DJ Ngwazi to host homecoming festival
Staff Writer | Monday May 9, 2022 06:00
With this one of a kind festival titled ‘Kumnandi Ekhaya Music Fest’, DJ Ngwazi proudly pays homage to the village where he grew up and started pursuing his dreams. Growing up in Thamaga, the village deeply influenced his life. His story is one that can be retold so many times but he has the village to credit for his success in the music scene today.
During the early years of his career, DJ Ngwazi was just an unknown DJ performing at Kings Bar in Thamaga and at times a radio DJ on a show called Breakfast in Bold from 2015 until April 2019 April. Because of that, he was unable to release a solo album. Kumnandi Ekhaya is Zulu expression meaning ‘It is nice at home’ and unlike the biblical prodigal son, DJ Ngwazi is a proud man who returns to his childhood sweetheart which is Thamaga in order to convey his fond relationship with the village.
He left Thamaga to South Africa to pursue his musical dreams, and with this festival, he is capturing his relationship with the place that built him into the great artist he is today. “It is not just a homecoming for me but I return home to also show support for upcoming artists that they too could work super hard, and give everything they have to get their big break. I want artistes to take advantage of unlimited possibilities and further use my star power to champion just about anything,” DJ Ngwazi revealed.
From touring the world with SA’s Master KG to finally releasing his smash hit Uthando, DJ Ngwazi has proven over and over that he is a great export and he will be doing it again on stage this time in front of his own people. “This is not just a festival about one man but it’s also a project for the whole community of Thamaga, a village that has worked so hard in recent years to wash away sins of the past.
From the matsetsenkane association, it is time for Thamaga to show they can produce young people who are bold, creative, cognizant, confident, and unafraid to think outside the box. This is Thamaga, the same village that produced great leaders who moved the world forward so that stars like me could flourish,” he further indicated. By planning to host the festival right in his backyard, DJ Ngwazi added that he has a huge responsibility and now aims to pave the way for others like him.
He also said it is important that he helps open doors for younger artistes because there are so many cultural and societal barriers when it comes to entry in this entertainment industry. “The event will give priority to local talent and try to inculcate the spirit of celebrating our own. The event will also empower the Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs)”.