How legendary South African singer, Yvonne Chaka Chaka became a musician

Legendary South African icon, Yvonne Chaka Chaka has opened up about how her music career started although her dream was to be a Chartered Accountant.

Coming from a family of three girls, Yvonne’s mother had wished her daughter pursue a career in law. Chaka Chaka’s father died when she was 11 years old during the apartheid regime in South Africa, causing financial burden for her family.

In an exclusive interview with TV3, the “Umqombothi” hitmaker disclosed that at age 19 she had walked into a company owned by a white man and desperately in search of a scholarship to study accounting at the University.

Little did she know that her musical career would begin in a very unexpecting turn of events.

“My mum wanted me to be a lawyer. Fast forward I ended up at Deform Revolt whiles I was going to look for a scholarship and it started like that,” the “Princess of Africa” told Chrystal Kwame-Aryee.

The 59-year-old with a music career spanning over three decades narrated that she was approached by a white man who asked her if she could sing as soon as she stepped into the company.

Although she declined to sing, Yvonne Chaka Chaka was handed a paper which contained the lyrics of her first-ever recorded song ‘I’m In Love With the DJ’.

She was asked to learn the lyrics of the song and return for a studio recording session the following week.

“The music was written for me. I had no idea of writing. I just found myself there and the song was written. Apparently, they had three ladies who tried the song, ‘I’m in Love with the DJ’ and when I eventually stepped foot in the company by mistake by the way, the white man said I saw the spark on your face. There were two of us.

“The lady who was invited was the one who didn’t get the job and me who was accompanying her, I did not even know her I met her for the very first time at the place where I was going to get the scholarship.

“And the white man said to me ‘can you sing’, I said ‘no, I don’t want to sing’. I said ‘Sing? Me? No, I want to do accounting and so he said ‘you’re very cheeky’ but I just said no time for me because this is not where I am supposed to be.

“He gave me the paper with the words of the song ‘I’m in Love with the DJ’ and said come back on Monday, you are going to go to the studio…but something over the weekend made me learn the words of the song, I knew it by heart and I was listening to the music and I didn’t even know where I’m supposed to sing but he said listen to the music and try and sing it.

“I said what I’m I going to sing but eventually when I got into the studio, I knew the words and that was it. A guy coached me to say this is how we want you to sing it…eventually they called me to come and listen to the song and I was like wow so they said they were going to edit and do some mixes and in the next two weeks, it’s going to be out,” she narrated.

New to the music industry and had no idea of a prospective music career, Yvonne doubted the song was ever going to be released.

She did not expect that as a young girl, 19, at the time would have a song which would later become a hit all over the world.

“I was like this is nonsensical, it’s never going to happen but in two weeks the song has sold 25,000 copies. I didn’t even know that this was going to last forever. I just thought it was one of those things,” she stated.

Yvonne Chaka Chaka’s career has spanned over three decades, with hits such as “Umqombothi”, “I’m Burning Up”, “Thank You Mr. DJ” and her very first hit song ‘I’m in Love with the DJ”.

Yvonne was of the headline acts for the 2024 African Legends Night at the Grand Arena on October 5.

The global music icon was joined by an esteemed lineup that includes Okyeame Kwame, George Jahraa, and Adane Best.

The post How legendary South African singer, Yvonne Chaka Chaka became a musician first appeared on 3News.

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