If you haven’t heard the name Boohle yet, you’re gonna need to take notes. The breakout singer - real name Buhle Manyathi - grew up in Vosluroos, East Johannesburg, and is currently everywhere right now, or at least her voice is.
Whether it’s on the song Wamuhle, Mama or Inyembezi, her vocals are making people dance - and she is a breakout star in her own right.
Here are 5 things to know about the rising singer:
She wrote the hit song Siyathandana on which she collaborated with Cassper Nyovest
After appearing on an episode of Podcast and Chill: Celebrity Edition with controversial interviewer MacG, Boohle climbed to the top of the trends list on social media for her comments about fellow rapper Cassper Nyovest.
Wait what? 😳![CDATA[]]>😳 so the song "Siyamthanda" Cassper ft Boohle wasn't written by Cassper 🤔 #PodcastandChillwithMacG pic.twitter.com/dzrsKkpVRV
— Simtho Biyela 🌐 (@SimthoBiyela) September 15, 2021
When asked about his contribution to their hit song Siyathandana, Boohle said: “He only came with his verse. I wasn’t even there,” implying that she wrote the entire song.
Many Tweeps took this to mean that Boohle didn’t believe Cassper’s role played a big part in the success of their song. MacG also added fuel to the fire by suggesting Caspper’s verse was “unnecessary.”
She is still a teen
It’s hard to imagine with her phenomenal voice, but some sources have stated that Boohle is just the tender age of 19. She celebrates her birthday on the 20 February, as seen on her Instagram, and she knew even as a young kid, that music was her passion and her calling.
She started off doing gospel music
As a child, Boohle grew up in a conservative Christian family and she was not allowed to listen to hip-hop and R&B. Instead she would listen to gospel recording artist Ntokozo Mbambo, and aspired to be like her. She even founded a gospel trio with her two sisters as a young girl, to express herself through music.
Then, in 2017, she was noticed by one of the founders of Tshwane Gospel Choir where she honed her skill of creating big and beautiful harmonies, that she is popularly known for today.
Songwriting is her passion
Boohle says she discovered the gift of writing at 18 and fell in love with it. She takes pride in writing songs and not just singing on a chorus or a beat. She can write about anything soulful, she says, but particularly enjoys writing about love, as it something everyone can relate to.
Speaking on a her writing talent, she says: "It is one of those things that come naturally to you. I get into studio and I start jamming. I get in the zone and write on the spot. That’s it.”
She is a musical chameleon with a strong body of work
Siyathanda is not Boohle’s only number 1 hit. Her song titled Yini Na reached number one on Yfm’s Hot 99 chart with DJ Candii while her other songs like Slala Amalunde made airwaves on radio stations like Jozi FM, Capricon, Kasi FM among many others.
And although she features on many amapiano hits, she wants people to know she is not a one-trick pony. Her music is a blend of amapiano, afro-house, afro-soul, and gospel. With her angelic voice and strong song-writing ability, there’s no doubt she’ll be successful at whatever genre she chooses to explore.
