He touched down in South Africa from the USA for his Passport Experience event. Producer and DJ Fully Focus, real name Michael Ndung'u who has been an advocate for Afrobeats music for more than a decade finally arrives in South Africa for the holiday season to host his Passport Experience tour that will also be hosted in Accra - Ghana, and Diani - Kenya. "The purpose of this me coming to South Africa is to create a space where we get to take people on a musical journey around the world," Fully Focus tells ZiMoja. "It's just a fun-feel-good event and my hope is SA welcomes us with open arms and everyone comes with an open mind and leaves with a full heart." His South African headliners include DJ Fistas Mixwell, AirBurn Sounds, Mthi-HD, Megadrumz, and the legendary Motswako pioneer DJ/Producer Greenfingers.
UNITING AFRICA
He could have gone anywhere in the continent for the Passport Experience by Fully Focus believes South Africa is a Mecca of African music and culture. "It makes sense. Plus, from what I've been told, no one Dezember's December like South Africans," he jokes. "Ultimately, the purpose of the event is a reunion of Africans in the Diaspora and the continent. Where we discover what we all have in common and celebrate what makes us unique. That's the PXP mantra," he adds.
LOVE FOR MZANSI
It's his first time in South Africa. "Believe it or not it's my first time in SA, though I've worked with artists from SA and always been pushing the music whether it's on my Major Lazer Africa mixtapes or even at my events in the U.S. or elsewhere," he says. "I think culture has penetrated the world and is an undeniable force. The people have done a tremendous job of keeping it alive. I always joke that I believe dancing and singing is how you identify if someone is from SA coz it's in their DNA."
HIS FAVOURITE SA ARTISTS
He has fallen in love with Mzansi music. "There are too many to mention from the Kwaito legends to, Brenda Fassie, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Chicco Twala, to Afrohouse forces like Black Coffee and obviously Mafikizolo," he says. "I cannot leave out; Uhuru, Heavy K, Prince Kaybee, Gqom stars like Distruction Boyz to Sho Madjozi whom I worked with on my compilation album, and DJ Maphorisa whom I brought to Atlanta, about eight years ago for his first U.S. show, ironically for a Passport Experience event and many of the Amapiano era Kamo Mphela, Dlala Thukzin. I could go on and on, even some Afrotech peeps."