Probably one of the coolest ladies in amapiano right now, with a sultry voice and distinctive flow, Lady Du’s impact in the game of one of the world’s fastest-growing genres has reached new heights. After a bitter split with her management company in February, the Amapiano hitmaker Duduzile Ngwenya, popularly known as Lady Du, has come back with a force.
Now, Lady Du’s much-anticipated UK tour has come to a close with memorable performances in Leeds and Northampton. The tour was supported by Bulldog Gin, following the brand’s long-standing relationship with Lady Du. In celebration of the tour and championing those who #beginbold, Bulldog Gin did a dope thing by offering two of Lady Du’s fans the opportunity to take part in the trip, after a competition was held earlier this year – and two lucky locals did just that!
Opening up about her experience and what her UK tour meant to her, Lady Du says: “It was such a great experience. It represents more opportunities; more open doors for a lot of people. The amapiano genre has changed the whole concept of staying in South Africa and being a South African performer. We are reaching more fans.”
Taking it back to the beginning, Lady Du and Bulldog Gin’s partnership began with Bulldog Gin’s Begin Bold digital storytelling series, which launched in 2021. The campaign features a series of short films that follow the bold beginnings of different creatives, including Lady Du. In Lady Du’s film, she talks about how she found her passion for music after her father taught her how to DJ at the age of 10. As her career began to take off, Lady Du went on to earn a living at her father’s car workshop to fund the recording of her own music. Reflecting on her bold beginning, Lady Du says,
“It doesn’t matter where you come from or what connections you have. Find your light. It starts with you.”
As the front runner in the amapiano game, Lady Du acknowledges that coming up in the game isn’t something one can do without help. From friends and family to a solid team, Lady Du shares how Bulldog Gin played a part in unlocking her vision. She says, “Working with Bulldog Gin was a life-changing moment for me because they activated my vision. Sometimes you have a vision and you want to show everyone who you are.”
When asked about what’s next for Lady Du, she speaks of an upcoming album drop and her next tour. She also reveals, “I’ve been songwriting for a lot of artists. I’ve written for Boity, I’ve written for Mr JazziQ, I’ve written for Kamo Mphela… I’ve written for a lot of people. I co-write as well. Before I even started singing Amapiano – the reason I started singing Amapiano – was because I was a songwriter. I’m busy with a few projects that I can’t mention.”
Lady Du concludes, “I’d like to open a music school more than anything. That’s my biggest dream – to be able to teach the business side of music.”
To wrap up the Bulldog Gin tour partnership, Lady Du is bringing it back home to SA where she will be doing shows in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Fans can expect to see Lady Du at Rands in Cape Town on 3 December 2022, while the Johannesburg show date and location is yet to be announced.