Spotify, a global online streaming platform, has announced Ndivhudzannyi Ralivhona with the stage name “Makhadzi” as its EQUAL Africa artiste for the month of September.

Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Lagos.

Okumu noted that EQUAL Africa fosters equity for women in the music and audio space and had helped to highlight the careers of women in Africa.

She said Makhadzi’s Matorokisi album  steered her into national stardom, with subsequent projects like Kokovha and African Queen cementing her artistry.

“Spotify announce Makhadzi, the superstar from Limpopo as the EQUAL  Africa ambassador for the month of September.

“Makhadzi joins a troop of mult-talented African female artistes including Tayla, Qing Madi, and Khanyisa, just to name a few.

“African female artistes have proven time and time again that they are a force to be reckoned with, often with limited resources and opportunities.

“Extending resources and generating more impactful opportunities for them is of paramount importance at Spotify”,she said.

Okumu said Makhadzi, whose journey in the entertainment industry commenced at the age of 12 as a dancer, hailed from Limpopo.

According to her, Limpopo was the same province where she first built a loyal fan base from the ground up while performing at taxi ranks, shops, and small events as a fairly unknown artiste.

She said Makhadzi sings in her home language, “Tshivenda”, a proof  that language is not a barrier in music.

She noted that the artiste grew up listening to African music, citing the likes of Oliver Mtukudzi, Jah Prayzah,Yemi Alade, Diamond Platnumz and also a Venda artist called Zozo.

According to her, Makhadzi’s music captured Spotify listeners the same way her on-stage mind-blowing performances had captivated audiences.

In her response, Makhadzi said, “I realised music was my destiny during my early days when I performed in the streets near taxi ranks and shops.

“I would attract a lot of people who would give me some change as I performed. Most people would even miss their transport just by standing there and watching me.

“The key is to believe in yourself and wait for your time. If you believe in your talent, then you need to trust and believe in God’s time; we know His time is always the best.

“As an artiste, you can do music in any way you like as long as there’s a nice melody, nice vibe, and a good message. I make nice melodies for people to dance and I love that I sing in my own language.”