Bolebedu music maestro and producer King Monada, who has been churning out hit after hit from his village in Limpopo, does not believe that Johannesburg is the only greener pasture for music talent.
Unlike many artists who moved to Joburg to realise their dreams, King Monada, whose real name is Khutso Steven Kgatla, has made it work while living at Mokgoloboto, a village outside Tzaneen.
The star, who is known for hits such as Malwedhe, Ska Bhora Moreki and Akea Hlapa, has successfully build amusic profile and a huge fan base from his humble village. He believes that his small village and people have a big influence in his music.
With the entire magic taking place in his studio inside his house, King Monada says the love and respect he gets from his people is out of this world. When the whole of SA was introduced to his song Ska Bhora Moreki in 2016, he had already conquered the province with his music. The 28-year-old believes that what has made his music stand out and popular is his unique talent. He boasts that his two tracks Malwedhe and Ska Bhora Moreki took the country by storm without any marketing and promotion channeled to it.
“The whole village loves me and I always feel at home here. I can never leave people who love my music and support me. I don’t think it is necessary to move to Johannesburg for your career to flourish. You can do it wherever you are as long as you have your own original talent,” he says.
“You just need to trust your talent and work hard. You don’t have to change your genre because you see other music genres selling. Stick to your own thing, eventually the doors will open for you. I do go to Johannesburg for radio and TV interviews and come back to my base where things happen. I feel fulfilled because people love my music.”
The king of Bolebedu music, who last dropped a hit that rocked the nation in 2018, is back again in the music scene, dropping two singles Dzena Mo and Wa Ngobatxa at the same time. The two tracks released recently have already scored more than a million streams on digital platforms. Monada concedes that Dzena Mo is not even close to Malwedhe’s success with its idibala dance craze. With his latest music, the singer has explored a lot when it comes to infusing beats from Kenya and Nigeria.
“Malwedhe was pure class. I don’t think these two come close to that. These two are different because I was exploring. I have been listening to music from Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana and the two singles have influence of those countries’ music. The sound is a combination of different beats and Bolobedu-singing style. The response is good so far. The songs are doing well on digital downloads.”
Since he came to the industry, King Monada has set himself apart from others with how he composes his music. He is able to turn anything into a song and has a skill of telling a story. With his songs such as Chiwana, Skorokoro and Ake Chete, Monada explains that his inspiration comes from the people he lives with in the village. He does not see a need to fantasise and reflect fiction in his music just to sell.
“Since I live among people my music is inspired by what people say and how they react to life. I try to reflect real-life stories in my music, not just fantasy and dreams. I talk about thinks that people can relate to. Sometimes I write songs about things that you can never think they could be turned into a song,” he adds.
“Take the song Chiwana, I speak about how people from villages react when they see you returning from big cities with big bags. They immediately assume that you are rich. Not knowing that you have your own struggles.”
His song Dzena Mo talks about a man struggling to locate his house gate when he is drunk. In his second track Wa Ngobatxa, the singer features artists Jen Jen and Mack Eaze. King Monada explains that he normally features artists in his songs whose music appeals to him. His biggest dream is to work with Clement Maosa, who portrays the role of Kwaito in Skeem Saam and Heavy K.
The singer, who just finished working with a gospel group called The Harvest, promises his fans a 9-track EP(Extended Play) that will be dropped next month.
The singer, who also owns Monada Music Records, enjoys an expensive life enjoyed by many living in posh suburbs while living in his village. Last year, he decided to build himself a R1.5m mansion opposite to his parental home at Mokgoloboto. The Bolebedu music star explains that he did not care whether people were judging him or not, he wanted a home for his family.
“You can never have a dream house if you do not build it yourself. If you buy a house you are buying someone else’s dream house. I decided to build this house because an artist’s lifespan is never guaranteed, so I needed to make sure that if anything happens to me or my career, my family will have a place they call home,” he explains.
The singer, who is a proud family man having had two wives and kids, started out his career as a dancer in 2005. His life changed when he met Mpho Madalani and Khutso Selowa, who had all the equipment to record a song. He recorded and released his first track Dolly my Love. Shortly after that he met his current manager Albert Makwela, who has stood by him throughout.
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