Keeping the music alive with Ngwana On It!

Tebogo Wesley Molete, affectionately known by his stage name ‘Ngwana On it’ is a Nelspruit based  entrepreneur, DJ, Producer, Events Organiser and now officially debuted as a Director of a visual showcase. Born in the North West, Ngwana found his way to Mpumalanga in 2014 where he eventually launched his musical career as a Hip Hop DJ a year later. Prior to music he was a rising star in the football community headed to the big leagues when an unfortunate injury essentially ended his career just a week before the soccer trials that would have changed his life. Unphased, the young athlete persevered and eventually found solace in and embraced music as his outlet. Since then Ngwana has been in his element dominating the local music scene with his talents.

Ngwana On it deems himself as an authentic artist saying, “I stand out because I am real, always true to myself and doing this thing without compromising my values to be like others in the industry. I am not afraid to take risks and I always make sure that every idea I have is executed to its fullest potential, despite any cahllenges.” He goes on to note his love for being an underdog with his seemingly calm demeanour, which hides a beast of a performer underneath. The meaning behind his pseudonym is mainly to express his efficiency in service delivery, “it basically means that I get things done. Whatever task I need to do, I’m on it!” Since his music career began, Ngwana has branched out into different genres of music and has taken it beyond being a DJ. He now produces for and makes music with various talents in and around the province with his music attracting international attention.

In the dawn of the Covid-19 saga, the music industry took one of the hardest knocks and economic setbacks relative to other industries. Many artists were immediately put off work and had their livelihoods compromised. This situation prompted the conception of the online broadcast of the ‘Link Up Online’ movement, founded by Ngwana himself. This show became a platform for artists to continue showcasing their skills and keep hope alive through this tough period. “I see this as my own contribution to keeping a piece of this industry in Nelspruit alive by filling the gap left by Covid-19”.  Link Up Online ended up being a 15-episode season, bringing unique acts each episode, from DJs, Hip Hop artists to Fashion Designers and the niche market of nightclub MCs.  This is considered to be one of the milestones and possibly the highlight of Ngwana’s music career. “My team and I learned so much about bringing a production from concept to screen, it induced growth in everyone involved and accentuated our talents on an individual level”.

Watch an episode of Link up Online here:

The impact of the show is undeniable, from granting some artists their first experience with an on-camera performance to being the first show of its kind in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga. Link Up Online encouraged growth in artistry, pushed for artist development and the enhancement of  individual performance capabilities. Ngwana states that sometimes the talent is there but it needs a professional touch, “we would mix and master some of the artists’ tracks, which elevated their sound and actually gave the more confidence in their craft. You give a better performance when you know that your work is of good quality.” The production of this show did not come without challenges; from premiering later than the time indicated, to last minute dropouts by some performers, Ngwana notes that the project was time consuming and created a pressure-cooker type of environment. However, the experience was worth the hassle and nurtured the patience, passion and perseverance required to succeed within this industry. Ngwana sends appreciation to the show’s presenter, Sfeziwe Mkhabela, who currently reigns as the 2021 Provincial Mpumalanga MS; along with colleagues, Kliff Oday and Mbuso Makhanya.

Ngwana’s recent projects include the 2020 released ‘La Familia’ album paying homage to his ‘family’ away from home. He stated, “The artists on this album are like family to me, we came from different places and we were able to find each other through our hustle right here in Mpumalanga.” This album features vocalists and rappers who are making a name for themselves individually on the music scene including, Gugu Mamba, Bidadari,  Flame Masco, Eskae Amigo and Kaspero to name a few. 2021 brings along with it, the sequel to this project ‘La ‘Familia 2’, produced in the same spirit of family.

“I love beautiful music that I find emotionally uplifting, I’m inspired by real life moments and I make music based on those feelings”, he notes. Ngwana’s passion can be felt from across the room and his dedication to his brand is unrivalled. He endevours to grow in his craft and become an international household name.