Tu Nokwe

about

Tu means you in French you know” says Tu Nokwe. And if you didn’t know better you’d be forgiven for thinking Nokwe means music in Xhosa. It doesn’t, but in a sense it does. The Nokwe’s, as it has been said before, are the Jackson 5s of South Africa. The family is comprised of six family members that have made music for most of their lives. They are Alfred & Patty, Marilyn, Papi, Ptoto and Tu. There is no messing with their makeup and density, as it is obvious on Tu Nokwe's solo career. Looking back, her musical beginnings have also been influenced by Bheki Mseleku's imprint. He used to live with the Nokwe’s in KwaMashu; theirs was one of the few houses that had electricity and more importantly a piano. Which is where Tu would find Bheki rehearsing everyday for hours on end. And that’s where he found her one-day in the late 70s, distraught that she had failed matric. It really shook Tu because she knew she was bright, but now it was like her worst nightmares had come true – she’d have to find work in a factory or as a maid. It was Bheki that broke her lethargy – he grabbed her results and reminded her that the piece of paper was not a true reflection of her greatness, and that the report represented the master plan of the apartheid regime-he said: ‘Education is in your hands’. It was Tu’s parents Alfred & Patty that got their children into music, and it was them also who dragged Tu back to school to rewrite her matric, which she passed with flying colours. Alfred was in a numb

top songs

albums

South Africa Presents - Women with a Voice

African Child

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Women with a Voice

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Inyakanyaka

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Women with a voice, South Africa presents ...

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The World Game: The Soundtrack Of World Football 2010

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African Songbirds

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Zulu Offerings From South Africa

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The Music Of South Africa

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South Africa Presents Women with a Voice

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Grand Masters Collection: Voices of Africa

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Sisters out of Africa

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