From L'vovo's Bayang'sukela to Big Nuz's Umlilo and Do You Still Remember, Durban kwaito music kept the country in music all year round.
Then came gqom, which gave artists like Babes Wodumo a chance to shine and it was quickly followed by amapiano. Since then, it has been a bit quiet in Kwazulu-Natal's capital of groove.
A return to form is needed and this is exactly what Thuthuka Wandile Zindlovu from Lamontville is trying to manifest with his festival at the Collegians Rugby Club next to the Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban from September 29 to October 1.
Thuthuka, better known as Dlala Thukzin, is a gqom and Durban kwaito artist who has been making music and hits since the mid-2000s and gained recognition on Babes Wodumo’s 2016 album, Gqom Queen Volume 1. This helped to spread the popularity of the genre in South Africa. Thukzin has also released several albums of his own, such as Permanent Music (2020), Permanent Music 2 (2021), Summer Banger (2021), and Finally Famous (2022).
Read more | Billy Monama’s latest theatre production pays homage to the sounds of musicians forced into exile
Now he has a festival he wants to curate as one of the more crucial artists in the Durban music scene.
“The Dlala Thukzin Weekend comes from identifying a need to become a true role model to the youth. We want to inspire the next generation and open a platform for young people to showcase their talents, create employment as well as teach people that education, entertainment and sports a pivotal necessity to society," the 26-year-old says.
This event won’t be about all-out partying but will also encompass sporting events for youth teams, a music conference in which experts will impart knowledge and tips around navigating the music industry as well as a dance festival.
Read more | COLUMN | Should we be worried about people throwing things at performers during their sets?
His observant outlook is what inspired this weekend of artistic delights. He tries to keep the veil between his celebrity and his supporters undrawn and this helps him stay in tune with the streets.
“I always try and pace myself. What motivates me the most is wanting to help other up and coming artists. So, if I’m doing well, it opens doors for the others following me.
“In my spare time, I always try and go out to spaces that’s occupied by fans so that I can relate. Therefore, this allows me the opportunity to understand what people want and then creativity kicks in. Young people need to be taught things in a manner that’s going to be fun and enjoyable,” Dlala explains.
Preparing to party
He prides himself on being an improv master as he always relies on the feel of an event to determine his sets.
“All I can say is that all my sets are never pre-planned, the crowd always inspires my sets. Therefore, they’re the inspiration behind every set."
Compiling the lineup was handled by Dlala, who took care in getting artists who are titans in their own lane.
“It’s not really about choice, my team and I came up with a theme for the line up because we wanted to give my fans a feel of what a festival is. The theme of our line up for this year’s festival is kings and queens of genres. So, we tried to select whoever is doing currently doing well on each genre or music category in SA.”
He's not ready to unveil the list just yet.
He feels most at home in front of an audience and loves being able to conduct the masses with his melodies. He promises there will be plenty of this at his weekend experience.
“The one favourite thing I enjoy about live performances is actually seeing the response I get from the crowd and seeing the happiness that music transcends in people. The mood is just crazy,” he says with a sneaky smile.
“The Dlala Thukzin Festival is something that we’ve never seen anyone do before, we don’t want to enclose much but I want people to come and witness the biggest show ever to be done in Durban. The only advice I could give to people attending the show is to make sure they’re wearing the correct dancing shoes,” he chuckles.
