In this week’s edition of You Must Know Them, we are profiling a young and talented poet, artist and singer who has graced both national and local stages with her craft.
IDM; Tell us about yourself.
TS; My name is Thandokuhle Sibanda popularly known as “Thandoe” . I am a 22 year old female born and raised in Bulawayo ,Zimbabwe, and my poetry journey began in my early teens. I learnt how to cope with the noises around me and work my way towards h
I’m also a singer and have tracks with Jah Tears, DJ Fritz and Sosha lami to name but a few. I have won awards, namely
the LAFARGE POETRY SLAM CHAMP in 2019, the INTWASA POETRY SLAM CHAMP in 2019 and the BULAWAYO ARTS AWARDS in 2019.
IDM; What drives the work that you do?
TS; My art is primarily inspired by experiences, personal, other people’s experiences and in some instances ones i create, for a lot of reasons really.
My poetry allows me to be unapologetically Me and that could be anything i want and it doesn’t have to be the same thing every single day. It allows me to tap into parts of myself i wouldn’t dare think about reaching in my sober state, it allows me to tranfer that power and energy to a group of people that relate and that’s just gold!
So the understanding of where and how far my craft can take me is definitely a driving force.
IDM; What do you see in the near future?
TS; People can look forward to a more refined version of myself and my craft. Consistency and hardwork. I’m also going through rebranding, that is more structure, strategy, being intentional and business oriented.
IDM;What are your parting words or advice?
TS; Don’t be afraid. Go for the things you want to without thinking about what the next person thinks. It might be singing, poetry, drama, or non of all those things all together. Go for what speaks to you.
Secondly, don’t second guess yourself. With so many things working against you, don’t be part of the things that hold you back.
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