Khuli Chana Discusses Maftown Heights' Inception, Legacy and Special Moments Caught in New Doccie

• Khuli Chana discussed the evolution of Maftown Heights, highlighting its growth from a small 2010 show to a significant hip-hop festival
• He said the festival aims to foster unity across Motswako and other music genres, with initiatives like the Maftown Heights Creative Community Workshops supporting new talent
• Refiloe Ramogase revealed that the documentary Maftown Heights Untold Stories captures rare, emotional moments, including a heartfelt exchange between the late Riky Rick and Mpura

Award-winning Mzansi rapper Khuli Chana recently delved deeper into the impact of the new four-part documentary Maftown Heights Untold Stories. The documentary shows the history, importance and never-seen-before moments of the largest hip-hop festival in Mzansi.

Khuli Chana talks about the evolution of Maftown Heights since its inception

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Maftown Heights has grown significantly over the past years. What started as a small show in Newtown in 2010 grew to become one of Africa’s most iconic music events. Speaking exclusively to Briefly News, rapper Khuli Chana detailed how the festival evolved. He also noted that some of the country's biggest stars graced the stage when they started in the industry. He said:

"It has scaled dramatically since its inception in 2010. The first edition was inside Bassline in Newtown and had a capacity of 1000 pax. By 2012, we had doubled the capacity to 2000 and gotten the first big brand in Miller to invest in a hip-hop festival.

"By 2020, we had also started the Maftown Heights Creative Community Workshops with the aim of building out an ecosystem of new-generation events and music entrepreneurs. The Creative Community Workshops were close to our hearts and in line with nurturing new talent. Throughout the lifespan of the festival, we have had a New Kids on the Block showcase that has seen us give a platform to emerging artists over the years. Some now household names that were featured on our stage include AKA, Cassper, A Reece, Gigi LaMayne, Nadia Nakai, Ginger Trill, Priddy Ugly, Franc Casino, Emtee, Nasty C and many others."

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Khuli Chana on the role that Maftown Heights plays in fostering unity in the industry

The rapper and festival's co-founder added that the festival's main aim is to foster unity between the Motswako fraternity and all other genres.

"The festival was conceptualised as a platform that would build the bridge between the Motswako fraternity and all those in hip-hop and other genres that they collaborate with. It was a festival designed to not only celebrate Motswako but also celebrate the friends of Motswako loudly and proudly. As such, unity was built into the DNA of the festival from inception."

Refiloe Ramogase on what inspired the documentary

Briefly News also spoke to Maftown Heights Untold Stories producer Refiloe Ramogase who shared the inspiration behind the four-part documentary. Ramogase said they are glad that their idea conceptualised because they managed to capture some rare moments.

"The idea came about in the months leading up to the 2020 COVID lockdown. The world was about to change and it felt like a good time to reflect back on what had been, at the time, a 10 year journey. We are grateful we did because we were able to capture the voices of generational leaders of the culture who would be taken from us way too soon. It is our hope that the message the documentary will convey to those watching is that their dreams are valid and that all they have to do is dare to take the first step."

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Speaking about the special moments in the doccie, Ramogose said fans can look forward to a special moment between the late Riky Rick and Mpura that was caught on camera.

"There are number of poignant and emotive moments that have been captured on camera. One that springs to mind is during the Riky Rick interview when the take was interrupted by a video call. It was Mpura. The camera kept running and what it captures is a moment on camera where you come to appreciate just how much love and respect there was between these two special talents that have left us. We decided to add this in episode 4 as a segment closing out take."

Maglera Doe Boy opens up about Khuli Chana’s mentorship

Briefly News previously reported that Maglera Doe Boy is one of the most sought-after musicians in the country and a treasure in Mzansi's hip hop scene. The rapper's rugged-textured voice and unique Klerksdorp slang have helped him find a space of his own in the industry.

Source: Briefly News