Etjo: A Mother and Musician

• Pinehas NakazikoSongstress Etjo (real name Katjivari Kangumine), who is also part of a duo called Ethnix, opened up on juggling motherhood and her work as a musician.

Speaking on Desert Radio recently, the young talent said being a mother is a blessing for her, and one of those cute moments that feel like the first experience.

Etjo, who welcomed her second child recently, said she is no longer only a mom, but a mother with a huge responsibility.

“Being a mother comes with many responsibilities and one always has to organise and arrange things before gliding anything,” said Etjo.

“From maternity straight to the stage, we must work. Being a mother and a performer at the same time is crazy. But now everything seems to be falling into place,” said Etjo, adding that her children are her biggest inspiration.

Etjo also spoke about their new single ‘All Night’, featuring King Elegant, a project which was done within 24 hours.

She says the song was recorded on a Sunday and released on a Monday end of last month.

“We wanted to challenge ourselves to see if we can work within a short period. ‘All Night’ is a soft love song that we wanted to give to fans as an opening for the month of love,” said Etjo.

Commenting on the perception of arts, she said it is not sufficient but they are getting somewhere. She added that she and her singing partner Marco have 08h00-17h00 jobs to sustain themselves.

She says although she was inspired by many artists, her fellow favourite musicians include Lioness, Sally, Chikune and Tate Buti, who she wants to collaborate with in future.

Etjo, who grew up at Okakarara, said for artists to make it in life, they should improve their own music and connect more.

She added that although they are still struggling, she assists local artists through her social media pages by reviewing their songs and giving them advice.

“Young people should not just be comfortable as musicians, they must know that this is a survival-of-the-fittest industry.”

In the next five years, Etjo sees the Ethnix brand going across the border, and featuring international artists.

“We want to see ourselves in a safe space where we are recognised globally.”