Kekelingo is not just a stage name. It is also the manner in which Gregory Kekeletso Mabusela sings.
The vocalist and drummer calls it a spiritual language that he expresses through chant with 'tons of feelings'.
Mabusela, a member of the eclectic band The Muffinz, has taken on a solo journey to let his own creativity soar.
"With The Muffinz, we do not hold each other back and this is why, as creatives, we do work outside of the band. I have been doing theatre work now for the past three years while still in the band and the guys have also been doing their own thing. We respect each other as creatives. This is why this move of me going solo was so easy. The guys were very supportive. I live music. I don't think I would cope without it. It was also time I told my truth."
He said the album he is working on is going to be about the young man who used to dream while living in a four roomed house in Naledi, Soweto.
"I am living that young man's dream now. If he didn't dream and get the melodies and sounds there wouldn't be a me. It's my truth from that 'four room' experience."
His first release Khonza features Ami Faku who is housed under the same recording stable.
Khonza is the first single off of Kekelingo's upcoming album
"Khonza is a thank you to my mother who gave birth to me in Soweto on her own. As a young man growing up I have always imagined how I sounded like when I was born. The song is a thank you to my late mother, my late grandmother and my sister who have shaped and raised the man that I am today."
For the listeners, the upcoming album will be for their hearts and souls.
"The first time I heard Salif Keita, the first time I heard Khadja Nin singing Sambolera, I didn't understand those languages but it resonated with me so much that I felt my spirit understood every word they sang. The music came through and made sense to me. My music is for the heart, for the soul and at the end of the day you will understand it."
Mabusela added that more than anything music had brought him healing.
"I hope the audience will experience the same healing I get from the music. Sometimes it will make you smile, other times it will make you cry or even laugh. Those are all the emotions in this."
With the coronavirus pandemic changing the way artists record their music, Mabusela has made use of apps like Zoom to connect with his team and continue work on the album.
"We are hoping to have it ready latest by August. I'm already working on the second single which will have an amazing surprise feature."
Fans and music lovers can connect with Mabusela and his music on various online platforms.