And how crazy is it that this is all being brought together by our own Khuli Chana together with Absolut? It comes as no surprise though as Absolut has always been connected at the hip with revolutionaries who have spearhead creativity.
"Absolut is a brand which has always been about creativity. For Absolut to be relevant in South Africa we needed to figure out a way to bring what the brand stands for in creativity and bring that into African relevance. And with One Source we wanted to show that Africa is not just the 'one source' of humanity but also the one source of creativity." - Mongezi Sokanyile, Brand Manager for Absolut, Pernod Ricard South Africa
That's basically how Khuli Chana and Absolut happened. We got a chance to sit down with the Motswakoriginator himself to find out more about his latest movement and how he's been making a whole lot of major moves.
Thank you so much for agreeing to link up with us, I know you've been on this Absolut move for a minute but how are you feeling?
You know I'm excited, I'm nervous, it's like mixed feelings but I think it's because it's different because it's partying with a purpose. I know everyone says it, but this time we're actually doing it.
I heard that you were recently in Sweden and in Kansas, how different were the crowds there from the crowds here?
There's nothing more refreshing than being a new kid on the block. I thrive on new audiences, for me, it's like 'damn, I got something new again.' And people are in awe like, yhu, what is this? It was dope and it's different because on those platforms I speak and people are interested in what's happening in SA and our creative revolution.
Now tell us about your superhero 'The Dragon' and how does his existence play a role in the overall movement?
That character was created by a super talented team from Native VML. His superpowers are his words and I can totally relate to that. His words, basically bring the world to arms and gets them to act. And he pretty much mirrors who I am as an artist. The family has grown also, we got Sho Madjozi, Trevor Stuurman, Osborne Maccaria, Fabrice. This also reflects the growth of my musical side with the Mythron movement. We got Kaygism, MDB, Tamarsha, it's interesting how now everything doesn't just revolve around Khuli Chana and we bringing together all these different energies to create a united force.
I heard that it's going to be you versus Sho Madjozi as both of you guys will be curating a set of artists, apart from Patoranking, is there anyone else that we can expect on your stage?
We do have a surprise act, I don't know if we're gonna announce it or they're going to pop up. It's not really a versus, she's just going to be curating the alternative stage and I'll be curating the main stage. What's interesting about this gig is that it's not really concentrating on who's popping, it's about who's a creative revolutionary, who's pushing the envelope, that's why we have different spheres. I mean, Sho Madjozi is doing that, in a big way she's so different. We've had Papa Penny, but it's never popped the way it is right now for her.
What can we expect on the 24th of March?
Oh man. I think, production value, it's gonna be a colossal event. I think we're going to take people back to the theatre. You know when you're in the theatre? That's exactly what we're gonna do.
Can we expect another One Source album or was that a once-off?
I'm game for One Source 2,we're actually working on that. I'm about to put out some new music now. I've been working on some music between now and the past year, stuff that we're not sure we wanna put out now or later. So we just need to make a decision on that. I'd love to work on One Source 2 and this time take my time with it with new collabos because those are the things that make us better.
Just to appease the superfan in me: Will there ever be a Motswakoriginator 2?
I've thought of that and I decided not. But what I want to do this year, and it's actually gonna happen, it's been about a little over 10 years. So, this is the year we celebrate the Motswakoriginator album. We're going to bring out everybody and we'd love to bring out a fifty piece band and perform the whole album.
Well, there you go. The theme of the year is moving together. As one and we're ready to see this in action at One Source Live on the 24th of March. Head on over to onesourcelive.com and get your tickets.
Make sure to also follow Absolut on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook (@AbsolutSA) and on the hashtag #BeAbsolut #OneSourceLive.
- What to read next: In pictures - Khuli Chana and his lady Asanda
Main Image Credit: Instagram/@KhuliChana01