Amanandos � dance masters-cum-kwaito kingpins
Staff Writer | Thursday June 5, 2014 11:06
So convincing was their showing that competitors and admirers applauded the youngsters when they finally won the competition.
The judges could not stop waxing-lyrical during their appraisal of the then skinny youngsters who were notorious for their tight outfits.
Seven years later the group has gone through some metamorphosis as they now combine their silky dance skills with some mellow kwaito melodies to cause a new stir in the entertainment scene. Their latest single Lebaibai is set to firmly put them on the map as kwaito kingpins.
It has already topped local charts and generated huge interest about the group.
Despite the fact that they started young, Amanandos have managed to remain a close-knit item.
The four members Javerlah, Chef Gustos, Zwai and Flaser are childhood friends. They are yet to release their first album even though they have already convinced the masses that future of kwaito lies with them
“Lebaibai was number one on the Orange Top 20 list on Duma fm and we expect it to dominate in the coming months once more people have become aware of it,” Flaser told Showbiz.
Their album is complete, but they have decided to release it after the end of winter. The group was first formed as a dance troupe. Ironically the quartet wanted to establish the group as backing dancers for kwaito artists like Vee, Eskimos and Exodus as their emergence coincided with their dominance of kwaito.
But after their My African Dream (MAD) success they decided to be an independent entity.
The four’s love for dance led them to produce more magic and a year after winning MAD they formed a female dance group called Bo-Nandosita, which they mentored until they won the competition.
In fact two groups under their guidance, Bo-Nandosita and Jozi Victims clinched first prizes at the finals of the 2008 MAD competition.
“The four of us grew up together and we have always been passionate about dance but because music and dance are inseparable we were bound to end up as musicians,” Flazer explained. They decided to try their hand at kwaito music, which was their other passion and in 2009 their first song Khamera Foto went straight to radio. Although it was poorly received the owners still believe it was a good composition.
He said: “The only radio station that played it was Yarona fm. Why presenters decided to snub it I do not know?”
The snub was not to deter them because according to Flaser there was still positive feedback from people who listened to the song. Three years later the group dished out their single called Dira Jaana, which was more of a hip hop track featuring Dramaboi’s producer Tek Noice, Cici, Reacxion and Noelo.
The response was positive as the single climbed to the sixth spot on Yarona fm’s Top 100 within a few weeks of release and remained at the peak of the top 20 for some time. Flaser said they decided to release singles in order to test the response.
Last year the group ushered in their second single, original kwaito hit Tsotsi Anthem much to a rousing applause and perhaps setting the tone for their new one.
Hence the release of Lebaibai this year was met with a lot of excitement from both broadcasters and listeners.
“I think we have passed the litmus test and we are now ready for the kwaito market. We can compete with the best in the business,” he said.
Flaser was quick to emphasise that the evolution from dance wonder kids to kwaito contenders would not stifle the magic in their feet.
He believes carrying forward the choreography they used in dance would make them an interesting group to watch.
“There is still a lot of art in our performance on stage because we come from a background of dance. We cannot ditch that,” he said.