Nne-Vida is the name of the brand-new Popstars group on e.tv that the broadcaster just announced with Lihle Ngongoma, Lyle Volkwyn, Oscar Toorn and Zinhle Dube as its four members and now I can exclusively publish the very first sit-down interview ever with the four members of Nne-Vida.
The four Nne-Vida members talk openly about clashes they've had already, tension and friction as they're getting to know each other, how they came up with the name of Nne-Vida (which one of the four didn't like it?), upset parents, the favourite tracks from their upcoming debut album Ready to Fly, what life is now like living in the Popstars house, and what wisdom they've learned during the reality show.
For my complete and exclusively first interview with the four members of Nne-Vida, click on READ MORE below.
How did you guys decide to come up with the name?
Oscar Toorn: We tried putting a lot of names together. Eventually we wanted to get something African, but also have an international name, so we decided: let's take an African word and let's take a European word and smash it together and then we got Nne-Vida.
Lyle Volkwyn: The name took about a week. We sort of came up with a name but on the night before the last day we we're still pretty much clueless. The next morning we came up with Nne-Vida, and Phase 4, but Nne-Vida was the one that three of us liked, so we had to all convince Zinhle. But she likes it now. So here we are: Nne-Vida.
Zinhle Dube: Nne-Vida means ''for life'' and hopefully as a group and as a band we will really be together for life and be there for each other during the rest of our lives.
There's 12 tracks on your new Nne-Vida album Ready to Fly which should be on shelves soon just in time for Christmas. Did you sleep, did you eat, did you pee? How hectic was the recording time to get it done so fast?
Zinhle Dube: We woke up early, we rehearsed, we learned the words and went to go and record them. It was tough but everything worked out well.
Lihle Ngongoma: Back in workshop, Azania Ndoro gave us, during the mentorship, the advice that when you sing its not just about delivering the vocals, its also about the message of the song. So we thought about the words of the songs and the feelings. Then, eventually when you have to sing the song, you already know the feeling of the song. When you sing it, you can already picture the next movement and it just flows.
Lyle Volkwyn: It also took hard work and dedication. We really listened to the songs carefully, we chose the songs we liked and we recorded our new album Ready to Fly in a week and a half which was really push-push. We had to know the lyrics and we had to work hard with our choreographer Kurt Herman.
A favourite track?
Lyle Volkwyn: If You Let Me, but we do love our hit, Back Up. If you listen to the album its not just one kind of music. We catered for all genres of music. There's three ballads on Ready To Fly as well.
Lihle Ngongoma: Yes! I love If You Let Me but also Back Up.
Now living in the Popstars house, how would you describe the experience?
Oscar Toorn: Living in this big house . . . its such a good feeling.
Lihle Ngongoma: We're learning to get to know each other. It's interesting. It's nice to learn about each other. We already had some clashes – especially when it comes to work.
Oscar Toorn: It's a tough thing. There's two people in Nna-Vida who both have very strong personalities [Lyle Volkwyn and Lihle Ngongoma] and actually the two of us (Oscar Toorn and Zinhle Dube], we are the soft ones. So all of that is creating friction for us as Nne-Vida, but we're coming along very well now. We're understanding each other more now because we've been living together for a while now.
Zinhle: We know we have to work together so we're trying to ignore some things and focus on the right things. We need to make this – Nne-Vida – work.
Lyle Volkwyn: A plus for us is that we've already established relationships with each other, we set boundaries with each other, we have a lot of respect for each other as a family. As Nne-Vida we truly have become a little family. I think that's our basis. We're learning each others' strong points and weaknesses and we're working on the weaknesses and we're working on the strengths and now its just moving forward, working together as a group.
Coming into this entertainment world and music industry, is there something you told your parents about how all of this is now changing for you?
Zinhle Dube: At first my mom was having a problem because I had to come home late. But now she's learning to understand that that's what is demanded and how it works, that this is my passion, that I love doing this. Now she does understand. But at first she was very upset about me coming back late. I told her: ''Mom, it is because I'm working very hard.''
Oscar Toorn: That whatever people tell them about me, or what they might read about me, they should just hold onto the fact that I'm their son and that they should believe in what they know who I am.
Lihle Ngongoma: It's probably going to take my mom some time to adjust. My mom is so happy. I think it will sink it that things have changed. I think she'll get used to it.
Lyle Volkwyn: My parents – I think sometimes parents think of music as a hobby because of the way they were brought up. Work is 9 to 5. For us now as Nne-Vida we want to live out our dream as popstars. We want to be singers, we want to be musicians. So for them it’s a bit of a change. With Popstars now, and with us now having formed Nne-Vida and having our first album Ready To Fly out, they get that its real and that this is what we want. Nne-Vida will fly. We will make our business flourish and we're going all the way.
One piece of wisdom? What have you've learned about life now through Popstars?
Lihle Nogongoma: It always takes dedication and focus and just never ever giving up. You might push and push and things don't work out. But don't give up. Keep pushing further. Keep trying that little bit more; that little bit harder. You will discover that suddenly its your time.
Lyle Volkwyn: Its about perseverance. I've persevered through these reality shows and finally its happened. Perseverance, dedication, hard work and . . . prayer!
Popstars, e.tv, Saturdays, 18:05
Popstars Extra, e.tv, 20:00
