Pearl Modiadie “The Black Pearl” Interview

“The Black Pearl” bestly known by many of us, is one indeed talented young female who has achieved and still is achieving a lot at a young age. Pearl Modiadie is a South African television presenter, radio DJ, producer and now actress. We have seen her doing her “thang” stylishy in the kids programme on ETV’s called Craze. Pearl is a true hard worker and is super dertermined in all she does.

In this super cool interview we learn more about pearl and we get close and personal with her as she tells us about her TV and Radio career , her moments on Craze as a presenter and also her career plans and future aspirations.

In a sentence, who is Pearl?

Pearl is a bubbly and ambitious young woman who loves to laugh and enjoys spreading love at every opportunity.

 

How was Pearl like as a child?

As a child I was well mannered, I loved writing poems and posting fan mail to Dub. I also loved watching a lot of TV and imitating the performers. I was an academic who became a head girl in grade 7.

 

Rewind: Most of us know you from the show Craze on Etv as a presenter, how did that come about?

Presenting was something I always dreamt of doing after watching people like Mandisa and Entle on YOTV, so I decided to take a gap year after Matric to pursue it. Within about 4 months of my gap year, I heard about the Craz-e presenter auditions and 4 call backs later I was chosen to be part of the team. I’ve never looked back since!

 

Did you always see yourself being on TV back when you were a kid?

Yes I did. It’s something I was passionate about and wanted to do wholeheartedly! I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. From a young age, my older sister would encourage me to enter pageants; I also did a lot of public speaking at school which really boosted my confidence and self-esteem.

 

Now you are on YFM, have you always wanted to be a Dj?

As soon as I got into the industry, I knew I had to spread my wings. This was going to be my life and I wanted all my fingers in this big pie! I’ve always been a fan of radio and especially YFM during the days of Khabzela and DJ Fresh, but never really thought I’d have an interest in radio broadcasting. It was until I got into the industry that I started falling in love with this medium from a DJ’s perspective, not as a listener anymore.
When Mo Flava ran a competition on his show, I knew it would be one foot in the door for me so I grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

 

Do you ever get nervous before doing a show on radio?

I think when you’re still starting out with anything, you do get nervous. You question yourself; you’re always comparing yourself to the next person and become your worst critic!  I used to get very nervous. I would have to psyche myself up before every link, I even created a radio voice that was soon to be my alter ego but very quickly realised that being myself would be my greatest selling point. I even went as far as kicking people out of the studio during my links because I’d feel very uncomfortable and even more nervous knowing that there were people watching me. I think I started to relax about 3-4 months into it. I was lucky that I started on the graveyard slot that allowed me a lot of room to play around , make mistakes and find my ‘voice’’. It’s only natural to get nervous, but I don’t get nervous anymore.

 

Would you mind sharing with us the worst or funniest thing that has happened to you while on air?

Not even funny, just awkward. I had a topic on radio and the question was: If you were planning to get married on Saturday and find out 3 days before that your partner would be jailed next Tuesday for a crime they committed 5 years ago, would you still marry him/her knowing that they would be sentenced for 10 years? My dad was listening that morning and he called in to comment. Halfway through his comment, I realised it was my dad and it was just awkward having my dad on air. More awkward because prior to that topic, I was going on and on and on about this sex story I had just read and I mentioned on air what I would in that particular situation. And yes, he heard everything and having him on air made me realise he was listening to the whole show!

 

We have also seen you a number of times on Generations, are we going to see more of Pearl in Soapie’s or Dramas?

Yes definitely. On Generations, I was a call actress which meant that they called me when they needed me. I was playing a radio DJ named Jade and I learnt a lot during my time there working alongside some of the best actors in SA. I’ve now joined the Scandal team as one of the actresses. It’s very exciting for me because this is what I left Craz-e for. To pursue my acting career and spread my wings in entertainment. It’s a very exciting challenge and I hope you enjoy the character that I play, Kefilwe.

Which Radio or TV personality do you look up to and why?

I look up to Pabi Moloi. She is an all rounder who has managed to carve such a beautiful career for herself. She excels is both TV and radio and is also a popular choice when it comes to corporate events. She is a seasoned voice over artist who has now taken the plunge to become a recording artist. She does all of this with such grace and elegance and has a much-needed cross-over appeal which I aspire to have. She also works really hard which is such an important requirement in entertainment!

