The 22-year-old singer, whose 2011 single Pump it On, threw her unexpectedly into the limelight when it started getting air play on radio stations across South Africa, starting with national youth station 5FM in October 2011 then spreading rapidly to others.
Views for the track’s video on YouTube, now seen over 120 000 times, fanned the craze as they shot up exponentially.
Toya told Zimbo Jam yesterday that she was over the moon about her Zimbabwe trip. “I’m extremely excited; I can’t wait to meet my fans in Zimbabwe.... It’s the first time I’ll be performing in another African country and I’m excited to spread the Delazy vibe.”
Zimbabwe Fashion Week takes place in Harare next week, from August 30 to September 1, 2012. The venue has changed from La Seranata as initially advertised, to the VW Showroom on Samora Machel Avenue in the Harare CBD.
More information about who’s coming and what’s happening with ZFW this year in another article, this one’s about Miss Delazy…
Born, Latoya Buthelezi, Toya’s musical journey started at the convent boarding school she started attending at the age of 6. She says it was there that she developed her love for the piano, a major feature of her current music.
In 2009 she signed up for a music degree at Howard College in Durban where she decided to study Jazz piano. She says in her official biography that this was the “best choice of my life.”
Despite failing the first year, she persisted. She says of this experience, “Essentially it was great, it worked out that way because I now have ‘A Story’ and all those moments made me who I am today and helped me to get signed on the 19th of April 2011 to Sony Music Africa.”
Her second single Love Is In the Air did not disappoint. It shot up 5FM Top40 chart and also got lots of play on other stations. The video became part of the Channel O, MTV Base & Trace TV high frequency list.
Then just a few months ago, in April, came her debut, album Due Drop (You can listen to it here). Toya described the project to Viantha Naidoo of DStv thus; “It’s a mix of jazz, electro, hip hop and pop.”
However she wants to describe it, South Africa loves her vibe, and when the South African Music Awards (SAMAs) happened earlier this year, although she wasn’t on the list of nominations because her album missed the date window for this year’s edition, she was getting more press than many of those who were up for honours.
Due Drop is selling well and Toya’s videos on YouTube are getting tens of thousands of views.
As we speak, she is currently working on an animation video for her next single.
