Pretoria - After musician, producer, record label owner, DJ Christopher Mosa Meso snubbed the glamorous world of fashion because of his love for music, he has not looked back.
In fact, going by the stage name Mosankie and wearing many hats, is arguably one of the best musicians in the country with a mission to change the music world.
The Soshanguve-born star never let his bad performance while he was climbing up the ladder in high school to be a top musician, deter his plans.
Honing his skills with the likes of hip-hop heads like Black Lez and Emtee, Mosankie believes music can change the world.
Because of his beliefs and his love for the craft Mosankie left home straight after he completed his matric to live with his former manager where he launched his career.
“I left my home straight after matric when my then-manager bought a house at Orchards, where everything really started following my first recording.
“I grew up between Soshanguve and my grandmother’s house in Madidi, Erasmus, and in Itsoseng at my aunt’s house.
“I was a spoilt brat that had everything a child could wish for, but things started getting shaky at the later stage after my dad lost his taxi business and our family tuck-shop, but did not let that weigh me down,” Mosankie said.
Without knowing that he was going to be a musician, Mosankie studied fashion after matric but later ditched it after inspiration from musician friends Donald Mashile, Dick Mashile, and Tumelo Medupi.
“We became friends after a brawl at school. They used to practise every Friday… after our fight, I saw them one day going home while they were rehearsing from then I fell in love with music, they were still doing Kuwaiti then.”
Under his belt, Mosankie boasts three projects, a mixtape called “Blacks Emotions”, “Dare to Dream” and another joint project with Nguni-G.
His record label Blue Mag Records which started as a video production company with Zama Shabalala is producing another project called “Juku Got Flavour” where he is featuring Black Lez, Emtee, and Chaddadon.
“What I’ve done so far is that I’ve been everywhere. Most importantly I recorded Emtee’s last project ‘Logan’.”
“I recorded 90% of the project and shot music videos for him, Black Lez, Reason, Chad Da Don, Brian Temba, and other great artists in the game.
“I focused more on production because back then studios were rare. So, I took a break from designing to make a name for myself, and then I’ll go back,” he said.
His favourite musician is Brian Temba, who he thanks for “always having my back”, as well as Black Lez and Emtee.
Mosankie is working on his “Dare to Dreams” project. “I don’t want to feature big artists. I need people to hear how I’ve grown musically; I need them to hear myself working with my producer Drippy Loco and Knife Beats. So far, the project is sounding good. We are still fixing a few things before we can drop it,” he said.
Mosankie said following his first release, Oneeleng Lekana, he bought a house and built a studio called Cascade Sound Production.
“That’s why I still call myself Mosankie CSP on social media. So, I had a studio in the house, but I couldn’t really record because I was busy with work... but that’s how I learned production.
“I used to record other upcoming artists at the house in Orchards; that’s when I realised that you can make easy money with music. I then focused more on production.”
In Mosankie’s last performance, he wowed the crowd in Braamfontein, where he also took to the decks to assist Emtee with his performance in the absence of his DJ.
“My next show is on July 27 in Pretoria for Trishy Trish’s birthday celebration, followed by the Ivangeli tour in September. In November, he is scheduled to perform at Blue Mag Experience in Cape Town.
In his spare time, he designs music covers and posters. “I shoot music videos and have started a new job with Mapentane Music Academy. I am the new lecturer, teaching young musicians production, just basics. I am excited about that,” he said.
Pretoria News