Music maestro Chymamusique has, for the first time, opened up about surviving a fatal car crash that resulted in the death of his close collaborator and friend, DJ Poizen, in August.
The SA Music Award winner speaks to Sowetan about his healing process and recalls his final moment with DJ Poizen.
How has your recovery journey been?
It’s going well, but I think it started more on a mental level and is now slowly shifting to the physical. I don’t want to sit back or slow down; life is for the living. It goes on with or without us. Even though I’m injured, I help curate DJ lineups for different venues. It keeps me busy, even when I’m in bed.
What’s your new album about?
It’s called Musique Collaborated (Vol 1). It’s mostly soulful and deep house, a more laid-back sound. The album has 12 tracks, and so far, people are streaming it a lot. I think there’s also a sense of curiosity, especially after the accident. What’s shocking people is that many of the songs reflect what actually ended up happening.
There’s a track with Poizen, track 11, where it says, “Don’t wait till I’m gone to tell me that you love me.” Some people have even said it feels like we knew something was coming, especially since the same song also says, “November, December, something is going to happen”.
None of it was planned; it just came naturally during the creative process.
How was the mood in the studio when you worked with Poizen?
The atmosphere was chilled. We spent about four hours fiddling around with the songs and, afterwards, he took them home to work on. He later sent them back to me, and I laid down the vocals, played the keys, guitar and bass, while he handled the drums. It was such a thrilling experience.
What do you miss about him?
It’s not easy, but I’ve learnt to put everything in God’s hands. We were very excited the night of the accident. We were with Lamiez Holworthy; she was in her own car. We had gone to a gig, both launching our albums.
It felt like the beginning of something big. We were driving to Mokopane at around 6am, leaving a hotel in Polokwane to fetch Poizen’s car. The only thing I remember is us getting into the car and Poizen saying, “Let’s go to Mokopane.”
Lamiez and her team kept telling us, “You guys are not going”, but when it’s time, it’s time… I guess. Eyewitnesses told the police what happened. What reassures me is knowing we weren’t in the wrong; a truck came and hit us head-on, and the driver ran away.
How do you plan to honour Poizen’s legacy?
We had so much planned; as soon as I’m well, I will work on the music that he planned to release and get it licensed. He also has young kids, whom I plan to meet when I recover. I will see how I can best help them out and ensure they’re taken care of.
"What reassures me is knowing we weren’t in the wrong; a truck came and hit us head-on, and the driver ran away."
— Chymamusique
How has this changed you?
As a spiritual person, I believe everything happens for a reason and in its own time. My biggest takeaway is to stop limiting myself. When I get back to full strength, I plan to travel more and push my music abroad.
I also want to start a family, and stop delaying or thinking I still have time. In this world, we never know what’s going to happen, so I can’t wait for the perfect time.
You recently staged your first live performance after the accident. What was that like?
I didn’t want to lose touch with the people, especially since I had just released a new album a week before the accident. I had several launch events lined up, but only two happened; the rest had to be cancelled because of what happened.
I knew I had to get back and make sure the album didn’t fade away without a proper launch. Unfortunately, I’m the only one who can really bring it to life.
I even tried to organise a launch while I was still in hospital, but when you’re not physically there, it becomes difficult.
