Although she is new to the local music industry, Mpho shows a depth of maturity with her debut single ‘Loves Light’. The smoothness of her voice melts easily on the subtle sounds; making a blend that is much soothing to the ear. Loves LightÔÇöa sultry emotive song with a dynamic slab of soul and ethnic harmonies, has many paying attention to Mpho Sebina as a talent to look out for.
Describing her sound as a fusion of smooth soul, jazz and afro soul, she brings with her an aura that is seemingly unexplored in the local scene. “I wrote this particular song five years ago. I was in a space where I felt like people around me, including myself, needed spiritual, mental and emotional healing. The song comes from there; it comes from a lived experience. Most of my music is reflective of my journey through life,” says the 25 year old singer. She adds, “The sound of this song captures my musical influences balled into one; from western to african influences.”
She details her experience in the industry so far as mostly welcoming: “The reception has been absolutely heartwarming ÔÇô my friends and the media have been supportive, and even event organisers who continue to give me the platform to showcase my music make me grateful”. However, she says her journey in music has tossed a few hurdles along the way, “Trying to find people who share the same musical ear as you is difficult. This has been my biggest challenge, but when you find that place everything flows easy from then on,” expressed Mpho, whose work is produced by Charles ‘Favi’ Motsemme.
‘Do what you love’ is the phrase that best encapsulates the courage she had to embody in order to make the decision to quit her job to pursue music full-time. “It wasn’t easy, I had to overcome the fear of being comfortable with a monthly pay check, the uncertainty of whether people will understand my music and doubting my abilities,” she says.
To date, she has performed her soul-infused songs at Jazz X Change, Gaborone International Jazz festival and corporate gigs. She also has a handful of mash-up cover songs of hits such as ‘Too late for mama’ by Brenda Fassie and ‘Lerato’ by Lebo Mathosa in which she gives poignant contemporary renditions.
Currently, she is working on her debut album titled ‘Loves Light’ which she hopes to drop late July. She will be performing at the Gaborone International Music and Culture Week for their jazz segment. For bookings and more on her music, visit her facebook page: Mpho Sebina.
