written by Siyabonga ‘Sukz’ Sukati. It was recorded live in Mavuso Trade Centre, making it a truly locally brewed and authentic project.
It is part of the ‘Women in Praise live in Swaziland’ CD /DVD project which went on to receive Crown Gospel Awards and SAMA nominations in 2016.
Nothando whose success in the music industry has always been taking a positive trajectory,said she was honoured by this milestone.
“This is a great platform to build on for sure as it shows the direction her brand is taking. With more hard work, dedication and focus I will definitely have a bright future. From the day I won the Women in Praise auditions, I have never looked back,” she said.
This milestone comes just in time after her showstopper show at the MTN IPRAISE. Where she was surrounded by the Spirit of Praise team as she performed her hit song ‘Impilo yami’
Worth mentioning is that YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire others across the globe, and act as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small.
A number of international producers and talent scouts use YouTube to sign up new talent to their recording stables. Musical giants like Universal and Sony have all been known to sign up artists after seeing their music clips on YouTube.
