Mafikizolo is the most effective promoting and consensus best music duo in African historical past. The duo is made up of composer Theo Kgosinkwe and lead singer Nhlanhla Nciza. Collectively, the pair have launched a few of Africa’s best hits reminiscent of “Love Portion”, “Khona” and “Tchelete”. This yr (2022) marks the twenty fifth yr anniversary for the legendary group. Mafikizolo have loved collaborating with a number of the largest African artists reminiscent of Davido, Wizkid, Yemi Alade, Yemi Alade, Tekno, Mr Mayd, Jah Prayzah, Diamond Platinum, Harmonize, Syleena Johnson and plenty of extra. The group may be discovered on all social media platforms. Mafikizolo songs have amassed effectively over 100 million views on YouTube the place they’ve over 300 thousand subscribers. The group has just below 2 million followers on Fb the place they usually put up updates about upcoming songs and movies. The Hype Journal’s Life & Type correspondent, Charles Myambo (CM) had an interview with Mafikizolo (MZ). Under are some excerpts from the interview.
Award Successful Duo – “Mafikizolo”
CM: Mafikizolo is undoubtedly the most effective duos within the historical past of music worldwide. How did all of it begin for you earlier than the celebrity and accolades?
MZ:1. Our musical journey began approach again across the 90’s,we met at a expertise search competitors, we determined to crew up and begin our skilled musical journey. One of many musicians we knew launched us to producer/Dj Oskido who is without doubt one of the founders of a profitable impartial document label in South Africa known as Kalawa jazmee, who later signed Mafikizolo in 1997. A third member, the late Tebogo Madingoane was later launched so as to add that Kwaito vibe, a style that was common then, after Oskido heard one of many songs on our demo known as Mafikizolo he then determined to call us Mafikizolo.
CM: You might be celebrating your twenty fifth yr within the trade which makes this interview all of the extra candy. How does it really feel to be getting the popularity you deserve from diaspora shops reminiscent of The Hype Journal?
MZ: We really feel very blessed & extremely favoured, it isn’t simple to proceed to be related & profitable after 2 a long time within the music trade. We achieved a lot in these 2 a long time. We produced multi platinum promoting albums, received quite a few South African, Continental and abroad awards additionally scoring BET nominations. We now have over time carried out in huge native and worldwide occasions, sharing phases with different heavyweights. It’s such a blessing and an honour to be profiled by one of many profitable worldwide magazines like The Hype Journal.
CM: How has Mafikizolo managed to dominate and affect the music trade for such a protracted interval with out dropping relevance like most?
MZ: We regard ourselves as a Pop band, An Afro pop outfit so we imagine within the significance of us embracing new sounds with out dropping an excessive amount of of who we’re, for instance we labored with the likes of DJ MAPHORISA and we got here up with a smash afro dance music tune KHONA, HAPPINESS FT MAYD, CHELETE feat DAVIDO that sound launched us extra into different nations like Nigeria, Ghana and different nations. We experimented with Afro beat sound and successful tune like LOVE POTION got here out, cementing our place continentally. Infrequently we wish to work with recent expertise as effectively, experiment with newer sounds however filter in our personal signature vibe into them.
CM: You will have collaborated with a number of of Africa’s largest names reminiscent of Davido, Uhuru, Jah Prayzah and plenty of others. What are a number of the initiatives and collaborations which you loved essentially the most?
MZ: We imagine that collaboration is the important thing to progress in any enterprise, our viewers has grown a lot as a consequence of us doing these collaborations. We actually loved working with the likes of Davido, Wizkid, Yemi Alade, Mr Mayd, Jah Prayzah, Diamond Platinum, Harmonize, Tekno, Syleena Johnson and plenty of extra. We’d say all of those initiatives are particular to us. However our newest venture IDWALA is extra particular to us, we labored with a younger, recent crew of producers and musicians like Sjava, Ami faku, Solar el musician, Simmy, Murumba Pitch, Mondli Ngcobo and plenty of others.
