Rethabile Khumalo has already made a name for herself through notable collaborations from DJ Zinhle to Master KG and now she’s finally dropping her debut EP, Culo.

Khumalo, who is veteran musician Winnie Khumalo’s daughter, first garnered attention with songs Umlilo and Ntyilo Ntyilo – the latter becoming the opening theme song for TV show DiepCity.

Her new solo offering consists of four inspirational songs.

“DJ Zinhle gave me a chance without knowing that I was Winnie Khumalo’s daughter,  which meant my talent spoke for itself. Getting to feature on that song made things easier for me to get noticed in the music industry, even Master KG reached out to tell me he wanted to work with me. So, I’ll forever be grateful to Zinhle for opening that first door for me,” Khumalo said.

“My mother has been one of my biggest inspirations. She actually showed me from a young age how an artist should be.

“l would watch her rehearse as a backup singer for Brenda Fassie, Zonke, Bongo Maffin and many more. My mother is actually the reason why I can hold a note and be on key. We’d often sing together and she’d guide me on what melodies and harmonies to sing.”

At 16, Khumalo caught the attention of Mzansi when she tried her luck on Idols SA, never advancing to the top 10.

“My mother trusted me enough to enter Idols even though I was quite young but I’m glad I went through that process, it made me yearn even more to become a well-known musician,” she said.

Khumalo felt vindicated when she made her return to the Idols SA stage in 2019 to perform Umlilo.

“My biggest highlights so far are performing at DStv Delicious Festival and being nominated in the Basadi in Music Awards… although I didn’t win the award, it meant my work was being noticed,” she said.

“The most memorable highlight was paying tribute to Mam’Yvonne Chaka Chaka while she is still alive. She was very happy to see me sing her songs and hearing her praise my singing just meant the world to me.” 

The 28-year-old songbird is also a great live performer, always leaving audiences in awe with her magnetic stage presence and infectious energy. 

“Making this EP wasn’t pretty easy. There were a lot of ups and downs but my team preserved and made it all happen,” she said. 

“I love sharing and spreading positive messages with my music. I always want to make music that speaks to the soul and addresses certain emotions."

“The ultimate goal is to see the record label I have with my mother become the biggest out there.”