A multiple award-winning veteran musician from the north of Pretoria, is celebrating two decades in the music industry.
The iconic Jennifer Zamudio, who has been a Tshwane resident for the past three decades, stood out when she first became a musician because of her love for the colour purple.
“When I started as a musician, I dyed my hair purple and only wore purple outfits,” Zamudio said.
“People still remember me to this day because of my purple hair. Early in my career, the media called me ‘the girl with the designer voice’.”
She started singing professionally in 1990 and released her first commercial CD on the market.
Zamudio was born in Gansbaai in the Cape and was raised in the small West Coast town, Laaiplek in Velddrif.
Her mother is Afrikaans, but Zamudio got her unique surname from her father’s side of the family, which originates from Spain – it is phonetically pronounced as “Za-moe-die-hou”.
She matriculated in 1989 at the Swartland High School in Malmesbury.
As a young girl, a family friend who is a brilliant musician, taught her how to play the guitar and she mastered that skill very well.
While in the South African Army in the early ’90s, she developed a love for singing and performed as a hobby at that time.
One day she sang at an event at her work for colleagues, and a friend recognised her natural talent and suggested she must join the Anneli van Rooyen singing school, Promusik, which she did.
She was a part-time student at Promusik for six years, while still in the army.
“I received formal vocal training with one of SA’s most iconic Afrikaans artists, Anneli van Rooyen, who has polished my talent and moulded my voice into a soothing deep and unique sound,” she said.
At the end of her course, Zamudio received the “Best Student” award and Anneli van Rooyen recommended that she start pursuing a professional career in singing.
Zamudio left the army as a lieutenant and did exactly that.
Now Zamudio entertains crowds throughout South Africa with her energetic and remarkable stage performance and friendly personality in the adult contemporary, pop and country genres.
At the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival in 2000, her unique voice and stage performance caught the attention of one of the most sought-after publicists and music promoters in the industry, Lydia Winchester.
Read more: North artist thrills fans with melodic voice
Zamudio writes some of her own songs and she enjoys playing the guitar. She is also an excellent voice artist and often does work as a master of ceremonies and freelance TV field presenter.
Zamudio has successfully released twelve solo albums during the past 20 years.
Her 2013 hit, “Hart en Siel” was specially written for her by the acclaimed songwriter, Rudi Claase. The song was No.1 on four different radio stations simultaneously.
In April 2017 she was awarded two Ghoema Music Awards in the category Best Country Album and The Public’s Favourite Female Artist. The latter was awarded based on votes cast by the public. She was also awarded The Public’s Favourite Female Artist in 2019.
Read more: The best in country music
Zamudio is currently taking her top 20 show on a national tour.
“I am so excited that I will be performing in my home town, Montana. I am happy I can make a difference in people’s lives with my music. I truly believe I was destined to do what I do for a living. I entertain people and I believe that God gave me this talent for a reason,” she said.
She added that the industry has many challenges but that has not stopped her from moving forward and being where she is today.
“My natural drive to succeed, commitment and positive attitude are the keys that brought me this far. Always believe in yourself,” she concluded.
Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
