Get aural Candi from the famous five

Members of Soul Candy - TONIGHT- Lifestyle Feature story. Picture: Antoine de Ras, 31/10/2014

Members of Soul Candy - TONIGHT- Lifestyle Feature story. Picture: Antoine de Ras, 31/10/2014

Published Nov 26, 2014

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It’s summer time and what better way for South Africans to party, than to spin a few house tracks in celebration of the sun and water. Therese Owen spoke to five of the men tasked with supplying that music.

THE Soul Candi Sessions are always a favourite annual release and Soul Candi Sessions 2015 is no exception. The label has assembled a clever combination of the old, new and famous – Harael Salkow, aka Daddy H, YFM and Club 808’s Mo Flava, Cuebar, Lulo Café and a new producer in the form of Tellaman who hails from Durban.

At the photoshoot, which took place on the roof of University Johannesburg’s art gallery, there was a hint of that carefree holiday feeling. The five of them were in high spirits as they posed for the camera, with the famous Jozi skyline behind them. It must also be a great feeling to be on an album like The Soul Candi Sessions that is a dead cert. No December music collection is complete without this five-album product.

Soul Candi founding member and conceptualiser of the albums, Salkow, seemed to be the happiest. He became a DJ in 1998 when he was 18 because of his love of music and playing music. At 20 he started Soul Candi which has become the most recognisable commercial dance label in the land. They have broken artists like Mi Casa, Muzart and Liquideep and are known for their relentless release of exclusively dance music. That the Soul Candi Sessions are their flagship releases is a no brainer.

Aside from the label, they have also gone into eventing with the Spring Fiesta up there with the best of the dance events and they also provide music courses via their music school, which is now part of the Boston City Campus colleges.

“What makes me carry on is the passion for what we do,” smiles Salkow. “We like being happiness dealers.”

Mo Flava is the only DJ who is not signed to Soul Candi. However, he is just as excited as the rest to be on the album.

“House music is a massive part of pop music. With this album I tried to map out a sound that will last two years. I have to make music that is popular, has an element of mass appeal and instant gratification,” he explains.

But surely that is a shallow approach? Mo Flava shakes his head: “Mass appeal doesn’t mean you have to maintain a status quo. Mass appeal means it is good.”

What, like Justin Bieber or Katrina and the Waves and their Walking on Sunshine hit?

“It’s about maintaining good music and wanting people to love that music,” he replies. “My CD is balanced in terms of who I worked with. It’s composition is uptempo and it’s a beautiful blend of different sounds and it works.”

In contrast, the newbie on the block, Tellaman, wants to change the world of music.

“I want to be a game changer,” he says. “I want young people who come after Tellaman to know and be inspired by me. I like exploring different things which is why I like collaborations. They challenge me musically. Oh, and I also want to be recognised internationally.”

There is no question that Tellaman is a talented musician and what sets him apart is that he sings and writes his own songs and cuts across musical genres. His first single off the album features Okmalumkoolkat.

He says he fell into music production when a friend of his played him a track that “sounded like a bad version of Trompies”.

“I used to get so annoyed with that song because it was so bad that I took it and made it right.”

The sexy Lulo Café needs no introduction. Since his early days when he released his debut album, Soul Africa, on the Soul Candi label, he’s gone from strength to strength and now has a national platform as a DJ on Metro FM.

“I have learnt production since that first release. I am now more into the soulful style and this album is for people who appreciate deep music. I am about that.

“I also enjoy being the definer of a new sound. On this session I am the one who sets the mood,” he continues. “I have also put timeless touches on so many of my songs.”

Cuebar is also another successful find from Soul Candi and his star is definitely still on the rise. Having studied at the Soul Candi Institute of Music, he has been released locally and internationally.

“I am known for my unique house sound which fuses Afro beats with electronic dance music, but I also enjoy rapping.”

His reputation as a producer who pushes aural boundaries has earned him respect among his peers and colleagues. He also released The Floor EP which includes five dance floor anthems.

With five strong producers and compilers, there is no way Soul Candi Sessions 2015 will disappoint house heads and music fans.

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