Africa-Press – Eswatini. A name in the entertainment space which, by now, requires very little introduction is none other than Culolam Dlamini.
The creative is the brain behind Eswatini Farmer’s Market which was hosted yesterday at Sibebe Resort. Apart from this impressive feat, he also manages artists like the phenomenal and fast-growing brand, TRENDTWINS, which have been travelling in and out of the country.
They are expected to release music soon. Additionally, he also manages himself as an artist, Genes of the Vibe, Proness, and dabbles as an artist booking agent. In the fashion space, he owns a clothing brand called Melting C which specializes in caps, hats, t-shirts, hoodies and sweaters.
With regards to the entertainment scene in the country and its many modes of expression, the artist would certainly be a voice worth turning to. In his own words, the creative takes us through his journey into the entertainment space and the factors that inspired him to enter the creative field.
He notes his surroundings as an immediate influence on him joining the entertainment fraternity as well as the internationally acclaimed music festival, Tomorrow Land, which left an unforgettable mark on him.
“I started falling in love with the entertainment industry back in 2011 as I was inspired by people who were around me. I would travel with Kalawa Jazmee as a friend of mine, Mjozi, used to chill with the Kalawa crew. I ended up falling in love with the industry and I would also watch a lot of Tomorrow Land after movies which were also a major factor in me falling in love with music,” he reflects.
Like all journeys, Culolam’s entertainment journey has been with its fair share of challenges. He states that he had to be autodidactic with a lot of the crafts and skills he has now mastered. Despite having gone around asking for help, the artist usually would not get any assistance in all his interests from DJing and being an event organizer.
“My journey in the industry has not been an easy one to be honest. Most of the things I have mastered now, I taught myself from scratch. I’d go around asking for help, but I would not get it. I decided to teach myself. For example, with being a DJ I taught myself, and also with being an event organizer.
I taught myself, the only way was through hard work, learning and mastering the industry – its pros and cons, its highlights, attending most events in and out of the country, creating a good and strong data base and one of the most important things, delivery,” he states.
As the main organizer of Eswatini Farmers Market, the artist reflects on the experience in that field as well as the inspiration behind its initial conception. For him, the story behind the festival is bittersweet. He maintains that, for three years since 2019, he was always thinking about doing a festival for the country.
When the first Eswatini Farmer’s Market event took place in 2022, however, he had a few personal problems that were posing as fatal challenges to his dream. Nonetheless, a call with a friend of his (who also happens to be a South African music superstar) changed his fate and gifted Eswatini with an impressive show.
“Remember I said I used to watch a lot of Tomorrow Land after movies so I always had the imagination that one day I would host so many people and they would be happy. Unfortunately, when 2022 came, I had a few problems early in the year – I was broke, down, and out! I went back to my flat, started looking at what I could do, and I remembered that I had a dream of hosting a festival.
I got up, called Sun-El Musician (who is a good friend of mine) and spoke to him about a festival. He said, ‘let’s do it’, and when he came for MTN Bushfire we talked, concluded and signed the deal for El World Music to partner with Melting C events.
The rest is history,” he relays.
Indeed, the rest was history because due to that call and that agreement, we now have El World Music Experience Eswatini Farmers Market.
The event has only been in operation for two years (with this year marking its sophomore attempt) and yet it has gained a significant amount of support and notoriety. Culolam reflects on this growth and explains that this popularity has, indeed, put a lot of pressure on them as an organizing team. Its attraction of even neighbouring countries has, according to Culolam, cemented it as one of the most popular events in the country.
“Eswatini Farmers Market has indeed put a lot of pressure on us and the organizing team. Since last year it did quite well, and this year we needed to improve from last year’s mistakes and do better – so it has put a lot of pressure, and indeed it is one of the most popular events we have in the country.
It has also tapped into neighboring countries like South Africa, Mozambique, Lesotho, Botswana, and we have inquiries for tickets in Ghana too. It has gained a bit of mileage which we want to grow to the next biggest ever festival the country has ever seen,” he discloses.
As the event grows in size, and in numbers, it is not surprising that the creative has big plans for its future. These plans, however, must be aligned with the modern developments within the field. Trends, he reflects, are important as they reflect the zeitgeist and point out the direction humanity is facing. Furthermore, trends control our collective behavior, thus, failure to keep up with trends can prove to be a detrimental factor in one’s business model.
“The future obviously has to be aligned with the modern change of that era. Whatever will be modern five years from now – we will have to align with it because now most of our lives are controlled by trends. If you don’t follow the trends, then you will be left behind.
The only important thing is to choose the right and sound trends that make sense to you and your business,” he advises. Various forms of entertainment abound throughout each and every country. As such, creatives seem to have a collective responsibility to uphold the best and the most positive forms of entertainment for the public as a whole.
Culolam states that what creatives need to do is to take a moment to sit down, find a gap in the industry, and then try and close it. Attending various workshops, additionally, helps in opening one’s perspective on what does and does not work for them.
“Entertainment is broad! A lot of different categories are there in entertainment but we tend to focus on the main ones which are usually; Music, Comedy, fashion, and more! It is broad, one just needs to sit down, look at a gap, and then try to close it.
Another thing that helps a lot is attending all arts and culture workshops which really help one be the best at what he or she does. It also helps not to have peer pressure and unnecessarily follow trends which end up leading to one doing something they were never good at,” he says.
Although his own show is popular and trending, in the spirit of celebrating other forms of positive entertainment in the country, Culolam drops his list of entertainment events that he deems as positive for the public. Among these he hails the MTN Bushfire festival as one of many forms of entertainment in the country that have a positive impact. Other relatively younger events also feature as he trots through his list.
“I am a person who believes in the arts industry, I watch, listen, and go to any form of entertainment. I love Gospel shows like MTN iPraise, I also love MTN Bushfire, Pop Sunday, and the Standard Bank Luju Food and Lifestyle festival. I follow a lot of comedians and attend their shows as well but, additionally, I have an appreciation for choral music,” he lists.
Many may have only heard of his name but have not had the privilege to meet him directly. Due to this realization, Culolam describes himself in detail by sharing a few fun facts about him that many may overlook or not be aware of entirely. He states that he is actually very shy and used to partake in sports.
Surprisingly, he adds, the name he is most commonly referred to as is not his real name. On the contrary, it is a name he got due to his admiration for a certain South African Tribal House DJ.
“I am very shy, and I used to be a very good soccer player. Culolam is not my real name but because I like Culoe de Song a lot I ended up calling myself Culolam.
This was because his real name is Culolethu. Another element of my personality is that I am a God-fearing person and listen to a lot of Gospel. Furthermore, I am a qualified IT technician and I have also done HR management,” he expands. By Ntsika Ngcamphalala.
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