Boyband turns fairy tale into reality

Charlize Theron, HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco and several other names are fairy tales that came out of Benoni, and home-grown duo, HolyBoy plan to make that list.

HolyBoy, a duo consisting of Pope (Onkogopontse Nkosi, 25) and Ratz (Kabelo Sepenyane, 28) only became friends after school when meeting at parties and events.

“Through these random encounters they had the chance to sit down and talk, helping them realise they both love to party and throw them, so why not come together and start an events company,” said their manager, Sango Velaphi.

“As the saying goes – what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas – well fortunately for HolyBoy that wasn’t the case and word of their parties (Skrrt Xff, Eat My Cake, Baptism Of Thotiana) started getting around.

“From there, Pope was scouted and selected to be on the debut season of Vuzu’s Ultimate House Party in 2018 (the premise being that each contestant is randomly selected to organise and host a party with a six-hour time limit).

“The show was a hit, becoming SA’s most viewed TV show. With Pope making it to the finals, Twitter was raged about HolyBoy, especially when Ratz was selected to go on the show for season 2, letting SA know who the greatest party planning duo is.”

Velaphi added that the duo started hosting events because they wanted to create a space for artists to perform and with hopes that they’d be performing their songs at their events one day, and that’s how they got involved in the music industry.

“With no experience in making music, the duo approached this version of their dreams with the same passion and intensity, using the first half of 2020 and lockdown to plot themselves in the studio and create a classic project,” the Edenvale-based manager said.

“What came out of that process was a seven-track EP titled Baptism, released on August 31.

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“The EP, just like their name, shows you their love, passion and faith in God and using every minute to live their dreams and purpose, love everybody closest and farthest from them and spreading a message of love, honesty and happiness.”

But there’s more…

“Having filmed and released a short film, alongside professional filmmaker Max Mogale, titled Beautiful Purple, the duo has started making strides in their music career,” Velaphi said.

“The next step for them, which they are in the process of, is winning the 011 City Award for Best Mixtape of the Year.

“The City Awards, which are dedicated to recognising and rewarding South African youth in entertainment since 2017, is based on fan votes and SMSes.

“HolyBoy hopes that with the help of their fans and community they can bring the award back home to Benoni and the East Rand to inspire and show everyone around them and those looking up to them that your dreams are valid, possible and achievable. All you need is love, passion, dedication, perseverance and God.”

To learn more about the duo and how to vote contact them on Instagram @holyboyworld or Twitter @holyboyworld_.