The British singer, businesswoman, and model Moniqe Fiddes is like a wildfire; there seems to be no end to her ambition and determination.
At 31, she owns one of the largest property portfolios in the southwest of the United Kingdom. She is the CEO of several businesses, including martial arts and dance schools worldwide, and her songs consistently top local and national radio charts.
For her birthday, celebrated on May 4th, she released a full-length album, 1993.
For those who need a reminder, Moniqe was born in 1993 in Emalahleni (Witbank) into a middle-class family. She describes her upbringing as a struggle for survival and the tough path she had to tread (sometimes run) to eventually reach her personal struggle to climb to the top of the London Tower.
“Yes, yes,” says Moniqe, her new country’s accent flowing seamlessly from her mouth, “1993 is not just a random number I chose. That date is very special because it’s the year I came into the world. In a way, this album can also be described as a musical homecoming.”
Each track is a symbol of her life journey. Some of the tracks include “Talk to me,” “It’s all good,” “No angel,” and “Make you learn yo lesson.”
And then the highlight is “Firestarter,” which can be described as an emotional euphoria of her life journey. It is also expressed in the lyrics: “…I am a Firestarter. I am a Firestarter.”
Monique says Firestarter is very special to her because she deviated from the traditional Moniqe recipe and gave the song a real American touch. This track is a combination of modern electro and club pop.
She released her last full-length album, Colourful, in 2020, for which she wrote all the lyrics. It was an album about womanhood and the different colours in which one’s life can unfold.
1993 stands in stark contrast to Colourful. “It is completely different from any of my previous musical endeavours. “This album has a twist – this isn’t your typical Moniqe Fiddes album.”
“Nope, not this time. For 1993, I decided to shake things up a bit and dive headfirst into the world of American songwriters. These tracks are like pages torn from the diary of my soul – raw, authentic, and oh-so-relatable.”
“And here’s the kicker – I didn’t pen these tunes myself. Nope, I wanted to switch gears and rediscover the joy of simply singing someone else’s words. It’s been a blast, let me tell you. Sometimes, you’ve got to let loose and embrace the unexpected, right?”
Each track, she says, is a piece of her heart and humanity.
Moniqe has been married to the multimillionaire business magnate Matt Fiddes for almost twelve years now. Their love story has all the elements of a modern fairy tale; and three months after their first meeting, they tied the knot in her hometown.
Her life-changing journey began shortly thereafter: She kicked the dust of Witbank off her shoes, boarded the plane, and left all her loved ones behind. Monique relinquished her South African citizenship a few years ago and is now a proud British citizen.
Although her South African roots are firmly established in her psyche, her home is now also where her heart is; with her family and husband.
Moniqe’s voice has sung deep notes in the music industry, with the quality of a superstar. She is not just a shooting star but a singer who has made a name for herself nationally and internationally.
