Bedfordview musician chases international recognition

Bedfordview resident and musician Nobantu ‘Noba’ Msweli took to the stage when she performed at the Miss World South Africa event.

The event was held in Pretoria at the State Theatre on October 28.

Captivated by music from an early age, the singer-songwriter was born in Mpumalanga and raised in Johannesburg.

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After she pivoted from becoming a ballerina, Noba had her heart set on becoming a musician.

She started her musical journey at six years old, taking piano lessons and singing in church alongside her mother.

Her musical interest grew after becoming involved in school choirs and various art programmes.

Pursuing her passion for music further, Noba made it to America where she graduated from The College of Performing Arts – The New School as a vocalist majoring in jazz and contemporary music.

Drawing from her rich heritage and worldly influences Noba’s sound is a fusion of Jazz, RnB, Neo Soul and Pop.
Her voice gives off a clear, smooth and warm feel.

She has performed at venues such as Madison Square Garden, The Bowery Ballroom, Sound of Brazil and Gold Sounds Bar.

What Noba enjoys most about music is the creative process.

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“When creating music, you have endless avenues to explore,” she said.

Another aspect is being able to learn from other musicians and connect whilst collaborating.

Noba feels it has been one of the contributing factors to her growth and also releasing music that she can feel proud of.

She said music is her release. For her, writing music about her life experiences is a chance to breathe out, a chance to move on and to make peace with one’s past.

In the future Noba hopes to be an international recording and performing artist. She intends to pursue as many creative avenues as possible.

For more information on Noba and her music, visit her on social media at @noba_music.