'Inde' singer Nokwazi (40) keen on going back to school to complete her matric

Musician Nokwazi Dlamini, who is featured on Heavy K's hit song Inde, said she is planning to go back to school to finish her basic education after 23 years.

Dlamini, 40, dropped out of school in 1995 after passing Grade 11. She said she always wanted to go back.

"I believe education is very important. If I want to go study something overseas, I will definitely need matric," she said.

Asked why she left school before completing matric, she said she was just a silly and lazy teenager at the time.

"I wanted to go back this year and do matric with my 17-year-old son, but I can't because I have a lot on my plate currently.

"I am working on an album and I want to release a book. I'm also planning to open a catering company where I will personally cook."

Dlamini said she started singing in church at the age of 10 and began singing professionally at 18.

That was when she became a backing vocalist for gospel star Rebecca Malope, she said, after she was recommended by the gospel star's producer who had watched her getting rejected in a talent show.

Once she had moved from Pietermaritzburg, her home town, to Joburg, Dlamini was exposed to more artists such as Thandiswa Mazwai, Simphiwe Dana and Brenda Fassie, who she later backed.

Dlamini said at some point she tried to launch a singing career of her own but failed as two of her albums did not perform as she had expected.

"I told myself that I will just go back to what I do best, which is backing, because life needed to continue."

She said things changed when she met DJ and record label boss Oskido and her music career started to look promising.

In the future she wants to be a senior music producer and a songwriter.

Speaking of the Inde success, she said she was drawn to the project by another singer, Bucie Nqwiliso, who had insisted that they needed to work together on the song.

"We did the song and it just happened that the beats were from Heavy K," she said.