The pain and frustration of being an unemployed graduate is becoming more bearable for Lindokuhle Mtangayi, whose leap into the world of gospel music is being well received.
Late last year, the Dispatch team met the university graduate who had started singing to channel her disappointment.
Her new song Usirayeli Akaqedwa has become a hit on TikTok.
The song has had more than 20,000 views, with thousands of TikTokers making videos dancing to it.
It has had more than 115,000 views on YouTube.
The University of Fort Hare BCom graduate, who also holds a teaching qualification from WSU, said she had discovered after graduation that life was not rosy as expected.
She pursued music as a way to ease her pain, and even though she has not been employed yet, she said her life had been better.
The success of the song has kept her busy with booking invites from churches and other organisations.
Mtangayi, who is from Tsolo but now based in East London, said her new song encouraged people not to lose hope no matter the circumstances.
She said the reception of her song had been better than she expected.
She said when she wrote the song, she’d had people without hope in mind, such as the unemployed.
It was a reminder than no situation was permanent and there was always light after a dark cloud.
She said though she had not found any employment, she was no longer depressed about her situation.
“When I dropped the song I had two intentions — to motivate myself and the public,” she said.
“I wrote three songs that were sad and as time went by I got better and dropped this one.”
When we lose hope and strength, God shows up and gives us strength to carry on
She said even though the circumstances had not changed, she was happy to know she had been able to survive.
“I looked at how I had survived despite having no permanent job and agreed with the statement by pastors that Israel can never be defeated.
“When we lose hope and strength, God shows up and gives us strength to carry on.”
Mtangayi said she had never thought that out of her misery she would discover her talent and she gave all the credit to God.
“There is a part in the song that says the more pressure we get, the more we succeed.
“This is because no-one knew one day I would be a songwriter as a result of the situation I was in.”
Mtangayi said that when she penned the song she’d had a picture of an enemy in mind.
“It was like I was making a statement that despite our challenges, we can never be defeated.
To be honest I never thought the song would grow and be what it is. This is one of my least-marketed songs, but its growth has been quite surprising
“To be honest I never thought the song would grow and be what it is.
“This is one of my least-marketed songs, but its growth has been quite surprising.
“The feedback has been overwhelming. I have been receiving invitations to perform left, right and centre and I am paid for each gig I get.
“For a while I forgot that I was an unemployed graduate. It has been an ease to my pain.”
She said she was grateful to the people who appreciated and loved her craft.
“I am truly grateful for the way they embraced me.
“May they continue to support me. They can stream my songs online, on YouTube, iTunes, Spotify and Deezer and can get them on my social media pages.”
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