From Worrying About His Next Meal to Rubbing Shoulders With Stars, Mr Thela Proves Dreams Come True
- Gqom artist Mr Thela is the great definition of perseverance as he never lost sight of his dreams, even during hard times
- Being raised by a single mother, Mr Thela knew that he had to do well in school and juggle his deejaying side hustle to help out at home
- Today the star is travelling around the globe to perform his greatest hits, including iParty featuring Mshayi
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Having grown up in one of Cape Town’s crime hotspot areas, Samora Machel in Philippi, Mr Thela was determined to control his fate by being driven by passion.
Source: UGC
Mr Thela’s double life
Starting off as a preacher's kid, Simphiwe, well known as Mr Thela played the keyboard every Sunday and only listened to Gqom music in secret with his friends but later realised his indescribable love for the sound.
Thela learnt deejaying from a local DJ, Soyisele Mdzinwa, popularly known as Ta Koko. Mr Thela’s childhood dream was to become a pilot solely to learn more about cultures worldwide. But growing up poor, he had to reimagine his reality and find a way to put food on the table, and luckily for him, Gqom was there to save him.
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Mr Thela breaks his mother’s rules
In a recent interview with Daily Maverick, the Gqom DJ revealed that:
"I wanted to travel the world and thought that by becoming a pilot, I would secure that, but growing up, things were difficult and I needed to be by my mother’s side.
Mr Thela was desperate to make money quickly so he could support his mom:
“Gqom was just that, but it really started out as a hobby.
The DJ soon realised he could make a career out of this new-found passion but was afraid his mother would not give her blessings "because of the behaviour that's associated with it, like becoming an alcoholic, addicted to drugs and becoming a womaniser.”
Perseverance is key, Mr Thela proves
Although Mr Thela did not get any support from his family, he did not stop believing in his gift, and the life it would reward him with. So he kept pushing until he saw the fruits of his labour and boy, is he enjoying them.
Mr Thela now owns his own record label, performed in Seoul, partnered up with SkyVodka, rubbed shoulders with Grammy award-winning artist Zakes Bantwini, bought a car and lives in his dream home in the northern suburbs Cape Town.
Mr Thela proudly posted about his new car on his Instagram profile:
Social media played a vital role in the rise of Mr Thela, especially during Covid, where he thought of ways to entertain his fans virtually.
The DJ astonished his fans with his determination to entertain them on virtual platforms, despite the constraints of the Covid10 lockdowns. He even got global recognition for his efforts. Although social media too bashed him for the way he articulated himself, Mr Thela chose to focus on the positive to grow his career.
In November 2023, Mr Thela released his highly anticipated album, Tronics Land Series 2, citing strong demand from fans as the primary inspiration.
SA man grooves to Mr Thela's Gqom beat in viral video
In a previous report, Briefly News wrote that a white Mzansi man proved he has the vibe, rhythm, and good taste in music after sharing a now-viral video on TikTok.
The clip shows the man in his car as he sings along to a Gqom track titled Kwadonga Ziyaduma by Mr Thela ft Njelic.
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Source: Briefly News
