Maya McFadden Photo
“How am I going to do my music in a foreign world?” The South-African born musician Thabisa let her sonic stardom shine on the New Haven Green Saturday as the headlining artist for this summer’s International Festival of Arts & Ideas concert series.
The now-settled local musician moved to Elm City roughly three years ago when her husband accepted a job at Hopkins School. The two traveled thousands of miles with their two young children, the youngest of whom was still being breastfed at the time, Thabisa told the Independent on Saturday.
She had just wrapped up recording her second album, “Eyodidi,” and finished her South African-based tour. After being offered the job opportunity in America for her husband and family, Thabisa said she feared that she did not give her new album, released in November of 2015, enough time to be recognized and marketed. “I felt disheartened,” she said.
However, Thabisa has since become an international artist. She continues to work on using her music to heal and make her listeners feel her passion for love, she said.
“Why would I behave. We’re at Arts & Ideas!”
Hundreds came out for the Arts & Ideas concert on Saturday and the large crowd was a familiar happy place for Thabisa. When in South Africa, Thabisa played for about 10,000 people at the Buyel’ekhaya Festival, but this was her first time she got her own artist trailer. She said that the accomplishment made her feel blessed and showed her that her passion and work is being recognized more in the music industry.
An hour an a half before showtime, Thabisa had a soundcheck rehearsal on stage while an audience of about 150 who got a sneak peek of the artist. In her team’s custom shirts that read “Black Girls are Sunshine,” Thabisa warmed up her voice. Before the start of the show, Thabisa also worked with the festival’s management team to be sure that her vision for her performance would happen. She visualized her performance being both on stage and in the audience with her fans.
“I need to be with the people,” she said. Her love for performing and the arts devolped from a quote she often heard while back home in South Africa; “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” which means “A person is a human because of other people.”
After her soundcheck and warm up session, Thabisa returned to her trailer to cool down with the two singers, Lovelind Richards and Chrissy Gardener, who sang backup for her performance, and her guest performer, Sarafina Robinson.
Robinson danced on stage while Thabisa performed her song “Diva from the River” from her first album, “The Journey,” while walking and singing amongst the audience on the Green.
Thabisa held off on eating before her performance and instead treated her minimally sore vocal cords with room-temperature water and some honey.
“I’m getting ready for something bigger”
Thabisa’s lyrics are a written mix of Xhosa, Zulu, Venda, and English. With the help of her assistant, Laurie Sweet, Thabisa has learned to be her own costume designer, makeup artist, promoter, marketing director, manager, and more, she said.
On Saturday she used not only her lyrics to connect with her audience but also her stage presence. She said she does not worry about people not understanding all of her lyrics because she will help them to feel the passion with her dedication to her performances. “Music is healing…even when sometimes you don’t know all of the ingredients,” she said.
Thabisa said she has dreams of performing in more festivals such as in New York and Boston. “I’m a dreamer…it saves my life,” she said.
In honor of June being LGBTQ+ Pride month, Thabisa handed out rainbow beaded necklaces while in the audience as she performed. She told the audience members to be kind, supportive and loving to everyone.
“To be a musician is an emotional journey”
Thabisa ended her set with her original song, “What Are These Feelings.”
After the show Thabisa took some time to herself to relax and eat. Her husband and two children, who sat in the audience during her performance, joined her after an hour to help her pack up her belongings and congradulate her on her headliner show. Her family often joins her for her performances when possible, Thabisa said, but at times she has a hard time managing her time for her work and her family, but she has continued for years because “my family keeps me safe and sane,” she said.
To listen to an interview with Thabisa on WNHH Community Radio, click on or download the link below. Read more about her work with Arts & Ideas here.