A-Listers

Hanging out with local rhythm royalty

26 June 2022 - 00:00
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Black Coffee and his son Esona 'Sona' Maphumulo celebrate their song being on Drake's album.
Black Coffee and his son Esona 'Sona' Maphumulo celebrate their song being on Drake's album.
Image: Masi Losi

When you find yourself following in your dad’s footsteps by landing a track on the new album by one of the world’s biggest artists, that calls for a celebration.

And what better way than inviting your Gen Z mates to toast the occasion at Joburg’s hottest place to be seen? That’s exactly what Black Coffee’s eldest, Esona Maphumulo, did on Thursday evening after scoring a writer and producer credit on Canadian superstar Aubrey Drake Graham’s new album, Honestly, Nevermind.

The venue? A restaurant-cum-champagne bar called Zioux (pronounced, “zoo” if you were wondering) in the Marc building in Sandton.

The thing these days is for the host to make an entrance long after guests have arrived, so it was a refreshing change to find the man of the hour already there to greet all his guests.

“What’s one lesson you’ve learnt from your dad?” I ask Esona.

“Make music every day — [because] every day you might get inspired or come up with something new,” the bespectacled young man explains.

This wasn’t the sort of do brimming with influencers and celebrities but truly an intimate gathering of the 23-year-old’s buddies, stable mates from Black Coffee’s Soulistic management agency like designer Rich Mnisi, industry friends like Tresor, who also makes an appearance on Drake’s album, and Skumbuzo Radebe and Don Sithole, who are better known as Lemon & Herb.

Esona’s Grammy award-winning house music dad even flew from the UK for the night to mark the occasion, telling us how he’d initially hoped his son would choose another path.

“In the end, I forgot one important thing ... that music has been at the centre of this young man’s life as long as I can remember,” he said.

Nathi, who as an executive producer on Drake’s album, kept interest by the One Dance hit maker in Esona’s beats under wraps until he was certain they’d made the final cut. He also joked that he was careful not to share the track with Drake’s vocals on it in case Esona leaked it in excitement to his buddies — so he gave him only a sneak listen on his headphones while playing a recent gig in Cape Town.

Esona 'Sona' Maphumulo the son of grammy award winning dj Black Coffee celebrates his song being on Drakes album.
Esona 'Sona' Maphumulo the son of grammy award winning dj Black Coffee celebrates his song being on Drakes album.
Image: Masi Losi

We heard from Esona’s mom, Zukiswa Tyolo, who expressed pride in her son, telling him, “I will continue to pray for you. The sky’s not the limit.”

You’ll want to know about the grub, and I was really looking forward to sampling a culinary feast from the owners of Marble. However, sadly, this was a case of all hype but no culinary substance.

While I enjoyed the second course of pork belly with umami sauce in steamed buns, I couldn’t finish my salmon ceviche starter and found the pan-roasted sirloin with lamb rib and merguez sausage main too salty.

As for dessert? Let’s just say that the Zioux take on churros (imagine an oversized pretzel shape, only oily) with pecan purée was waste of choux pastry. Judging by the half-eaten pastries at the table next to mine, methinks those Gen Zs might agree.

Danny K and wife Lisa Koppel attending the premier of the movie Elvis at Ster-Kinekor Sandton.
Danny K and wife Lisa Koppel attending the premier of the movie Elvis at Ster-Kinekor Sandton.
Image: Thapelo Morebudi
Dineo Ranaka and Refilwe Modiselle attending the premier of the movie 'Elvis' at Ster-Kinekor Sandton.
Dineo Ranaka and Refilwe Modiselle attending the premier of the movie 'Elvis' at Ster-Kinekor Sandton.
Image: Thapelo Morebudi

From hanging out with local rhythmic royalty and on to a musical about a pelvis-gyrating roll ’n roll king.

On Wednesday evening, the good folk from Empire Entertainment (the film distribution wing of Arena Holdings, which owns this newspaper) invited me to put on my blue suede shoes and attend a pre-screening of the Bazz Luhrmann spectacle that is the musical film, Elvis.

Featuring Austin Butler in the title role and starring Tom Hanks as his manager, Col Tom Parker, the biopic is a typical OTT romp by the Moulin Rouge director.

Held at Ster-Kinekor cinemas in Sandton City, it featured a cute Vegas showgirls-themed photo booth while guests could enjoy Sorbet Man flash facials and mini-manicures.

Nay Maps attending the premier of the movie 'Elvis' at Ster-Kinekor Sandton.
Nay Maps attending the premier of the movie 'Elvis' at Ster-Kinekor Sandton.
Image: Thapelo Morebudi
Billy and Michelle Gundelfinger attending the premier of the movie 'Elvis' at Ster-Kinekor Sandton.
Billy and Michelle Gundelfinger attending the premier of the movie 'Elvis' at Ster-Kinekor Sandton.
Image: Thapelo Morebudi

Folk who turned up included Nkosinathi ‘Nay’ Maps Maphalala, the actor who first rose to fame in Uzalo and who told me he was about to bring out his first single, titled I’ll Be There, soon. On to saying hello to Refilwe Modiselle and Dineo Ranaka, who said she was “Traums!” about taking over the breakfast slot on Kaya FM.

“My energy is a morning person, but my discipline isn’t, so we shall see,” she said.

On to catching up with the Koppel and Gundelfinger clan.

That’s divorce and criminal attorney Billy Gundelfinger and his wife, Michelle, their lawyer daughter Lisa, her singer-cum-businessman hubby Danny K and Danny’s Dad, Gavin Koppel, who is better known to listeners of his LM Radio show as Gavin K.

Turns out that they also had something to celebrate — Danny and Lisa are expecting bub number three, and this time they’re going to need to repaint the nursery from blue to pink.


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