DJ and co-founder of Homie.Lover.Friend, Phola Gumede, is blending her passion for music, innovation, experimentation and good vibes in leading a cool cultural movement in the digital era.
Popularly known as Love Slave Phola, the 36-year-old Durban-born artist's uniquely interesting stage name stems from being deeply rooted in music from a young age.
“When I was younger, I was teased about how much music I used to listen to. Every time a song came on, I would be like, 'Oh my God, I love this song, and this one' so when I became a DJ, I wanted to pay ode to my love for music. I'm a love slave to the music,” she says.
What began as a hobby turned into a successful career in entertainment.
“It was actually by accident,” she says. “I've always loved music and thought that it would be a full skill to learn. I used to play around with a friend’s DJing equipment, and we would play musical chairs where he plays one song and I play another song. I didn’t set out to become a DJ. I just wanted to learn the skill. I guess word got out and I played one gig. Before I knew it, it was several gigs. That’s pretty much my journey of being a DJ.”
Gumede is one-third of Homie.Lover.Friend, a sensory-charged social and music experience that she describes as a good time without the pretentious fuss.
“We wanted to have a different type of vibe that doesn’t have the fuss. Good vibes, good music and a lovely curation with young people to experience the essence of who we are, because individually we [with co-founders Qhawe Luthuli and Nomalungelo Molefe] bring different spheres to the event, which make our gatherings magical,” Gumede says.
“If someone had to attend our events, they would experience good music, camaraderie and a feeling of being at a family reunion.”
Gumede’s curiosities of the urban and pop culture has also drawn her to social media management. She was formerly the Woolworths digital marketing manager for their fashion and homeware brands in Cape Town. “I worked in retail for a couple of years and I decided that I didn't like the hours,” Gumede says.
“Then I did an internship for social media at Liberty Africa and that's when I started my actual career of being a social media manager, which is great because it fused my love for arts, culture and social media. It was perfect for me as someone who was pretty much chronically online.”
She made the bold leap to relocate back to Johannesburg in 2020, a month before the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
“I was like, you know what? Let me try this freelancing thing and since then, that is what I've been doing. We started Homie.Lover.Friend after the lockdown and that's been growing from strength to strength,” says Gumede.
Her distinct music and digital career fused with her cool fashion has caught the attention of Birkenstock. She appears in the footwear brand's latest campaign Come Back To You, which she says feels like a homecoming. Appearing in the campaign also are photographer Celeste Jacobs, film director Bathandwa Ngwendu and creative director Bee Diamondhead.
“It felt like home, and we [Birkenstock] are friends. It felt familiar in how they flow and work together. I felt a great affinity to the brand,” she says.
“The campaign is 180 degrees for me. Looking back at my first post for Birkenstock in 2022 and since then our relationship with the brand has just been organic and it feels like I'm coming back to myself. It all comes in together so beautifully.”
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