Atteridgeville’s Letty Moipane Botetsi, aka Empress Deevyne, hopes to bring home the Reggae Artist of the Year award after being nominated at the Basadi In Music Awards.

The awards are set to take place on August 7– 8 at the Nelson Mandela Theatre, and it is the fifth annual ceremony commemorating women in music.

Botetsi (59) says she is honoured by the nomination, referring to it as her highest honour throughout her musical journey.

“This nomination at Basadi In Music Awards is so far the highest honour I have ever been given. I cannot adequately express my appreciation and gratitude. This might seem like just a nomination, but for me, it is already the greatest achievement, especially because this is what the people on the ground believe I deserve, and that has really humbled me,” Botetsi says.

She grew up in Atteridgeville and later furthered her education in Qwaqwa, Free State. She was introduced to music in 1985 through a friend and released her first EP that year titled Treat Me So Nice.

In 1986, she collaborated with the late Felani Richard Gumbi in a four-track project called In the Mood.

After the record label she was signed to closed down due to economic struggles at the time, she continued sharing music through close contact with the media.

She says that Brenda Fassie has always been her greatest inspiration, but she also draws inspiration from the likes of Whitney Houston, Dionne Warwick, Donna Summer, and Diana Ross.

In 2012, she adopted the moniker ‘Empress Deevyne’ after transitioning her sound to reggae, and has since specialised in the genre.

Her first reggae EP Empress was a by-product of her frequent attendance at the dancehall shows she used to perform at in Musina, where she was living at the time.

Her most recent release includes her single Feels So Good, released in December 2022, and a 2023 EP Life. She also plans on releasing another EP before the end of this year.

“There is a lot that is planned henceforth. I will be releasing an EP before the end of the year; this is the project I am currently working on. ‘The Journey’ is the theme of the EP; every song on the EP is an expression of my journey from the dusty streets of Black Rock in Saulsville, passing through all the trials and tribulations, trying to make a living as an independent artist,” Botetsi says.

For more information, follow: @empressdeeyne (YouTube); Empress Deevyne (Facebook) and @empressdeevyn (TikTok).

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