Focalistic takes AmaPiano to the world
PRETORIA — Self-proclaimed “President ya straata”, Focalistic (pictured), has not only ruled the streets of Mzansi this year, but across borders and cultures.
He has done it using amapiano and his sonic catch-phrase, Ase trap tse ke pina tsa ko kasi, loosely translating to this is not trap music, it’s songs we listen to in the township.
By taking the yanos to the world, the superstar from Garankuwa, northern Pretoria, earns the top honour of Sowetan’s Entertainer of the Year.
When the first TimeOut of the year launched back in January, with Focalistic was on the cover and billed as “Kasi excellence”, we somewhat predicted his winning year.
“Performing in front of 40 000 people in August at Yam Carnival in London was a highlight,” Focalistic reflects on the year with a hoarseness in his voice. Perhaps it has everything to do with his latest song 16 Days No Sleep. “Hopping on stage and hearing them scream ase trap tse ke pina tsa ko kasi blew my mind away,” he pauses before coughing.
“That was my first time in London; to realise that my song is known that far and by so many people at the same time singing tsikitsiki yho, tsikitsiki yho, tsikitsiki yho [the lyrics from Ke Star] that is something I will forever be grateful for.”
With his smash hit Ke Star — I am the star — many will not be blamed for theorising that Focalistic prophesied his trajectory to super-stardom. Even Nigerian megastar Davido couldn’t resist an opportunity to jump onto the remix.
Focalistic met Davido during a club appearance in Pretoria two years ago. Focalistic was relatively unknown, bubbling under and promoting his EP, Ase Trap Tse ke Pina Tsa Ko Kasi. The DJ on the decks that night was Focalistic’s good friend DBN Gogo. She was playing music for that offering.
Davido had asked to meet the artiste as Focalistic walked into the club. They met and exchanged numbers. They never texted one another. But fast-forward to earlier this year, Ke Star, had achieved the almost impossible task of an SA artiste topping Nigeria’s Apple Music chart without featuring an artiste from there.
Davido then sent Focalistic a text in his DMs (direct messages) and congratulated him on the progress he had made since their last encounter. Focalistic later travelled to Nigeria and opened at Davido's show.