CM: “Love Portion” has develop into a love anthem all through Africa and past. What was the artistic course of behind this mega hit?
MZ: Love Potion was one of many songs we recorded in 2004/5 initially known as Ondenzatoni, and we determined to re-record it and provides it an Afro beat vibe to it, we modified a couple of melodies and added new verses as effectively. We’re joyful that folks find it irresistible globally.
CM: What are a number of the largest challenges that you simply confronted earlier than and after the celebrity?
MZ: We realized that it wasn’t as simple as we thought, after being signed it took us a few years to launch music and our sound then wasn’t effectively understood and acquired by the market. We had nice albums with good songs however we nonetheless struggled with that breakthrough tune. Music has developed lots over time in South Africa, the introduction of the brand new Amapiano sound has taken not solely South Africa however the continent and the globe by storm, being Genuine and holding our lane has been tough however luckily we’re capable of adapt rapidly, we featured on different folks songs with Amapiano sound, we had been capable of get booked repeatedly and our newest venture is doing very effectively. The way in which music is consumed has modified lots over time, we now stay in a digital world the place CDS are the factor of the previous, we obtain and stream now, folks can produced a tune At present and drop it Tomorrow and thru social media the tune can blow up inside days so adapting to new methods has been difficult at first however we’re driving the wave and we’re having fun with it since you are uncovered to different markets faster. Regardless of all of those new developments we’re capable of reinvent ourselves.
CM: What can we sit up for from Mafikizolo going into the brand new yr of 2023 and what phrases of knowledge would you share with any aspiring musicians who might wish to emulate your legendary success?
MZ: We now have launched our new album known as IDWALA, it’s a lovely murals that’s accessible in all main music downloading websites. In there we’ve got labored with recent expertise, experimented with newer sounds and featured youthful expertise and we’d be selling that album. We’re additionally engaged on a tour in celebration of our twenty fifth yr within the trade. Stage efficiency is one factor we take critically so we carry on engaged on it, injecting new vitality on a regular basis. Folks ought to come to our reveals to expertise that, we’ve got new faces in our crew, new band members added, new dance crew ,we rebranded ourselves with out dropping who we’re and sure we’re enthusiastic about our musical journey. We’re nonetheless related & nonetheless serving good music. To all of the aspiring musicians on the market, our recommendation is ,keep hungry, hold working arduous particularly if you really feel such as you made it, when you find yourself lucky sufficient to drop successful tune, hold engaged on extra songs, so you’ll be able to have a listing, keep humble, attempt to be as Genuine as potential, be happy with the place you come from, embrace your tradition, language & your music and don’t lose who you might be. Africa is within the highlight now so far as leisure is worried and there has by no means been a greater time to export our music. The world is hungry for one thing new & completely different.
Africa’s Finest Promoting Duo – “Mafikizolo”
YouTube – Mafikizolo Hits;
- Tchelete – Davido ft Mafikizolo (23M Views)
- Ngeke Balunge (22M Views)
Comply with Mafikizolo On;
- Fb @Mafikizolo_Africa
- Instagram @mafikizolo_africa
- YouTube @mafikizolo
Concerning the Creator
Charles Myambo (@BigChaz14 on Twitter) is a columnist and correspondent for trade chief, The Hype Journal. He’s additionally well-known for being a a number of style #1 Amazon greatest promoting creator. Along with that, Charles is a credentialed journalist as seen in Muck Rack & Press Reader and he’s additionally a extremely touted superstar information correspondent. Furthermore, Charles is a global superstar host and interviewer who has been coated by a number of the world’s largest publications. At current, his interviews have been coated by credible journalistic shops reminiscent of Medium, Flipboard, Press Reader, Muck Rack and plenty of others. He’s additionally a columnist for big African newspapers reminiscent of NewsDay, Every day Information, iHarare, ZiFM Stereo (radio station), H-Metro, The Monetary Gazette in addition to a number of different European and American publications. (@charlesmyambo on Instagram)
