CHANA

Hitmaker wants to cultivate an African arts revolution, writes

HE WORLD’S fascination with African culture and art was not sparked by Black Panther and the film’s subsequent hype. In truth, fascination over this continent’s unique flavour has been growing steadily over the years.

Quality African talent exports like Black Coffee, Wizkid and Trevor Noah are leading the way and showing the world what Africans are capable of.

Khuli Chana, whose partnership with Absolut has taken him around the continent for various projects and campaigns, hopes to play a significant role in advancing the African narrative.

“I feel like the world only just caught up now,” he says as we chat in a restaurant in 44 Stanley.

“And it’s a great thing because there’s a time for everything.

And I hope that while the sun is still shining on us we take this moment to cultivate something much bigger that will outlive us. We must not treat this moment like a gimmick.

“And that’s cool. But I’m saying let’s not just take this time to be grateful, but let’s also take it to higher heights. It shouldn’t be a phase.”

Next Saturday, Khuli will be broadening his Absolut partnership with One Source Live. “I’m excited and nervous,” he says.

“It’s our first show, and it’s quite big.”

I ask him how the journey has been over the duration of the partnership.

“It’s been incredible. In hindsight, it reinvented me. I got to learn a little bit about how much more you can cultivate with music beyond it just being a

Tnumber one single. The pattern was always just to drop a joint, it hits number one and you go around the country touring. That same cycle.”

He felt like he was chasing his own tail. Now he’s excited about being able to make an impact continentally.

“You get out of this bubble, you get to mingle with other artists. You get a little bit more exposed, you get to collaborate, so for me it’s also been so educational, and it’s taken me to new spaces.”

His schedule and relative silence on the local music scene has many feeling like the music has taken a back-seat to his

PICTURE: JENNIFER BRUCE GLOBE TROTTING: Khuli Chana’s partnership with Absolut has taken him around the globe.