Kwaito duo hit right chords
HARD work and perseverance is finally paying off for Mthatha kwaito duo Ghetto Colleagues, who will be launching their debut album this weekend.
The pair, nominated for the Eastern Cape Music Awards (ECMA), has been in the music industry for 10 years and to celebrate their recent success they have titled their debut album From Far.
Last year they were nominated for best kwaito and best group awards at the ECMAs.
The two young men, Bongani ‘Ntsephe’ Manengela and Msirayeli Nomgcana, started making music in 2005 and released a number of singles since their debut.
Manengela told the Saturday Dispatch that being independent artists in a small town was hard but their love for what they did has kept them going over the years.
“We moved to Johannesburg in 2008 with the hope of pushing our music that side and we released a lot of music but we never breakthrough.
“We came back to Mthatha and have released a number of singles since 2010.
“People have been asking made a for an album for years now – there were financial challenges,” he said, adding that they have been saving up money for studio time.
Manengela added that “the support we’ve been getting from the community has kept us going”.
However, Manengela said they still struggled to get bookings at some of the events that were taking place in and around Mthatha.
“Some event organisers make it hard for us to get gigs but there is nothing that will stop us from doing what we love,” he said.
Manengela said they hoped that one day Eastern Cape artists would stop moving to Johannesburg in search of opportunities.
“We have artists such as Lusanda and Betusile Mcinga who win awards, yet we live with them here in Mthatha. They have proven to us that you don’t need to be in Johannesburg in order to make it,” he said.
Tonight the pair will perform at Devour Pub. They will be joined by Mthatha artists such as Isingcoli nepantsula, Megga Watts, Chunky, Jama, Platforiz, Majer C and Top Dogs Dancers, among many. Entry is R20. — poliswap@dispatch.co.za