MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Nestled in the heart of the Marikana informal settlement in KwaNonqaba is a one-room house that doubles as a music studio for a group of young and ambitious musicians, some of whom are still in high school, who hope to soon make music their career.
With a bed in one corner and a desk with second-hand equipment gathered over a few months in the other, this studio serves these musicians almost every afternoon, sometimes until the early hours of the morning, as they create music under their label, Ghetto Empire.
Lindokuhle Magqaza (19), Owam Gauzela (19), Qhamani Goxa (23), Abongile Nameko (20), Alias Xonti (19), Lindokuhle Gxaweni (18) and JJ Dube (19) spoke to Mossel Bay Advertiser at the studio earlier this week about their love of music, how their music label came to be, the challenges they face and their big dreams for the future.
Ghetto Empire's manager, Magqaza, whose stage name is L.M. Baby, said they had all come together in March this year to form the label.
Magqaza realised he wanted to make music his life when he was just 12. A friend of about the same age had started making his own music, and he would always listen to his songs. Then he started freestyling his own lyrics to the beats, and that was the moment he decided to pursue music as a career.
Ghetto Empire's members at one of the entrances to Marikana. Back: Lindokuhle Magqaza, Qhamani Goxa and Alias Xonti. Front: Abongile Nameko, Lindokuhle Gxaweni and Owam Gauzela.
Photo: Chelsea Pieterse
Making it happen
The young manager matriculated from Indwe Secondary last year, and at the beginning of this year, he began gathering the equipment for his studio in his one-room home. The speakers came first, then the amplifier, the laptop and lastly the microphone.
"We sit in the studio, making music almost every day. Sometimes we are there until 02:00. But I am strict with the musicians during exam time. Then they must study and not come to the studio," he said.
His dream is that he and all his friends will grow under the label and become famous musicians together.
Gauzela, whose stage name is Sgeyla RSA, is a learner of Hillcrest Secondary, and his music journey started when he was just four years old. He would listen to the music his uncle played.
His best friend also made music while they were growing up, and just after he turned 14, he asked the friend to teach him.
Gauzela realised he loved capturing unique sounds and putting them together to make different, catchy beats. The artists his uncle listened to, such as Brenda Fassie, Lucky Dube, Zahara, DJ Cleo and the Soul Brothers, also inspired the music he now makes.
The musicians are in the studio almost every day. Photo: Chelsea Pieterse
"Music used to be something I did as a hobby, but now I am taking it seriously," said Gauzela. He hopes to one day be as big as DJ and producer Black Coffee.
Goxa, also known as Qhamanii, the oldest of the troupe, said his love of music started when he was 11 and was listening to a lot of Maskandi, a sub-genre of Zulu folk music. He started out downloading beats from an app on his phone and then recorded himself singing along, also on his phone. The first song he ever made was titled "Zulu Girl".
Goxa still uses his phone to record his ideas, and many of them pop up early in the morning. "I will have an idea, record a line or two to catch the flow and then I will go into the studio," he said.
A vibe
Nameko, who currently attends Garden Route High, is a rapper with the label.
It was in 2019 that he decided to make music his life, with fame and wanting people to relate to his music being the driving force.
"I want people to listen to my music and be happy, and I want it to be a vibe. My dream is to be a musician in Johannesburg or KwaZulu-Natal," he said.
Xonti, whose stage name is Dominique, said he started writing his own lyrics when he was in primary school, hip-hop being his favourite genre. He matriculated from Sao Bras Secondary last year and said his lyrics are inspired by his lifestyle, his emotions and wanting to encourage others not to give up hope.
The young musicians are all between the ages of 18 and 23. Photo: Chelsea Pieterse
"I want to heal people through my music," he said.
Gxaweni, a matric learner at Indwe Secondary, said he started making music at 16 and was inspired by his friends. He sings amapiano and wants to make it big in the music industry so he can support other local artists.
The producer, Dube, who attends Hillcrest Secondary, said he was 10 when he decided to make music his career. He likes singing, but his passion is putting sounds together and making a unique beat.
"I want to produce in Johannesburg. I want my music to take me all over the world," he said.
The group is planning a music event for September and has asked members of the community to help make their dreams a reality. If you would like to support these young musicians, contact Magqaza on
083 207 4720.
Follow Ghetto Empire on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.
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