After the success of Shumaya, the sky is the limit for Zinhle and Trademark
|||One of the most memorable overnight success stories has to be that of Trademark and Zinhle Ngidi.
Ngidi is the voice behind the group Dbn Nyts’ hit track, Shumaya. Trademark, a duo of producers, were also part of the production of that song and it became an instant anthem. Now, coming off that success, Zinhle and Trademark have joined up to make an album which they titled Trademark & Zinhle Ngidi.
“I may have only blown up last year, but I have been making music all my life. I am happy with the album that we have put out and I hope that it does well,” said Ngidi.
The album is indeed doing well and the trio’s hit song, Valelisa, is a favourite on many radio stations and in clubs.
“Valelisa came to me in a funny way. I was passing by the kitchen and one of the guys was playing a beat which I liked. Uku-valelisa means ‘leaving something behind’ and I was in a feud with someone and to blow off some steam, I wrote a song about closing that chapter,” said the singer and songwriter.
“It is No 1 on some stations and we are shooting a video soon and are really excited about this. The album is only a month old and we are happy with how well it has done.”
It is no surprise that the group are already successful because they do market research, which paints a picture of what their fans want before they release anything.
“We let fans hear our music first and they can then choose what they like. Valelisa was a favourite so we went with that,” said Ngidi.
Looking into the intricate functioning of Trademark and Ngidi, the singer explained what each member does.
“Trademark are cool to work with. They are my brothers and they are humble, which makes it very easy to work with them. We are a very transparent group. I am the vocalist and Trademark are the DJs. So whenever they come up with the beats, I then add the songwriting aspect.
“The guys also do the mixing and arranging of the songs and I come in with the harmonies and melodies. So essentially we are a two producers and a vocalist,” she explained.
There is no doubt that Shumaya was a huge hit and living up to that success must have been terrifying. Zinhle agreed.
“It is a lot of pressure, obviously. Shumaya worked when we least expected it. We did not plan to have a hit. Dbn Nyts called Trademark to produce the song for them. Trademark then called me to do the chorus for the song and Shumaya was made. I know Dbn Nyts from way back as we are childhood friends.
“Now we are doing music for another project and I was called in by Zakes Bantwini, who works for Sony, and he suggested we do this album and that’s why we are doing this.
“I think I’d like for people to hear what I sound like without other vocalists. Given that people like what they are hearing, I think we are doing fine.”