Pretoria - Music star Slovaz is a beneficiary of the era where Egoli - or Joburg - was indeed the city of gold.
Slovaz received his industry recognition at a time when the South African entertainment industry was breaking boundaries.
Born Kicky Khumalo, the Kwamashu-born musician encapsulates the lifeblood of kwaito through authentic music virtuoso.
Nearly 17 years in the making and perfecting of his craft, Slovaz has been in music and television since 2001.
In 2004 he appeared in the controversial local drama Yizo Yizo. He played a character of a young man from Kwamashu, who arrived in Jozi to pursue his dreams and ambitions of breaking into the entertainment industry and starting a music empire.
He was also featured on the soundtrack of Yizo Yizo 3, with his big hit “Sho Sgebengu” which led him to work on a full album with revered producer D-Rex.
And in 2005 he released his debut album titled Impilo Kalova where he featured kwaito heavyweights Big Nuz and Bhar.
Soon after the release of the Impilo Kalova album, he was shot in Alexandra while attending a friend’s birthday party.
Hospitalised for two weeks, he went straight to the studio upon his release and recorded a song called “uNkulunkulu uyangithanda”, which vividly detailed the shooting incident.
Since then he worked behind the scenes with many artists and producers, ghost writing for many of them.
In 2012 he released an album titled “The Slovaz Chronicles” where he collaborated with renowned producer Gabi Le Roux”.
In 2015 he was featured on the Kwaito Revolution Project by Kalawa Jazzmee’s Mandla "Spikiri" Mofokeng, where he collaborated with the late kwaito titan Mandoza on “Khesh”. It was the last song Mandoza recorded and shot a video of.
This EP, which features smash hit “Remember God”, produced by “Nkululeko Lord Jazz Sithole who has worked with the likes of the Manhattans, The Temptations, Joe Nina and Berita”, Slovaz and co-produced by” Nhlanhla Gumede” of “Elegance music who has been in the industry for over 18 years.
He has collaborated with Zonke, Kholeka, Deborah Frazer, Sechaba and various artists from Kalawa Jazzmee Records on the EP, a prelude to the upcoming album “Slovaz” to be released in September under his label Ses’moja Records.
The current single “Remember God” has been gently dusted off and released to allure his fans.
The track is authentic to South Africa as its nostalgic baseline and tempo cacoons a time and place that was full of hope and promise for Mzansi.
Slovaz intends on strategically releasing a few singles as a build up to the upcoming project.
The Slovaz journey also includes debuting his children into the mainstream music industry.
“A musician is a servant of God out creator. We answer to him and right now he is calling out and asking me to heal through my gift.
"So this is exactly what I’m doing. Answering a calling which I previously responded to, but I think this time it’s also to pass this gift and calling to my children," said Slovaz.
Pretoria News