Popular gqom DJ Simphiwe Sihawu known by his stage name “Mr. Thela,” is set to headline a show at Afro Fever Lounge's Night Club on the 25th of March in South Korea (Songtan City).
Mr. Thela has been making boss moves in the music industry lately and solidifying himself as one of the most lucrative exports in the country in terms of gqom.
His hit songs such as Impempe, Abathakathi, and We Going Higher, continue to keep his music lovers on their feet and swinging their hips and dancing along.
The DJ and Producer from Samora Machel, Phillipi, is gearing up for his first international gig 3 months after releasing his 1 st solo project ‘Tronics Land Series 1’ in November 2022.
We were first introduced to Mr. Thela through his joint album MAKE CAPE TOWN GREAT AGAIN, released in 2020 during lockdown. The album became an instant hit with its new sound of Gqom gospel while keeping it in the Gqom genre which originated in KwaZulu Natal.
The album’s lead track ‘iParty’ dominated airwaves and virtual house parties across the country, and even the streaming giant, Netflix, picked it up for production of the movie JIVA’s soundtrack. MAKE CAPE TOWN GREAT AGAIN was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA) and was nominated for The Best Gqom Album at the South African Music Awards (SAMA) 2021.
Speaking to ZAlebs about his tour he says, "I’m super excited, it’s like a dream come true, I have always dreamt about playing internationally and now that dream is coming true,"
The 23 years old says he bagged the gig after someone he met at a gig, recommended him to the organizers of the event.
"The opportunity came to me through a referral. Apparently, there is a guy I once met at a gig or shared a stage with in PSJ (Eastern Cape). Turns out he is a music promoter. He was really impressed by my sound and how I moved the audience that later when he relocated to South Korea and they were looking for an African sound, he put my name forward and they reached out to my manager," he says.
Mr. Thela Thela is determined to take his brand to the next level, and he reveals that he's aiming to win a South African Music Award.
"My journey has been wonderful but as you may you know, there are ups and downs, just like in any other career, so there have been a lot of ups and downs but there have been a lot of life-changing moments and a lot of learning. I’m planning to take my brand to the top, I want to see myself winning the SAMAs and even a Grammy one day, playing on huge international events and producing my own events," he shares.
The singer also reveals to ZAlebs that he has parted ways with Mshayi. He says there is a lot that happened behind the scenes over the years that he cannot disclose.
"My journey has been wonderful but as you may you know, there are ups and downs, just like in any other career, so there have been a lot of ups and downs but there have been a lot of life-changing moments and a lot of learning. I’m planning to take my brand to the top, I want to see myself winning the SAMAs and even a Grammy one day, playing on huge international events and producing my own events,"
He says they parted ways with Mshayi on good terms, but the relationship is no longer the same. When asked whether he would work with him in the near future, he replied, "I don’t think so, I think that chapter has been closed and I’m focused on my brand. Only God knows if we will open a new chapter but as for me, I don’t see that happening anytime soon," he said.
Speaking about what we can expect from him this year he says, "This year I’m planning on releasing my second album Titled TRONICS LAND SERIES 2, also planning on doing a school tour and also shooting a few music videos and lots of collaborations with big artists.
"This coming Friday I’m releasing a track titled IMALI featuring NOBANTU VILAKAZI, then planning on releasing another single with DJ TIRA, NOBANTU VILAKAZI, and SYKES.
