{"id":4869,"date":"2024-02-26T10:51:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-26T10:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe-mom-staging.local\/work-it-mama-tutu-puoane\/"},"modified":"2024-12-16T18:43:59","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T23:43:59","slug":"work-it-mama-tutu-puoane","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cafemom.com\/parenting\/work-it-mama-tutu-puoane","title":{"rendered":"Jazz Singer & Mom of 2 Tutu Puoane on Artistry, Gratitude & Creating Her Own Big Breaks"},"content":{"rendered":"

In CafeMom’s monthly series, Work It, Mama<\/a>, powerful moms detail how they navigate their professions and home life.<\/em><\/p>

Tutu Puoane’s musical gifts<\/a> were apparent from infancy. As a baby, her great-grandmother said even her cries sounded like singing. Not only was music in her, it was all around.<\/p>

“Like any kid growing up in a South African township, music is such a huge part of our lives. You can’t escape it,” Tutu said of her childhood.<\/p>

Growing up in Pretoria, jazz was the preferred genre. Tutu’s mother was a huge fan. Her uncles collected all of the vinyl records and the people of the township bragged about jazz being their identity. Still, as a child, Tutu didn’t know that jazz would become her genre of choice as well. She just wanted to sing.<\/p>

“I just knew that singing was like oxygen since I was a child,” Tutu said. “It’s something I’ve always done. Singing has always been my identity.”<\/p>

It was always something she did for herself, but by the time she was in boarding school, Tutu realized her singing made an impact on others as well. Around age 11 or 12, Tutu enrolled in a boarding school. The school, founded by Peter Anderson — a white man — was designed to expose Black children to more diverse learning possibilities.<\/p>

“In those days, the education for a Black South African child was designed so that you don’t dream further than becoming a teacher, a nurse, or a policeman. It’s what they called the Bantu education,” the mother of two tells CafeMom.<\/p>

It was the first time Tutu would interact with white people. It was where she received free piano lessons and where she saw the power of her gift.<\/p>

“Every time there was a new teacher at assembly, I had this little bet with myself: How many new teachers can I make cry today?” she recalled.<\/p>

More from CafeMom:<\/strong> Latina Plus-Size Model Denise Bidot Dishes on Dating & Self-Care as a Single Mom<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In CafeMom’s monthly series, Work It, Mama, powerful moms detail how they navigate their professions and home life.Tutu Puoane’s musical gifts were apparent from infancy. As a baby, her great-grandmother said even her cries sounded like singing. Not only was music in her, it was all around.“Like any kid growing up in a South African 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