Sasa Jobodwana finally takes step from live performer to recorded artist

For years, while performing in and around KuGompo City, music only lived in the moment during live shows for songstress Sasa Jobodwana, and her fans kept asking how they could take it home.

However, Jobodwana, who stepped onto the music scene and began her songwriting journey in 2018, never felt it was the right time to release her music.

That was until now, as the muso prepares to release her first single, Ekhaya, shortly after performing it live on Sunday during the celebration of 20 years of the Jaziel Brothers at the Umtiza Arts Festival.

Jobodwana, a public relations graduate, said she felt ready to share her talents with the world.

“It is only now that I feel it is the right time. Everything in my life has finally aligned to allow me to record.

“My space, my life, and my spirit are completely ready for this chapter.

“Doing this right now alongside the 10th anniversary of the Umtiza Arts Festival is cosmic timing.

“Sharing the stage at the Guild Theatre with absolute icons like the Jaziel Brothers — who are celebrating 20 years of defining South African music — and the incredible Lwah Ndlunkulu isn’t just a career highlight, it’s confirmation.

“It is the absolute perfect, high-voltage threshold for me to step across from being a live performer to a recorded artist,” she said.

For years, local audiences have known her strictly as a powerhouse live performance artist with a proven track record for packing local venues.

Jobodwana said since stepping onto the music scene and beginning her songwriting journey in 2018, her artistry had evolved into a “powerful mirror for society”.

She said her lyricism had transcended the stage; her songs had been turned into poems and translated from isiXhosa to English in a prominent new anthology titled Poetic Blues, which can be accessed in public libraries and directly purchased from her.

While the book features celebrated poets from across SA, she stands alone as the only featured artist representing KuGompo in the entire publication.

She said her catalogue served as an authentic, unfiltered reflection of life, resilience and womanhood in KuGompo, paying homage to her city, her province and SA at large.

“Being part of the Umtiza Festival fills me with immense joy. The festival takes its name from a tree that belongs uniquely to our land, symbolising endurance and community.

“To be ‘Umtiza’ is to be authentically local, resilient and connected to the people around us.

“I am happy to bring my energy to a space that keeps our heritage alive and helps our local creative community flourish.”

“For a long time, my music only lived in the moments we shared live.

“I loved the raw energy of live shows, but my fans kept asking how they could listen to my music at home or in their cars.

“Stepping into the studio to finally record is a massive milestone.

“Ekhaya is my gift back to them, preserving our roots in a permanent way, and it is the perfect introduction to this new chapter.

“The upcoming performance will take the audience on an emotional journey through songs that challenge, comfort and celebrate,” she said.

Having previously captured audiences with a string of highly successful, sold-out shows at both House 87 and Royal Bingo, Jobodwana said the performance at the Guild Theatre cemented her place as a crucial, definitive voice in the contemporary South African cultural landscape.

“We are keeping the DNA of this project completely authentic, tracking the single right here in East London to capture the true pulse of the Eastern Cape.

“The official sonic debut happens live on the Guild Theatre stage for the festival crowd.

“Right after that exclusive first listen, Ekhaya drops globally across all major digital streaming platforms, taking KuGompo’s voice to the world,” she said.

Daily Dispatch