Popular gospel musician facing hard times, now selling food on the streets

TIMES ARE TOUGH! And nobody knows that better than Tshwane gospel singer, Tshidi Chauke (46).

The restrictions brought about by Covid-19 have hit the music business really hard and Tshidi has been forced to get out there and find ways to make a living.

So, he bakes. Every morning he bakes cakes, makes sandwiches and hot drinks like coffee and tea to sell to people on the streets, especially law enforcement officers.

“I had to think out the box.
 

“I used to make money with performances and selling my music at churches and other gatherings, but it is almost impossible to do any of those things,” he said.

He said he has boxes and boxes of CDs at home, but the gatherings at churches are so small that he hardly moves any of them.

“I had to choose between sitting around doing nothing or to find other means to put food on the table,” he said.

Tshidi said if he is going to complain about not making money through his music instead of doing something to improve the situation, he’ll die of hunger.

“God gave us the mind to think and solve problems.

“This virus has shown me that I can’t live on music alone.

Imagine if I wake up one day and my voice is no longer working! How will I survive?”

He said selling cakes has proven to him that he has more skills that he can ever use. He wishes that more artists would use their other skills to make a living.

“Nothing is impossible. Everything you can imagine can be achieved. You just need to think out of the box,” he said.

Tshidi is known for hit songs like Lentswe and O Mamele Thapelo from his album Kholwa.

-Daily Sun