Eastern Cape-born and Free State-raised Sikhulolo Maliwa has morphed into one of the country’s most respected house DJs. Going by the name of LuloCafe, he has penetrated a saturated market with a music style and sound that reflects his love for soulful music.The debonair fella who also dabbles as a brand ambassador for Head Honcho took some time to answer some of our questions. Check out the interview below:
How you doing homie?
Im doing good man, jus making sure things happen…
Where are you from?
I was born in the Eastern Cape in former Transkei but grew up in Sasolburg Free State/Vaal Region…
What are your musical influences?
Well…I grew up in a family that was very reserved so we were never that close but we all shared a special bond through music…I also have a vast interest in music, I began the industry working in retail (CD shops) from Bloemfontein where the biggest selling genre is Afrikaans, Afro Jazz & Techno music to Jozi where the genres spread thru to music from indigenous countries to a rare selection of music for die hard fans.
I had a 5 month glimpse at the radio industry when I had a show at a campus station, I’ve worked in the corporate part of music where I had a zoom into the legalities of the music industry as a whole, I worked within a music creating environment (record label) which introduced me to platforms in which music can be profitable…so my influences are from different music genres which I personally own in ma collection and the business of music plays a fair role as well…
You seem to also have a love for hip-hop, where does this stem from?
Apart from my vast love for music in general….well hip hop for me back then was more like how I feel about house music now…I lived it, I was an emcee, I embraced the lifestyle, but back then it was different, it was strictly about keeping it real.
I still love hip hop right now, but my decision to drop the dream was personal, I had a partner emcee which I began writing scripts with and began recording some material…but I moved away after Matric and just as we were planning to bring it back harder he got stabbed to death in a fight with stereotypes who obviously hated the culture…so my activism in hip hop died then…the movement is still there and is strong, I dig that…
Yeah, so you got a book of rhymes?
Hahahahaha….ammm yeah actually I do bump into a few of my scripts when Im at the folk’s house…but most of them are at ma deceased partner’s house….his mom has asked me to come check them out but I’ve been avoiding it for a year…
Your project had a major hit with ‘Pure Surprise’… When can we expect your next project?
Yeah damn…to be honest I didn’t expect what happened with the track it just blew right in front of my eyes and I had to play catch up…the next project is due for release around April…
Will we finally get to hear you sing on this project?
LOL…hayi I don’t know…Im not so confident…but I’ve recorded 1 track….I love music but I’m not a performer
What made you take interest in the Head Honcho brand?
I loved what it stood for “Live Progressively”…and im very non-conventional so I saw it as an opportunity to grow with a fresh brand…
Has it influenced you in anyway?
Hehehehehe…its silly how it kinda brought me back into hip hop and the lifestyle…but more than anything marks the birth of a new street movement…a unity of house music lovers, hip hop cats and peeps who love the entertainment industry as a whole…We only do the bigger picture in here!!!
If you were a gate-keeper/record label exec, how would you influence
your field?
You know in the previous question I speak of the bigger picture cause I see that’s not the case in this country regarding the success of the music industry *maybe im wrong*…for me I see an industry that grows with knowledge of the business being passed on to artists etc.
I always say the more success stories we get in our country the more weight we will carry throughout the world…so I see an empire of empowered music lovers who are in light of the massive opportunities this industry carries
Where will the Lulo Cafe brand be in 12months?
The focus this year is to introduce my musicality by doing my own productions, by placing the brand in different platforms of the industry still maintaining its roots but once again to succeed with the unexpected…So there will be a series of surprises this year. I don’t do conventional stuff; whether that’s detrimental or not it’s up to how I present my package to the market…we have an amazing market in this country that is appreciative of fresh creativity and hard work…
