About me:

Ngqibs is a singer/songwriter, however, his passion is in writing. He has stated numerous times that he loves creating music, from conceiving the idea, to writing, to pre-production work, to re-writing, to recording, to re-writing, to re-recording, to mixing and mastering and then the best of it all - sharing it with you!

Ngqibs hails from South Africa and this can be heard in his distinct tracks - Who I am and My Goodbye - which have a particularly African feel to them. His song Never Give Up (Alright) is a mixture of pop/dance with some very interesting Xhosa (his native language) in it.

At the age of 9, he grew to be very interested in music. He took guitar lessons then at his school Loreto Queenswood and was excelling at his passion so much so that in a few weeks he was playing in the school's morning assemblies; being one of the youngest guitarist in the group. Later on he took up private violin lessons but soon quit as he was accepted at the Drakensberg Boys' Choir School. A private school in the heart of the Drakensberg mountains in South Africa. There he excelled in music and academics and toured extensively, both nationally and internationally, with the choir; singing in Japan, Swaziland, the United States and Canada.

He pressured himself into taking 3 instruments (voice, piano and organ) upon his academic work and musical obligations. In his final year, he was voted Musical Leader for the Ashley-Botha Choir in the school and also for the International Choir of 2003. One of his duties included conducting the choir during performances on certain occasions. In that year, he also achieved the coveted award of Best Tenor Soloist as well as International Status - making him an "elite Drakie".

After he left the Drakensberg Boys' Choir, he went on to the National School of the Arts in Johannesberg (where actress Charlize Theron took dancing) but due to some family problems, he only stayed for 3 months there. He went back home to Port Elizabeth and did his Matric (Matric is the American equivalent of a High School Degree) at St George's College, where he was the new school's unofficial accompanist; playing at ceremonies, accompanying the school's choir and being the Musical Director of one of the productions the students put together annually. During these years, he carried on with private voice lessons only due to time constraints of high school. He also honed his skills as a songwriter and started recording at a local studio.

Ngqibs has been in the US for almost 2 years and has released his independent, digital debut album, titled Ngqibs - Let Me Be. Ngqibs is his family-given nickname derived from his first name Ngqibeko. The pronunciation is near impossible for non-Xhosa speaking people. Pronounced N-click-ibs (the Q in Xhosa - see video). The album features a few songs recorded back in South Africa as well as the edgier, meaner and more direct songs he has written since his arrival to the US. The album is about finding yourself and being strong in who you are (nothing says this better than the groovy Never Give Up), living your life freely (Free Me), and without regrets (No regrets).

Ngqibs' parents are divorced and this album is a true portrayal of a journey that he walked during the long divorce till now. Ngqibs is also working on a few single tracks that will follow the album and has already begun pre-production work for his second album. "Writing is my outlet, my journal, and my extension of the Lord through me. I hope you enjoy."

The album will be available for download at the following online stores: iTunes US iTunes Canada iTunes Japan iTunes Australia/NZ iTunes UK/European Union Rhapsody Napster and Amazon MP3. Be sure to check them out!