DJ Fonzi, 22, has been nominated for an award in the Amapiano Artist of the Year category at the Basadi music awards. Picture: Supplied
Pretoria - Musician and producer DJ Fonzi has set her sights on winning the South African Music Performance Rights Association’s (Sampra’s) Amapiano Artist of the Year gong at the inaugural Basadi In Music Awards.
Born Masoja Fonzi Khumalo, the 22-year-old from Danville in Pretoria West has been nominated in the same category as big name artists like Boohle, Kamo Mphela, Pabi Cooper and Lady Du.
DBN Gogo is up for Artist of the Year, DJ of the Year and Song of the Year, while Pabi Cooper also earned nods for Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for Banyana ke Bafana.
DJ Fonzi said she was happy to be nominated among these big names in the amapiano genre, and believed she stood a chance of walking away with the award.
“I am proud and still in disbelief because it’s a huge opportunity for me; it will be life-changing for my music career.
“It was a surprise that I got nominated. I only knew about it when my dad called me, and then I started getting tagged on social media,” DJ Fonzi said.
The performing artist and producer started her music career in 2013 in her family group, The JKhumalos alongside her father.
The group released three albums, and in 2018 she went to Pioneer DJ Institute where she completed her pro course in the craft.
She later dropped her album titled Khutsang, working with the likes of Mapiano Uhuru, Bizz Aiv, DJ Mad Blue, Sgava and CanndyMasterSA.
Fast forward to 2020, and she released another project titled Tla ko Dire, featuring the single Tipsy.
“My dad inspired me to start music, he taught me all the basics. I also used to dance to Brenda Fassie’s songs, and that made me feel like I was performing for a crowd,” she said.
DJ Fonzi has released songs such as Marabastad, Red Flag and Mama Winnie. She has collaborated with her father, Gem Valley Musiq and others.
“My latest single is Mama Winnie and my favourite song from my EP is Time To Dance,” DJ Fonzi said.
Regarding the music industry, she said the challenge was being exposed to men with wrong intentions and working with people who wanted to take advantage of her.
Her future dreams and aspirations include working with Lady Du, because “we have a similar background”.
DJ Fonzi has shared stages with prominent South African DJs and performers such as DJ Maphorisa, Busiswa and Chomee.
The Sampra awards celebrate female talent and achievements in the music industry. The all-encompassing awards honour singers, rappers, DJs, composers, producers and creatives in the music ecosystem.
The spirit of the awards is to uplift, celebrate and showcase just what women can achieve when given the platform to shine. They will also honour generations of women who played heroic roles in the liberation of women in the country, the continent of Africa and the world at large.
To vote for DJ Fonzi, SMS “Amapiano DJ Fonzi” to 49960. Voting closes on September 16.
Pretoria News
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