“I want to break down barriers in music and bring people together with my work."
Olisha Naicker is an Asian singing sensation from South Africa who is bringing back real pop music for her fans.
The nostalgic pop singer, with South Asian roots, recently released her debut single, ‘Strangers’, which comes from her own experiences.
In ‘Strangers’, Olisha’s alluring voice tells of learning to let go of a person, even if you don’t want to. After hearing the track, Jyoti says: “I can’t wait to hear your future music because this is amazing.”
Following its successful release, Olisha Naicker speaks exclusively to DESIblitz about her wonderful journey so far. She tells us all about her background, musical influences, and about her difficulties in choosing to pursue music.
And you can also check out the cool, atmospheric official music video to ‘Strangers’ for yourselves, below.
Combining South Asia and South Africa
Living in South Africa with South Asian roots gives Olisha Naicker a truly unique background. So DESIblitz finds out her favourite things about combining South Asia with South Africa.
She says: “My family lives in South Africa, and the best time of year is definitely Diwali. I love spending the time with my family and having lots of jalebi and barfi!”
But Indian sweets are not Olisha’s favourite things to eat. She adds: “My favourite Desi dish is chicken tikka and butter naan because the flavours and taste are simply the best.”
Despite Olisha Naicker taking a liking to South Asian foods, she is very much in love with South Africa.
Speaking about the natural beauty of her homeland, she says: “It was lovely growing up in South Africa, especially thanks to our beautiful beaches and great weather. No matter where I go, South Africa will always be home.”
Journey into Music
Speaking exclusively to DESIblitz about her journey into music, Olisha tells of two major influences.
It was only after seeing and hearing performances by Michael Jackson and Jay Sean for herself that she fell in love with their music and performances.
But how did the two musical legends inspire her to pursue her own passions in the industry? She says:
“They inspire me to be different and to challenge myself to make the best possible music. They also taught me to realise that barriers can be broken and that my dream of being an Asian artist in mainstream music can come true.”
Naicker now hopes to use her music to help bring people and communities closer together.
She says: “I want to break down barriers in music and bring people together with my work. I am so appreciative when people say that they love my music, that is the biggest gratification.”
However, a career in music is by no means easy to establish. Despite having the full support of her family and friends, Olisha had to struggle through a male-dominated industry.
About overcoming her difficulties in a tough environment, she says:
“I was brought up believing that I can do anything if I put my mind to it. I was always determined to achieve success no matter what. Believing in myself and in my music is what is helping me through this difficult journey.”
Music by Olisha Naicker
Olisha Naicker is trying to bring back the traditional pop music styles from the 1990s and 2000s. She, however, attempts to uniquely blend these sounds with her influences from Michael Jackson and Jay Sean.
Her debut single, ‘Strangers’, is itself a pop song which derives from her own personal experiences. And about her music, she says: “I make music from my heart and I’m very honest with my lyrics.”
Speaking to DESIblitz about her debut single, Olisha says: “The idea for ‘Strangers’ comes from me wanting to get something off my chest.”
She adds: “It was a challenge to express such vast amounts of emotion and everything I want to say in under four minutes. So I had to be very specific with my word choices in my lyrics.”
You can watch the official music video to ‘Strangers’ by Olisha Naicker here:
Finding out more about Olisha Naicker
While speaking exclusively to DESIblitz, Olisha reveals that she is hoping to one day collaborate with Jay Sean and Jaz Dhami.
Fresh from working with Kanika Kapoor in ‘Kurti Kurti Mal Di’, could Jaz Dhami soon be working with Olisha Naicker?
To keep completely up to date with Olisha, and her exciting upcoming collaborations, you can find her on both Facebook and Twitter.
You can also support Olisha by downloading ‘Strangers’ on iTunes through this link. Or, you can check out these exclusive DESIblitz gupshups with Jaz Dhami and Jay Sean.
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