Biography- my name is Nompumelelo Zwane, also known as Liyana Ndiweni – meaning Sunshine after the Rain – born and raised in the kingdom of Eswatini. I am 29 years old and making Music for a living.  

The love of music started for me in 2010 when I was a part of a girl’s group, Ezamaswazi, which I’m still a part of. We empowered each other and that’s where I found my passion. The support I received from the girls was massive and it motivated me to continue doing what I love. We started off singing a cappella and did very well. My confidence grew and so did my career in music. We performed at the MTN BushFire Festival as part of the Gifted Girls Dance Group: this was the first showcase I was involved with at the critically acclaimed arts festival. We have shared stages with award winning artists including Freshly Ground, Oliver Mtukudzi, Kunle Ayo and Bholoja to name a few. My voice can be heard on the soundtrack of the award-winning documentary film “Liyana” which was executive produced by Thandi Newton. I have done many performances as part of Ezamaswazi and also solo, including at Bushfire Festival in 2018 and 2022, at Luju festival in 2022 and at Makoti festival in 2022.

In 2021 I released two singles as Liyana Ndiweni. Buya ekhaya was the first one to be released, then Nguwe was released as a feature.

Work and Dreams- At the moment I am working on releasing another single, which I recently recorded at the studio with a local DJ. This song will form part of a mini album that has five songs, which I am dreaming of recording to release early next year. I have started working with various DJs who have loved my voice and seen talent in it, who are willing to help me grow on my music journey. The mini album is about me coming out of my shell, about my growth in Music and about me representing strong women. My music covers a lot of sensitive topics that happen in our community like GBV, rape, unemployment and crime, that I can give a voice to.

I dream of making more albums that feature local and international DJs. I’m hoping to perform outside of eSwatini and my dream is to travel the world, share my talent and heal people through my music. My wish is to empower other women, give people inspiration and hope. I want people to find their inner voice and see that it is possible to achieve your dreams and reach the sky!

What I need- The music industry in eSwatini is small and it is difficult to find funding, resources and platforms for my work. I am seeking for help for funding my latest song and album recording.

With any extra funds I need funding for the video, artwork and photoshoot for my recorded single, and for recording the other songs. I will also buy equipment so that I can record songs and videos myself in the future.

If you love my work, please support my Patreon!