Kholofelo ‘Messiah Jose K’ Matinketja (31) is a musician who can multitask in his studio to ensure his melodies accommodate every listener.
The Thembisa-born artist specialises in a genre called bolo house music ‘lekompo or 45’ when labelled.
It is a popular genre which hails from Bolobedu in Tzaneen which unites numerous groups.
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Kholofelo considers himself a versatile musician because he does every genre – from bolo house, amapiano, hip-hop, afro pop to traditional music.
He started doing music in 2014, inspired by his late uncle who used to play a lot of kwaito and other musical genres during his childhood.
“That is how I fell in love with music.”
His mother always wished for him to complete his studies before paying attention to his music career.
Kholofelo said being a musician was a dream but the nomination he received solidified his love for his craft.
“After receiving a nomination from the Sepedi Music Awards in 2019, I became aware I needed to keep going.
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“My passion became stronger, and it was a motivation that I am where I belong.
“Since 2019, I have been nominated six times. That includes the Limpopo Music Awards (LIMA) and being an artist of the year at the Sepedi Music Awards 2021.”
According to Kholofelo, a lot of musicians struggle with bookings.
His struggle with nailing better compensating gigs inspired him to begin hosting his own shows, such as birthday celebrations annually, which helps generate income to fund his music career.
“I will release a lot of music this year.
“I haven’t started my year on the gear I wanted, but so far I released a song called Cooler Bag, alongside Mr siX21 Dj Dance and Mahery.
“I will be dropping a lot of music with Mkoma Saan, Neo-SA, Dj Call Me, Ba Bethe Gashoazen and more. That also includes the music video for my current single Cooler Bag.”
“I think my last two years started slow but many of my gigs only came in around August.
“My musical writing skills have improved. I love making people happy. I want them to fall in love, dance and feel good about themselves.
“Music connects people and knowing that makes me never want to quit,” he said.
