Afro Soul singer and songwriter from Willowvale, Mphozisi Qalekiso, known as Mpho, won the Best Afro Pop Award at the Eastern Cape Music Awards held in partnership with the 2024 Provincial Arts, Culture & Heritage Awards in East London, recently.
He currently resides at Langrug in Franschhoek, and said he is a community stakeholder, a role model to many youngsters in Franschhoek.
According to him, he matriculated at Desmond Mpilo Tutu High School in Paarl in 2015, and dedicated his time in the field of entertainment, also helping kids who were interested in performing arts and music.
“I was nominated for two categories, Artist of the Year and Best Afro Pop, but I won the Best Afro Pop Category with a song called Siyanqanda, which is about gender-based violence. I can say that the song is very close to my heart, as it is a song that I relate to. I wrote the song after an accident back in 2015, where I was gun-pointed and beaten by a stranger,” said Qalekiso.
He added that he released this song as a cry for all GBV victims out there, that this award is for them.
“So far, I have only one album, titled incwad’ encwane, which was released in 2019. It was my first time to be nominated in the awards competition.”