Chocolate Soul
Mohalenyane Phakela
REFILOE “Chocolate Soul” Thoahlane says he is continuing with his musical evolution which has culminated in a fusion of hip hop and traditional sounds.
The Maseru-East musician and producer was bit by the musical bug at the age of 14 with his stock in trade being Hip Hop. Over the years, however, he has experimented with various genres such as House with his Dream Lights compilation being well received among music aficionados.
In an interview with the Weekender this week, Chocolate Soul revealed that he recently resigned from his day job as a lecturer at a tertiary institution to focus on his music career. The muso said he keeps re-inventing himself to appeal to different markets.
“I take breaks in-between every project I embark on and I always try to return in a different way,” he said, adding that he would now take a more “mature” drift.
“My new style was greatly influenced by Ntate Tšepo Tšola and Lebohang Letšohla (Sefako Sa Menoaneng) who told me to make my sound more mature so that it has more universal appeal.”
Chocolate Soul said his new sound combines Hip Hop with dubstep and Famo.
“I am working on the second single, Ngoana Lapeng, which is more traditional than the first single Marena a Mararo as it has elements of Monyanyako.
“I also want to go beyond the Koriana and record such instruments as Mamokhorong and Lesiba live. I will be working with Ntate Tšepo Tšola and Sefako Sa Menoaneng on some tracks and those are the only two I can reveal as I have already confirmed with them,” he said.
Chocolate Soul also revealed he would be releasing singles on a two-monthly basis “to get people used to the sound before the actual album drops”.
He said the songs would not be shared for free online as most local artists normally do but will be available on applications which allow subscribers to pay for tracks such as Traxsource and itunes as well as Vodacom Lesotho’s Ring Back Tones when it is launched.
