“I Learnt How To DJ Using My First Smartphone” – Kelvin Momo On His Music Journey. Kelvin Momo was born in Diepkloof, Soweto, in 1994, and you can tell that what distinguished from the crowd is his own special style of amapiano. He is a pioneer of “private school amapiano,” a subgenre of the category that incorporates jazz, deep house, and lounge influences. Over the years he has produced and also remixed a lot of songs with various artists.
“My father used to play music a lot when I was younger specifically jazz that’s where my love for music began. I then started to familiarise myself with different genres and that’s when I realised that music somehow sets my soul on fire,” said the 28-year-old from Diepkloof, Soweto.
“I was in high school when I got my first smartphone, I learnt how to DJ using it that phone. I would select a song and create a playlist from there… little did I know it’ll grow into the love of music such as being a full-time DJ.”
He has been creating production mixes and churning out songs for close to a decade, earning him a reputation as one of SA’s most sought-after producers. “I used to listen to the soothing jams of R&B singer Tamia and Swiss harpist Andreas Vollenweider… they helped shape the way I perceive and listen to music. I admired how detailed their music was along with the arrangement of their songs, which highly influenced how I produce my music now,” he added.
In 2019, Kelvin Momo recorded songs like Abantu Bethu with C.A. Souls and the laid-back hit Yelele with Luu Nineleven and DJ Stoks, he then was widely featured on the influential label House Afrika’s Mzansi House collection.
When asked whether he knew his music would be a worldwide hit, Kelvin Momo remarked: “I knew I was destined to be big, however, I believe my hard work has finally paid off with my new project that I dropped last week Friday. I am completely overwhelmed by the love and support I’ve received from Amukelani.”
