If you’re a music lover living in Johannesburg, you’ll know Kitchener’s Carvery Bar – where memories are made and in other cases, lost. But more seriously, it’s one of the few venues in the city that showcases not only the best of the local music scene but international acts too. Andrew Ashong, Nightmares on Wax, Kid Fonque, Melo B Jones are just a few of the voices and DJs that have kept crowds dancing and revelling til the wee hours. It is an institution.
One day we will pen a retrospective and track the roots of this old dive, but that’s a story for another post.
We want to talk about something a little different that’s bubbling at Kitchener’s. DJs, influencers, music lovers, regulars and friends of the bar are being asked to curate music events.
This weekend sees, barista, radio technical producer, freelance stage manager, music compiler and online radio music producer Mvelo Khumalo aka Mvelo (not DJ Mvelo) bring together his own line-up for a one-night-only affair called DarlingAkia.
“I’m adding an eclectic vibe that includes mixed electronic (dance music) sub-genres aimed at merging different cultures, and specifically music lovers who aren’t into the mainstream scene.
“My main idea is to bring people together through music – and also introduce them to sounds they’re not familiar with. I also wanted to bring in people from other cities – which I hope to do more of when I host more gigs like this.
So, if you don’t know Mvelo, get to know him real quick:
What genre of music do you play? Dub techno, ambient, deep house
Who or what are your musical influences? Every producer I’ve come across
Where can we hear you play?
- DarlingAkia, Kitchener’s, Johannesburg, Sept 30
- The Tech House 1st Birthday at a secret location, Sept 30
- Rocking the Daisies, Cape Town, Oct 7
- Citytales, Durban, Nov 25
Top three events you’ve played at?
- The Warm Up Jozi
It was the first gig I played in Johannesburg after years of begging for gigs … I learnt a lesson there which lead to tears after seeing the way people responded to my music.
- Truth Night Club ft Stimming
Been looking up to Stimming and playing his music for the longest time, never knew one day I will play alongside my idol.
- “Search” Festival in Cape Town
What was amazing about that gig is that I played a set on the first day of a new year – the first sunrise of the new year – and played to the most amazing crowd. Everyone was smiling and dancing in this little “forest” and just appreciating a stranger’s DJ Set, once again came down to tears after my set … It happens a lot without people noticing.
PICTURED ABOVE: MVELO KHUMALO
I’d one day love to play … in Helsinki at a festival called Flow Festival
Tell us about the gig again? Why should we go?
So this gig is all about diversity in culture, race and sexuality and personal music preference but for now as my first gig I have chosen to do an electronic dance music line up and my next gig will be focusing on other sub genres.My idea behind this is to share a diverse line up, from downtempo, dub techno, electronica, lounge, deep house, and iGqom … but starting of with just a more chilled mellow vide to closing off the night with iGqom.
Which three tracks do you currently have on high rotation?
- Jimpster – In a analogue way
- Soulstice – Illusion
- Sounds of Blackness – Optimistic