 

What do you think young people can do to overcome the challenges facing them?

We all face challenges and sometimes it’s even harder when the odds are against us. The easiest thing to do is to break it all down and take it step by step. It’s very overwhelming when it’s a gigantic challenge on our way, but it’s less daunting when we simplify the problem by solving it one day at a time. Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance, it makes things better when you know you’re not alone. Ask for help, say something because you never know who’s listening. Let failure and fear fuel you in a positive way and stay confident and calm!

 

Has fame changed your life? If so, how?

I wouldn’t say changed me because I’m still the same person I was, the only difference is that everyone gets to see or hear me work. It has, however, moulded me into the person I have become. I think if anything, it makes me think twice about partaking in certain activities and to be careful with my interactions with people and who I befriend etc. Whatever I do outside my work affects the work that I do/get so I’ve just had to play it safe and find other ways of having fun and knowing where to draw the line!

 

What makes Pearl unique?

The fact that I have an interesting life journey that otherwise could’ve crippled my ambitions. I take pride in the fact that I decided very early in life that I wasn’t going to let my circumstance get in the way of my dreams.
I also have a very weird and (to other people) embarrassing laugh that I flaunt at every given opportunity. It makes me very special, lol.

 

Anything that your fans do not know about you and they should know now?

Firstly, I cry a lot! I cry about everything. When I’m overwhelmed by feelings of joy, I cry. When I’m sad or missing a friend I cry. When I get a very sweet message, I cry. When a friend achieves something great, I cry.  When I get a touching tweet, I cry. Crying helps me release every bit of emotion inside me.

What motivates you in life?

My motivation comes from wanting to show myself that I can do what I set my thoughts to do. I am also motivated by my family; I want to make them very proud especially my late mother who was quite a go-getter and hard worker. I also want to be an example to any young girl out there who has lost all hope in life. I want to be all the inspiration that she would need to further her dreams and create the life that she wants to live.

 

Do you prefer reading, eating or listening to music?

All of the above! Firstly, I need to read because I am a broadcaster so I need to absorb as much info about everything as possible! I eat because well, I need to survive. I listen to a lot of music because I live and love music! Don’t make me choose!

What are you reading at the moment?

I just finished reading Bonnie Henna’s Eyebags and Dimples and currently reading Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

 

What’s on your new year’s resolutions list for 2013?

I honestly prefer writing my big plans down because I feel like speaking and discussing them sort of jinx them and it puts extra pressure on me. So, I can’t talk about the big plans, but what I can say is that I’ll still be on radio, TV, still writing for SOUL magazine and still be behind the scenes on a larger scale.

 

What would you say is needed to become a successful radio personality?

Radio is about a connection between you and the listener – the people can’t see you so how do you get them to buy into you? You create a connection. Be active and get yourself out there.  Be interactive on your social networks. When people have met you, they’re more eager to listen to your show because they ‘know’’ you. Prep! Prep! And prep some more. It allows you to be spontaneous on radio.Make your listeners smile.

Being a radio personality means you need to have a personality! Live and do things, get out there, meet people so that you have interesting things to share on radio.Listen to great radio presenters and figure out their style of broadcasting. There’s a reason why they’re great! Take pointers from them. I could go on and on and on, but I’m also still mastering the art of radio. One never stops learning, but always be yourself and if you create a persona, consistency is key – stick to it!

Anything we have to expect from Pearl this year?

More radio, more TV, more writing, more behind the scenes – on a larger scale 😉

 

What advice would you give to young people wanting to pursue a career in media?

Know exactly why you want to be in the industry. If it’s just to be famous, ask yourself why you want to be famous? Will it work to your advantage in whatever it is that you want to do with your life? If yes, by all means… be famous! Just know that fame comes with a lot of work. If you think this is your career path then hire a great team that has the same vision that you have for yourself. If it’s acting that you want to do, it’s always advisable to learn more about your craft, even the greatest actors have acting coaches. Be willing to put in the hard work and work at ungodly hours – it’s not a 9-5. Find out what your strong points are and figure out a way to turn them into a career.