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16 Jul

Rising Star Yandani: Making Music that Feels Good

Yandani describes himself as quiet; an introvert who prefers his own company. But then he says something that completely contradicts this: “I’m just a guy that’s like, gosh, I’m always singing. I literally can’t stop myself from singing. I sing every five minutes.”

It’s this contradiction that makes Yandani so fascinating. Here’s an 18-year-old with nearly a million TikTok followers, a debut single that’s already making waves, and a musical bloodline that reads like South African music royalty. Yet when you talk to him, he’s refreshingly normal – just a matric student who happens to be really, really good at what he does.

Music in the Blood

Growing up as the grandson of Ladysmith Black Mambazo founder Joseph Shabalala and son of the group’s current lead singer Thamsanqa Shabalala meant that music was never really a choice for Yandani – it was just life.

“All around me was just like, singing and music. And like, at that time, I didn’t even realise it. But now that I think about it, I’m like, yeah, that probably had a really big influence,” he says. But his musical awakening didn’t come from isicathamiya or traditional sounds. It came from Yandani discovering Ariana Grande in Grade 1. “That was my first, first, first ever favourite artist, and she still is now,” he says. “That’s where I was like, wait, oh my gosh, I really have to do this. I love this so much, and I do see myself doing it in the future.” And he has had his family’s unconditional support every step of the way. “I don’t know, they’ve always been very supportive. With anything that I did, you know, even just singing at school was like, oh, okay we’ll be there,” he says.

It started as what seemed like a hobby, but eventually became something more serious. At some point it started getting really serious, and I was like have to do this.”

The Balancing Act

Right now, Yandani is living what might be the most challenging double life in South African entertainment – being a matric student while building an international music career. Most days, he makes it look easy. “It’s like, I don’t know, when I think about it, it’s not a lot to handle,” he says.

But then it reality hits. “I see other people that are out of matric and, you know, they’re fully focused on music and they get to just travel at random times of the year. And I’m just like, oh, I have school. Like, I can’t do that.”

Still, he’s figured out how to manage both worlds. “I feel like I know how to balance them really well. I know when it’s time to focus on school, I know when it’s time to focus on music, even though you know, I’m always singing… it’s part of my daily life.”

He’s doing business studies, computer applications, technology and geography. When asked if he’s planning to take a break from music to focus on his upcoming prelims and finals, his response is immediate and confident: “I don’t want to take a break. I feel like I can handle both. I’m very confident in that.”

Creating “Honeydew”

“Honeydew” is everything Yandani wanted to say in his first official statement to the world. “I wanted it to have a really, really good vibe to it. I wanted it to be something that, as soon as the song starts, people can feel that vibe and just want to dance and let loose and just have fun.”

But it’s not just about the vibes. “I wanted a song that made people feel very confident when they listen to it. It’s like that feel good type of anthem, feel good vibe.” He also wanted to touch on young love. “I also wanted to incorporate a bit of young love to it so that lover girls and lover boys can relate and just enjoy it with themselves and their partner.”

Finding His Sound

Yandani’s been splitting his time between Durban, Cape Town, and London while creating music, and he says this has been crucial to his development. “It’s very nice that I get to travel to different places when I’m making music because it’s very inspiring and you get some new ideas and you feel a new vibe, a new environment,” he explains.

Working with different people from different parts of the world has given him new perspectives. “You get different ideas. And just bouncing off ideas is really nice too. And it’s inspiring. And you get to get out of your comfort zone and where you’re usually always around.”

He describes his sound as “a good mix of pop and R&B. I think that’s very important to me. Like, I don’t want it to be straight up pop and I don’t want it to just be R&B. I want a really nice mix in between those two,” he says. “Try to have some sassy lyrics here and there for people to be like, oh, okay, that’s nice.”

And while Ariana Grande remains his number one, Yandani draws inspiration from R&B legends like Brandy and Mariah Carey. “Vocals and their work ethic. Insane, out of this world. Like, their vocals, that’s what really inspires me.”

The Power of Social Media

Before “Honeydew” was even a thought, Yandani had already built a massive following on social media. But rather than the numbers going to his head, they’ve motivated him. “It was really nice to see that so many people were so eager for me to release music, my own original songs, which definitely inspired me to keep going and reach more people,” he says. The response from his followers has confirmed what he already knew deep down. “It definitely inspired me and kind of pushed me more to be like, okay, this is really what I have to do, what I want to do, what I’ve been called to do.”

Despite his growing fame, Yandani has managed to stay remarkably grounded, thanks to his support system. “I have such good people around me. My family supports me with anything that I do, they’re there, they’re ready to listen to whatever new song I recorded in the studio on that day, ready to support me all the time. And I have a very good friend group also, keeps me grounded.”

This support has given him something rare for someone his age – complete certainty about his path. When asked about moments of doubt, he’s refreshingly direct: “I don’t think I ever have those moments. I mean, maybe not yet, maybe in the future. But at the moment, I’m very sure of what I’m doing and very sure where I want to go.”

What’s Next

Yandani isn’t slowing down. “I have an EP coming before the end of this year. So you can definitely look forward to that and just many more singles, honestly.”

His five-year vision is both ambitious and beautifully simple: “Hopefully by then I will have reached many more people performing on big stages. Even if it’s locally around the world, like, wherever. I just want to be on that big stage in front of many people just singing my songs and they know them word for word, singing back to me. Just that fun.”

For young South African artists following in his footsteps, Yandani’s advice is straightforward: “Block out any negativity that may come their way, because I think people are always going to have something negative to say, no matter how good you are, no matter how good you’re doing with whatever you’re doing. So people, I think you should definitely just block out whatever it is that’s trying to stop you.”

The Honeydew Experience

When asked why someone should listen to “Honeydew,” Yandani’s response captures exactly what he set out to create: “They should definitely listen to it, because it is just that song that will make you feel good about yourself and will definitely lift up your mood immediately. I think the beginning of it and those harmonies definitely could light you up and fill you up with more energy and a good mood. And I just think that whole song is just such a great kind of confidence and mood booster.”

Even though it’s winter, “Honeydew” gives him summer vibes. “I know we’re in winter and very cold and freezing, but I don’t know. I just feel that vibe with it.”

Yandani is proof that you don’t need to be loud or controversial to make an impact. Sometimes, quiet confidence and really good music are enough. He’s betting on joy, on making people feel good about themselves, and on the simple power of a song that makes you want to dance.

For someone who describes himself as quiet, he’s making a lot of noise. And the world is definitely listening.

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