As it’s Women’s Month celebration we had a chat with talented Lindiwe to share the story & message behind her new song “Enough (Set Us Free)” that express issues that affect our girls and women.
– Who is Lindiwe Suttle? Caring, passionate woman for positive change with a love for music and children.
– When did your music career begin? In 2006 when I quit my corporate job and decided to pursue my true passion of making music.
– Share some of your career highlights that will always remain memorable? Performing for Venus and Serena Williams as my sister and I grew up playing tennis and both got tennis scholarships to university so this was such an honor to sing for them and performing at the FIFA World Cup Grand Parade as it was the first time I performed my own solo songs.
– You have a new song “Enough (Set Us Free)”, What are some of the issues you’re voicing out on the song? “Enough (Set Us Free)” is a call to humanity to give girls the opportunity and equal rights to education, life, freedom and to end human trafficking, rape, honor killings and sexual violence.
– Is there a story behind the song? sure there must be an inspiration… “I started writing lyrics to the song after helping a seven year old rape victim and her mom find a shelter but never finished the song feeling I never could find the right words. I kept hearing of horrible stories like Anene Booysen and other victims of sexual violence and then after hearing about the 273 schoolgirls kidnapped in Nigeria, the words to finish the song just came to me.”
– What message do you want to portray with the song? That the world needs to focus more on love. In Marianne Williamson’s words, “In the absence of love, we began slowly but surely to fall apart.”
– Why did you find it important to raise this issue & share the message? As an artist, I believe we have to be brave enough to speak out for those that are not being heard and speak out about injustices. I look up to true artists like Michael Jackson, John Lennon, Fela Kuti, Tracy Chapman and Bob Marley; they used music to change the world and mindsets.
– Do you think individuals, organisations & media in large are doing their best to expose these issues? I think we all need to work together for change, if you do not like what you see on the news, we are responsible for it cause we are responsible for the change. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “be the change you wish to see in the world.”
– With that being said do you see this as a battle we’re going to win as a nation and globally? I have to believe and pray we are winning. Another powerful Marianne Williamson quote, “in every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it.”
– What advice would you share with those women & girls facing these issues? First, I think therapy and counseling is a must if you were a victim of any type of violence. Then giving back to other girls is healing, giving and volunteering is healing. Do not think you can heal yourself alone, get help, there is free counseling on the Internet, hotlines, or turn to a friend.
– With August being a Women’s month how are you celebrating the movement? My focus is to get my song to as many girls and women organizations and hope to spread the song to help make any little change I can.
– Who are some of the women you look up to? My mom is my greatest role model, a woman that came back to South Africa after Nelson Mandela’s call to all South Africans to come back to help rebuild the country, that took so much courage.
– What are some of the projects are you currently involved in? – Future plans? I am creating a TV show with my mom and young director Tashinga Mutakwa to expose the talent we have in South Africa. (That’s all I can say at this point, we are in developing stages)
