DBN NYTS ARE HERE W
anda Shabalala, Lwazi Yokwana, Cebe Ngcobo, Samkele Maphumulo and Kabelo Pekile are no strangers to the limelight. Throughout their high school careers, they were known for throwing parties with guest lists everyone wanted to be on, moves that drove the ladies crazy and an unmistakable sense of style.
“We were very popular and decided to capitalise on this by approaching club owners about events. We knew our name would pull in massive crowds and felt this was a great way to continue making a mark,” Pekile explains.
“One of our most memorable gigs was when we had Da Capo on the line-up. Imagine – we’re in grade 11 and making flight arrangements and facilitating his first performance in Durban,” he continues.
After a while, the city became too small for the crew, who had come to be known as Dbn Nyts by this time. They left for Joburg with not much more than a dream to make it big.
Their families weren’t happy with this decision, but they had a bigger vision in mind.
“Any parent would be concerned – we didn’t know anyone here and we didn’t really have a set-out plan, but we knew we had to chase this dream,” Yokwana recalls.
After two years of plain hustle, this dream would be realised when legendary DJ, producer and entrepreneur, Oscar “Oskido” Mdlongwa, found them on the streets of Yeoville and signed them to his record label – Kalawa Jazzmee – which has been home to iconic groups such as Bongo Maffin, Trompies and Mafikizolo.
They credit their success to the patience and the mentoring they received from industry veterans such as DJs Ganyani, Sbu and Clock, whom they say they often asked to listen to their music and received constructive feedback from: “We’re from Durban so we were heavily influenced by gqom (Durban house) and that sound, but they encouraged us to expand and create music that would speak to more people, without losing the elements that have essentially made us who we are,” Ngcobo says.
Following the release of their hit single Shumaya, Dbn Nyts have worked with some of the continent’s biggest artists and their lives today are a far cry from when they started.
“From sleeping in a cottage on the floor to having a flat in Midrand, from walking to driving top-of-the-range sports cars, we’re overwhelmed by the change in our lives. You can’t just rock up at our places now, your entrance is met with an intercom first,” Ngcobo jokes.
The year ahead is filled with more hits from Dbn Nyts and interesting collaborations. “We’ve been working on our album with DJ Clock, Ganyani, Kwesta and AKA. We’re looking to explore and grow.”