# Thando (musician)

Thandolwethu Emily Nomvula Sikwila, known mononymously as Thando and since 2022 as Thndo, is a Zimbabwean Australian singer, songwriter and actor based in Melbourne, Victoria. She's most notable for her appearances on The Voice Australia. She was a contestant on season three, but was eliminated in the sing-offs. She later returned in season eleven and made it to the finals. She also portrayed Effie White in Australia's first professional production of Dreamgirls, presented by StageArt. In 2024, Thando played Joanne in the Australian production of Rent.

## Early life

Thando was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe on 9 April 1993 to parents Nokuthula and Victor Sikwila. Thando is bilingual being able to speak Ndebele.

## Career
### The Voice Australia 2014

She auditioned for the third season of The Voice Australia with the song Mercy at the age of twenty and chose Kylie Minogue as her coach. She was eliminated in the sing-offs.
The Voice performances and results (2014) :
| Episode | Song | Original Artist | Result |
| Audition | "Mercy" | Duffy | Through to The Battles |
| The Battles | "Clown" (vs Candice Skjonnemand) | Emeli Sandé | Lost. Saved by Ricky. Through to the Showdowns |
| Showdowns | "Sex on Fire" | Kings of Leon | Through to the Sing-Off |
| Sing-Off | "Mercy" | Duffy | Eliminated |

### The Voice Australia 2022

She auditioned for The Voice Australia again in 2022, for its eleventh season. She turned all four chairs in her blind audition due to her amazing, powerful and soulful voice, and chose Keith Urban as her coach. She made it to the Grand Finale and ended up placing second, with Lachie Gill taking the $100 000 prize.
The Voice performances and results (2022) :
| Episode | Song | Original Artist | Result |
| Audition | "I'm Every Woman" | Chaka Khan | Through to The Callbacks |
| The Callbacks | "I'm Every Woman" (vs Ethan Conway) | Chaka Khan | Through to Battles |
| Battles | "Beggin'" | The Four Seasons | Through to the Sing-Offs |
| Sing-Offs | "Chandelier (song)" | Sia | Saved by Coach. Through to Semi Final |
| Semi Final | "POV" | Ariana Grande | Saved by Coach. Through to Grand Final |
| Grand Final | "Rise Up" | Andra Day | Finalist |
| Grand Final | "Oh My God" (with Keith Urban) | Adele | Finalist |

## Discography
### Extended plays

List of extended plays, with selected details :
| Title | Details |
| Bury The Weapon | Released: December 2013 Label: Format: |
| Remix the Weapons | Released: November 2014 Label: Format: |
| Digital Love Letters | Released: June 2016 Label: Format: |
| Life In Colour | Released: 27 August 2021 Label: Independent Format: Digital |

### Singles

| Title | Year |
| "Inferno" | 2013 |
| "Won't You Be Mine" | 2014 |
| "Trouble" | 2016 |
| "Something" | 2016 |
| "Numb" (featuring Remi) | 2018 |
| “Journey To The Past” (with Greg Gould) | 2021 |
| "Fall" | 2022 |
| "Along the Way" | 2023 |

## Guest or featured artist

* "Brainless" - Sinks feat. Thando (single, 2017, independent)
* "The Antidote" - Sinks feat. Dyl Thomas, Mol One, Thando (single, 2017, independent)
* "My People" - Remi feat. Thando (single, 2018, House of Beige)
* "All That I Got" - Royalty Noise feat. Thando (single, 2018, independent)