Kutlwano Yika ease off traffic with his golden voice
Kutlwano Yika is ready for the next step with his music career.
Fingers are crossed for him to finally get signed by a record label that will launch his music career, but for Kutlwano Yika, all that he dreams of is to see himself with his guitar on the billboards in Fourways.
The-25-year-old makes the traffic in the afternoon bearable as he gives motorists a music performance for days after their long hours of work. He said it was not an overnight decision and the pandemic made it easier for him to think things through about his careers.
Yika chose to drop out of the University of Johannesburg on his third year. He said he was enrolled for a BCom in Economics and Econometrics when he decided to following his passion in music.
“I was inspired by a fellow musician during the pandemic because she was able to touch many lives with her performances while developing a fan base. I thought I can also do the same because I love music with every fibre of my being and I had a lot of time on my hands during the pandemic because even my classes where online. ”
He said with this of dose of inspiration he took his guitar, and started to perform his favourite songs for social media users and it did not take Yika to become an overnight internet sensation.
“I then decided to go and do it at the malls but not knowing that I had a crowd of people from social media following me. So, I was no longer allowed to perform at the shopping centres because the management found it distracting. I got discouraged so much that I thought of quitting.”
His last resort was to go to the traffic lights to continue doing what he does the best. Yika said that he wanted to interact with his followers in person when he decided to perform outside the social media platforms.
“I thought of all the people we usually see at the robots asking for money. They do it because they are trying to make a living and eat out of people’s generosity and understanding. So, I thought let me give people a free show and take it from there. I wanted to sing for these people and make their day and many of my followers gave me those suggestions. It made sense because they are people from ekasi [townships] who dance at the traffic lights trying to make it.”
That is how he won the hearts of many adoring fans in Fourways. He said this was a least of his expectations when he had people who started to book him to perform at luxurious events.
“It was not for money when I went to the robots to perform. I do it because of my love for music and the fact that I could not afford my fees at school and I had all the time in my hands. That is why I thought let me go back to singing. I get invites to perform at gala dinners now, and other private events.”
Yika said that he has always been a singer at heart. He told us that when he left his dreams of becoming an econometric, he did not want to lose touch with his singing talent.
“I knew that if I persevered at school then at home, they were going to expect me to go and look for a job then forget about music. This is a calling for me as well. I hear a lot of people saying that they are pastors because it is a calling, music is the same for me.”
He said that since he was a young boy, he was known as the ‘Michael Jackson’ as he grew up in his home towm, Katlehong, in the east of Johannesburg.
“I used to imitate Michaela Jackson and people thought I was also as good as him. So, I was good enough but as you grow older you find other things interesting like football, academics etc.”
The confident young crooner said what he loves the most about his performances in Fourways is that he feels understood by its residents.
“They never get enough of my talent. They are so supportive and that is what keeps me going when it comes to what I do. There are times where motorists would alight from their vehicles just to watch me perform their favorite songs and that is always inspiring for me, because that is what I am trying to do, ease off traffic and make them feel good after a long day.”
He added that he has pretty much developed a fan base and won’t stop performing at the various intersections in Johannesburg until he makes it as an independent artist.
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