From the first song he ever released, we’ve known him as a guy who prides himself in being a guy from the township. With every beat and bar ever since, we’ve grown to love him for being a humble family man.
When his daughter was born, he proudly rose to the occasion and served daddy goals.
The full picture was complete when he married his long-time lover Yolanda Mvelase, now Vilakazi, and we watched how they tied the knot in the music video of his song ‘Khethile Khethile’.
It was nothing short of beautiful and their love story got even more beautiful when they were blessed with another daughter in 2020.
Now a father to Khai and Kenya, Kwesta real name Senzo Vilakazi, brings Drum into his fatherhood journey ahead of Father’s Day on 18 June.
To him, Father’s Day is “a day where you appreciate or acknowledge the effort a father puts to his children, family and society.”
On the day, celebrating father figures in our lives comes in any way of showing appreciation.
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Although he did not have a long relationship with his father because his parents divorced when he was eight years, he says he never doubted that he was loved because his father would still make time to spend with him.
Talking about what he learned from his father, growing up, he says, “The undying love that goes beyond the reality of whatever situation, it could be financial, romantic, it could be anything but as long as you make sure that your love for your children shines through.”
He would like to tell other fathers that “nothing deters you from showing love to your children, no matter the situation.”
Now that he is older, he has grown closer to his father who continues to also groom him into the man that he wants to be.
Speaking about the purpose of his upcoming show celebrating 16 years in the music industry, he says he doesn’t just have a song to dedicate to his daughters but his career and the 16th bar show – to show them that it is all possible.
“My outlook with my children is that I want them to holistically see me as a person who did their best, not necessarily in a specific song but in everything. So, the whole show is just also to send them the message that if you dedicate yourself and work hard, you could have yourself a 16-year career.”
He adds that the 16-year-long career and life have taught him principles that he’d like to impart on his daughters.
“Stay yourself, respect everybody and never stop learning,” he shares the three principles.
“As simple as those principles are, if you know yourself, you’ve put in time to understanding yourself, respecting everyone and into learning what the world is about then you got the complete package.”
The award-winning musician reflects on the first time he became a father.
“Being a father at first is scary but as you get into it, and you embrace it and you see the children grow into themselves. From infants to toddlers to teenagers, it’s just exciting to kind of see the growth, see them become themselves and see them have their own thoughts and their own opinions.”
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Even with all the ups and downs of fatherhood, Kwesta wouldn’t trade the title for anything.
“Kids are very funny, I like that part.”
Acknowledging that raising children, especially daughters, in this country is no child’s play, he says “our society hasn’t been kind to girls, black girls and women”.
Amid all the unkindness though, he says that what he wouldn’t want his daughters to lose sight of is who they are and what worth they bring to the table.
