Rebecca Malope

Career

Her musical story started in 1984. Driven by a burning desire to become South Africa’s most celebrated and admired songstress, at the age of 18 she and her sister Cynthia left their home township of Kanyamazane, near Nelspruit, and hiked 400 km to Evaton, from where they finally reached Johannesburg. In 1985 Malope entered Shell Road to Fame together with the band she was with, they were eliminated from the first round of the competition. In 1986 she meet Sizwe Zako at Gallo Studios and Sizwe remembered her from their unsuccessful auditions, Zako felt with his guidance Malope can win the Shell Road to Fame to enter the competition as solo artist. In 1987 Malope entered Shell Road to Fame as solo artist and in that year Rebecca Malope won Shell Road to Fame in category of Female Vocalist with song Shine On which was gospel song, the song was dedicated to political unrest during Apartheid in South Africa. Despite winning Shell Road to Fame struggled to find record company, finally she was given the recording contract by MFM but she was told that gospel music does not have sales she will have to do disco in order to sell. Furthermore to compete with Brenda Fassie, Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Mercy Phakela who were biggest female artists at the time. Sizwe Zako convinced the bosses of MFM to include one gospel song in Malope debut album Sthembile Kuwe, the song was well received than pop songs in the album, the album was called Rebecca. In 1989 Malope further released two albums in one year Thank you very much and Woza Lovey both albums reached platinum status. In 1990 Malope released Buyani the title track Buyani it was dedicated to struggle hero's particularly Nelson Mandela which it was the year he was released from Roben Island prison. The album achieved double platinum status and Rebecca Malope won Best Female Vocalist at the OKTV Awards beating Brenda Fassie. In 1991 she released her final pop album Saturday Nite as tradition like previous albums she included three gospel songs in the album.

In 1992 Malope released a full gospel album Rebecca Sings Gospel the album was well received by music critics, media and fans, it raised Malope fame to another level since she was the first gospel artist songs to be played together with mainstream music like pop, Afrikaans music to this date the album sold over one million copies and regarded as one of best gospel albums of all time in South Africa. Following the success of Rebecca Sings Gospel in 1993 Ngiyekeleni was released it followed the same success as previous album. In 1994 she released Umoya Wam the title track Umoya Wam' is known as Rebecca Malope signature track the album surpassed the previous records in terms of sales, Rebecca Malope won Cocoa Cola full blust in Best Established Local Artist win record of 10 million votes by listeners and further she won Best Contemporary Gospel Album in 1st South African Music Awards in 1995. The album was dedicated for peace in South Africa due to transition to Democracy in 1994. In 1995 she released Shwele Baba it broke the record at the time becoming the fastest selling album in South Africa, selling 100 000 within three weeks of release.

Rebecca has released 35 albums in a music career spanning more than 30 years to date. In 2009 she released her 30th album, entitled My Hero, containing double CDs. In April 2010 she released her 31st album Uzohamba Nami. On 14 March 2011, Malope released her 32nd album, Ukuthula (which translates as "Peace"). She was quoted in a local newspaper saying: “In Ukuthula people must expect rejuvenating sounds and I love the whole album. I decided on that name after thinking about the state the world is in today. People have no peace. There is war everywhere, even in churches. I want people to come together and more importantly have peace in their lives, so that we can have peace in the world".

In 2003 she won a KORA All African Music Award for Best Gospel Singer.

Discography