TK: South Africa's Queen of RnB
Thursday, June 11, 2009
, Posted by StrictlySoul at 1:18 AM
South African R&B sensation TK was one of South Africa's most talented musicians and a woman who had the music world at her feet. As a singer, her talents have always stood far and away above those of most of her peers. Listen to the strength of her voice on the track “How Do You Feel” off her third album "Black Butterfly", which had high rotation on all the radio stations that count in South Africa in 2004. As a performer, TK has always been able to combine sophistication with an earthy sassiness that turns her into a brilliant draw card at any event. TK’s career has always been one of integrity and talent.
Amongst the awards she has won are four South African Music Awards three Best R&B Album for all three of her releases (2001 for TKO, 2002 for Eject Yo Ass and 2004 Black Butterfly) and Best Composition for her track "Black Butterfly" and she was nominated for two MTN Metro FM 2000 Music Awards (Best R&B Artist and Best Female Artist) even before she’d released an album. That early profile earned her a star-turn with Foxy Brown at a Gauteng R&B and hip-hop festival in 2002, there after many other curtain raisers for the likes of Beyonce, Kelly Rowlands, Ja Rule, Ludacris, Keith Sweat, Deborah Cox and a slew of collaborations with several South African artists. TK honed her vocals at boarding school where she sang, a little against her will in the choir. Bright girl that she clearly was, after graduating from high school she gave university a bash but the desire to become a musician was too strong. TK’s first studio foray was when she recorded the first version of “Secret Confession” (which appeared on TKO) which, through a series of events, put her in touch with Alexis Faku, TK’s creative comrade and very close friend on TKO.
That award-winning and critically-acclaimed album contained the song that most of her fans still adore, the girl-power packed “Mind Your Businezz”. Its enduring appeal (find a radio listener who does not give the lyrics full vent when the track comes on) and those of many of her other singles (including “Eject Yo Ass”) ensure that she truly has made an impact on the highly competitive South African music scene. A great deal of TK’s appeal has to do with her ability to handle a variety of material – testament to her vocal gift. For example, “Where Did I Go Wrong” off her second album is a song with Ed Jordan (who penned the track), and others like “Feeling’s Mutual” still stand up, well over the years after they were recorded. Her last album Black Butterfly fuses R&B, Jazz and Pop, with tracks like "Black Butterfly", "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" and "It's My Life" show that TK would have made it on the big international scene.
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