VRYHEID KZN: Artist from eMondlo releases chart-topping song

Mlamuli Mazibuko, better known by his fans as ‘Mla Panache’, currently has a song that’s soaring high on the charts countrywide. This young man, who grew up in the area of eMondlo Section A, has gone on to find greener pastures in the world of music and the entertainment industry. His single entitled ‘Khaya lami’ (featuring Hloni), is in the top 5 countrywide on the charts.

Currently residing in Johannesburg, Mla works full-time and does music as well. He attended Velankosi and Nkosinathi primary schools in eMondlo. He says that his school days were normal and he loved his teachers dearly. He moved on to Inkamane and Mpofini High School and says that during those days, he was an A+ learner who had already fallen in love with music.

Mla studied Accounting and Finance at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and graduated in 2006. During his tertiary education, he joined UKZN Radio as a presenter. That’s when he started ‘hanging out’ with club DJs who were also at the radio station and began collecting ‘deep house’ music. “My love for music started when I was learning to talk! My dad bought a tape recorder that he used to record my first speech and I used it to listen to music on the radio. I was soon in love with what I heard, and I could barely speak at the time.” Mla mentions that he taught himself to mix from the Google DJing lessons he downloaded from the internet. “After a month, I was getting very ‘sharp’, but I decided to join the Soul Candi Music Academy for more advanced lessons. After a month, I got my club residency at Cosmos in Braamfontein as one of the DJs and I have since grown beyond my wildest expectations in the music world.”

Mla has been working on his craft for almost 10 years now. “I find the entertainment industry very interesting, but it has its days when it is tough and needs one’s full attention and focus,” he explains. He released ‘Khaya lami’ on September 10 and seven days later, his song was the most played on numerous radio stations. “I thought it was a good song, but I never imagined it would be this big, as I am competing with well-known artists on the streaming charts like Zakes Bantwini, Cassper Nyovest, DJ Maphorisa, Big Zulu and many others.” He says ‘Khaya lami’ is a tribute to his two-year-old daughter, and people can dedicate this song to their loved ones or people that inspire them. He says it is important to honour your loved ones while they are still alive.

“What makes me happy is that people from my own hometown are streaming my song. It feels really good that my own people are supporting me; they are behind me and are noticing me. I really believe it is important to dream – whether you are from Vryheid or anywhere else. One should dream and then skill oneself in order to achieve those dreams. Education is important in anything you do; it is important to educate yourself about any industry you want to tackle. Obviously you won’t start big and at the top; it won’t be an overnight success, but go for your dreams and chase them.”

Mla is planning to come back to Vryheid, particularly the eMondlo area, to teach the ins and outs of the music industry to the youth. His song is available for streaming and downloading on all the big online retail music stores, as well as his social media pages – Facebook: Mla Panache, Instagram and Twitter: Mla_Panache and YouTube: Mla Panache

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