WILSON B NKOSI’S STILL SWITCHED ON
WILSON B Nkosi has been in fashion for 30 years.
The Metro FM star DJ shows no signs of waning.
He has been at the station from day one and has amassed a fiercely loyal following of his show, He says that he heard from some of his listeners that if they have to attend church during his show, they will take headphones and sneak in a listen during the sermon. For a radio institution in his own right, Nkosi is modest. He is unassuming when he rocks up for our meeting in casual sportswear and a cap. His muscular physique is imposing. The clean-living star says he’s never tasted alcohol and doesn’t smoke. He doesn’t look a day past 49. “I don’t ask for much except good health and safety,” he tells me. He is just as poetic in real life as he is on air. For lack of a better expression, Nkosi “speaks well”. I ask him about his legendary status. “It makes me feel small,” he says. “In the greater scheme of things I don’t have answers. I’ve thought about it long and hard and in the absence of certainty I can say a lot of people have been praying for me by name and they have been heard and answered. I also work hard. You will never guess the amount of research and preparation that goes into even a twominute
Prince Rogers Nelson – Rain
Marvin Gaye – Lifetime Aretha Franklin – Let it Be Smokey Robinson – Let Me Be the Clock
Luther Vandross – You Come Back
Purple The Dream of a Superstar/Until
If by Rudyard Kipling The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer
Some Birds Are Not Meant To Be Caged by Stephen King Desiderata by Max Ehrmann Invictus/I Am The Captain of My Soul by William Ernest Henley Bonus: This Is To Have Succeeded by Ralph Waldo Emmerson feature.”
Nkosi’s story of how he ended up at Metro FM is nothing short of a fairy tale.
The village boy from eMgazini in the Manzini district of Swaziland sent a letter requesting employment at the SABC while in Grade 11 at the prestigious Evelyn Baring school.
He was eventually invited to audition for the new station aimed at urban blacks launching in 1986 which would become Metro FM.
That was his first and only job and he’s still at it, including a few television gigs in the past.
Nkosi shuns the trappings of fame.
“This is a childhood dream. A Catholic path of endeavour. I always wanted to be a broadcaster, inspired by David Gresham on [the now defunct] Springbok Radio and Cyril ‘Kansas City’ Mchunu [of the then Radio Zulu, now Ukhozi FM].
“The radio bug bit me even before I set my foot in school.”
Away from the mic, Nkosi is an accomplished businessman in advertising where he is a copy writer, producer and voice-over artist for radio and TV commercials. Wilson B Nkosi Communications was founded in 1997.
Reflecting on his stay at Metro FM, Nkosi says he is appreciative.
“Metro FM gave me my childhood dream and a fighting chance. They made it possible for me to fly and all the managers believed in me and unlocked doors for me which I had to open. I’m a child of Metro FM.”
He has been part of the revolution at the station that made the staid Sunday a chill session.
Never one to bask in praise, Nkosi passes the buck when it comes to the success of the 16year-old Love Movement as pioneered by the trinity of himself, Paul Mtirara and the late Eddie Zondi.
“Blame Paul and Eddie, they changed the complexion of what is happening on Sunday.”
We go sombre as we reminisce about his friendship with Zondi.
“I’ve had to adapt, not too sure if I’m there already. His passing was the lowest point in my life. I walked alone and Mr Zee came along to walk with me.
“He believed in me in every way. He was my spiritual brother and I trusted him implicitly. I’m not out of the woods yet.”
I ask him why he’s still at it after all these years. “My former station manager, Lesley Ntloko, has said ‘Nkosi, there’s a lot of airtime in you and we can’t let it go’.
So ask him why I’m still there. There’s a lot of airtime and a lot of fuel in me,” he laughs.
Metro FM celebrates its 30th birthday with the Summerlife festival at Marks Park, Emmarentia, Johannesburg tomorrow.