South African Music

South African Music is growing but it is not maturing fast enough… I am referring to the music of the youth the likes of kwaito and Hip-hop. I can safely say kwaito is a dying breed. I don’t remember the last time I had a slamming kwaito hit I mean rigte Kwaito not the likes of Lvovo, Jujub and others their music is good but lacks that kwaito feel. But all it is okay of they make money and make us dance is it? But y concern is that we don’t produce people who become entrepreneurs later in life they just disappear the next thing you hear is hehe Mawillies is dying hehe Zombo that. Is that what South African artist are all about?

I admire the likes of Arthur Mafokate, Lesley Sedibe ,Vusi Leeu and few who are making strides in this multimillion rand industry. I remember when I first met Vusi Leeu in 1998 he already had so many ideas about South African music and where he thinks it should go. He had worked with TkZEE, Mageu and many more at that time. The second time we met and this time he was delivering on his promise, he was carrying two CD’s and he wanted me to pump them on air.

These were the no name artist to me, I didn’t even know how am I going to convince drive time dj’s to play them. Speaking to Vusi about them I realised his good intentions about these new musos and I wanted to help. In those cd’s one group was called Gun Chess, the artists were two Yizo-yizo actors Gunman and Chester. If I still remember the title album was also GunChess. The other cd was of HipHop Pantsula who later became HHP. He was promoting them under the new label called CCP2.

I thought that was a pipe dream, but few years later whilst I was in Cape Town I heard a hit song called Ghetto Tragedy and I was told it was a collaboration between HHP and Mzambiya (where is that kid by the way?). That was the only time I took HHP and his SA Hiphop serious and look where he is today.Now Vusi have moved to his third face, together with Dj Bongz they have established a new label to promote up and coming Dj’s. keep it up guys we can only grow from such initiatives.