Lungelo

Live 8… Live Earth… Make Poverty History… 46664… All of these have shown the power of music in communicating positive messages to people around the world

Inspired by the work of these amazing initiatives, Key Change Music has launched an exciting new project: Collaboration 4 Change.

C4C aims to bring together artists to use their talent to educate and empower young people. We want to use music to change our world for the better starting today!

The first version of C4C is taking place in South Africa. C4C: RSA has already begun and features some of SA’s best young artists. But this is just the beginning! At the end of the year we are taking C4C to Australia, and there are already plans for new versions of C4C in 2009!

The tour will be run over 3 weeks in August/September in KZN.

Stage 1 of the tour will be a schools road trip in and around Pietermaritzburg, Richards Bay, and Durban (1 week per area). The road trip will involve short concerts followed by educational workshops.

Stage 2 of the tour will be 3 feature concerts to be held at major venues in PMB, Richards Bay and Durban (1 at the end of each week of the road trip).

The purpose of both the schools road trip and feature concerts is to impact thousands of young South Africans, such that they are:
informed of the key issues facing young people;
aware of what they can do as individuals and in collaboration with others to overcome these issues; and
inspired to find a positive vision and purpose for their lives

Today the DJ Sbu breakfast Show called artists and Y’ers to put their heads together and make a difference. Millions of people are without food, families and homes.. someone, at least once a year, has to do something.
Myself, Slikour, DJ Sbu, Pro, Kwela Tebza, KB, Bricks, Y-FM DJ’s and a few of ther masses put ourselves in the shoes of people that have to beg for food or anything they can get. Each came dressed as a Hobo and begged, chassing cars, being sworn at, ignored and just shrugged off.

After a lot of sweat, huff and puffing, ducking cars coz you’re just invisible we raised money! More than a couple of thousands.
Clothes were bought for homeless people living around Oxford and Glenhove Road, showers and baths were organized even though some of them insisted that they have had their shower for the day. After showers everyone went for a big Lunch @ The Zone, a day well spent.

The last 3 months have been a virtual renaissance in what is Lungelo.

After coming to Jozi in August 2007, exactly a year ago, Lungelo has hustled & bustled, created and inspired, moved and been moved!
Lungelo has successfully established 2 studios in a city where every second waiter in Melville, is an artist from Maf Town or Cape Town trying to make it big. The work emanating from these studios have proven without dispute that Lungelo has, what others don’t even understand they need, to make it in a cut throat industry that is as fast paced as it is daunting.

“Promise” the collaboration between Morale and Lungelo entered the Local hip-hop charts at Number 7 on T-Bo Touch’s “Rhyme and Reason” and within 3 weeks, was at Number 1 where it stood fast for 8 weeks. “Promise” also hit the Number 1 Spot on the “Top 9 @ 9″ Hip-Hop charts with DJ C-Live on Y-FM and retained this position for 4 weeks! The Cherry on the top was a Number 1 position on 5 FM…Making “Promise” one of the hottest tracks this Winter! And by HOT, I mean everyone knows it but no one is ever tired of hearing it.

Lungelo has in his first year in Jozi produced Morale, F Eezy, Gliteratti, Snazz D, Driemanskap, Mo, Kord & Gospel Group Music for All Seasons.

Lungelo has also featured in tracks with Pro, Mzeke Zeke, Izinoyka, Nhlanhla, Morale, Gliteratti, Black Coffee & of course…what the Sunday Times called “…the hook which made the track…” in “Not in our Lifetime” - The MTN Collaborative all star Anti Xenophobia track ft. DJ Sbu Leope, HHP, Simphiwe Dana, Shugasmakx and Relo, KB, Nthabi, Tuks, MXO, Teargas, Pro, Kwela Tebza, Tumi and DJ Cleo.

DC Studio saw the creation of the soundtrack to Umalusi, a soundtrack unequivocal in everything that it is. Lungelo not only composed and produced the entire soundtrack but he did so in a way which Cannes Film Festival described as “…a breath taking Soundtrack…“.

And then there’s what Lungelo has been doing in other Studios…

Tin Pan Studios in CPT saw Lungelo virtually move in for the rainy, windy winter to perform yet another feat in musical brilliance.
Lungelo undertook “Famous III” in April 2008. “Famous III” is a reality TV Show (still screening on SABC 2, on Tuesdays at 16:30) which sees the process of creating a band of High School Students and tracking the process from recruitment to Stardom! Lungelo played in integral part in the process for the creation of the band “Fuze” from recruitment to creative direction of the Choreography & Music Videography. The most important “Lungelo” signature on the show itself is undoubtedly the music.
Taking his seat as Creative Director & star of a reality show for the 2nd time (Coca-Cola Pop Stars being the first on each account), Lungelo has written, composed, produced, mixed & mastered every track on the “Fuze” album. Such hotness, freshness & fire has not been heard in Highschool…urmm…music!
“Fuze” is to be released in September this year with a road show & singles launching on radio stations nationwide.

Undisputedly, the most extensive creation to emerge from Lungelo’s composition, Production and Musical genius has to be the newest album by Lungelo the artist.

Not only has this album proven Lungelo’s adaptibility as an artist to every genre possible (this we have seen and more importantly heard), but also secured Lungelo a contract, signature and instant placement with TS Records.
The Traditional Xhosa House album is really a genre of its own…something which excites the senses in a way which has never been done before.

A year ago Lungelo considered signing onto TS Records. 6 months ago he had made a phone call to Dj Sbu, sent 2 sms-es, 1 e-mail, had an interview on Ukhosi FM, on what was then DJ Sbu’s breakfast show and BOOM-WHAM-BHAM! A year later and he’s signed sealed and being delivered…

What is unmistakeably the biggest opportunity to unleash Lungelo’s potential is also as massive an undertaking as it sounds.

Within 2 weeks of signing Lungelo has performed at Nelson Mandela’s 90th Birthday party, The Not in Our Lifetime concert, Women’s Day celebrations in Bloemfontein & the Bassline (yes…on the same day), The Mzeke Zeke, Vodacom starter pack launch event… and that’s just the first 2 weeks.

Lungelo has demonstrated the permeability of his music, onto as many varied platforms as the market can provide, when he won a bid against some of SA’s hottest artists and labels for the soundtrack to the newest Motorola Ad (currently on the small screen). The track “Nd’yavuya”, was favored as the single which would launch Lungelo’s newest album with a beautifully sleek music video supporting the favorite…

That was until sometime last week when Lungelo heeded an early morning call to Soweto to record a track with Nhlanhla - fellow TS Records family member & Mafikizolo Diva. Less than a week later and “Nguwe Lo”, ft. Nhlanhla has taken pole position on the release schedule for Lungelo’s album and will be launched on Y-FM tomorrow (20th August 2008) on the 2 drive time slots; DJ Sbu’s “Breakfast Show” & Chilli M’s “The Essential Rush”.

Lungelo…that boy from Gugs who we all have Loved to Love for so long now….has, so quickly become the Man who is turning Jozi on it’s head! Now how does one say “Veni, vidi, vici” in isiXhosa?

kasi to kasi day in day out !!

“decided to jump to Cape Town not knowing that hours later i’ll be needed at Loftus , didnt ask questions got on the plane, jetted to Pretoria got there, got given a mic and stepped on stage …killed it !!! “

Rhyme and Reason’s Top Ten by T-bo Touch .The track is called Promise produced by Lungelo.The track shot up from Number 7 to number 1. LOOK OUT FOR MORALE’S forth coming album.

Yes its done ladies and gentlemen, this is where music and picture are hand in hand, beautiful storyline, my latest favourite ( well it happens when sleepless nights on a project come in ) well now its done,…keep your ear on the ground for this xhosa block buster

Check out this month’s (June) issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine for a very interesting feature on the 101 sexiest men in the world… why? Because they make official what many ladies have known for some time now… that a certain musician makes it into the top 10 - the only South African muso to break in!

Lungelo’s production of Kapuka, the Zambian Star Search rap star, continues after recording ended last week. “It’s sounding tight” is what Kapuka had to say, and let us know that Lungelo has added some seriously happening beats to his regular routine…