Mohalenyane Phakela
CLUB 4Fordy will tomorrow celebrate its first year in operation with a bash headlined by South African rapper Sizwe “Reason” Moeketsi and his manager Akio “DJ ID” Kawahito.
The Khubetsoana-based entertainment hotspot was launched on 2 August last year amid pomp and fanfare. Since then, 4fordy’s stock has risen to become the hub of revelry in Maseru. It is co-owned by Raohang Lehobo and Leshoele Leshoele.
The club’s success has been attributed to a blend of eclectic music and a convivial environment for people of various ages and backgrounds.
This is despite being situated at DLM Complex, far from the city centre, where the 4fordy’s competitors are located. Its target market is mainly young people, with Hip Hop the predominant genre.
4fordy Events Manager DJ Mekonko told the Weekender this week that the journey for the fledgling club had been far from easy.
“It has been a difficult road to stake our claim on the entertainment scene because we had to cater for various tastes,” he said.
“Being located outside town has also been a challenge, but we have managed to do well. That is why we deserve to celebrate.
“The owners of the club grew up listening to Hip Hop and it is the genre played most, but we were compelled by circumstances to tweak things a bit so that we can accommodate everyone.”
DJ Mekonko said the club’s regular gigs included the open mic sessions on Wednesdays, Hip Hop and RnB music from Friday to Saturday and soulful House sessions on Sunday.
He added that they decided to bring Reason and DJ ID because of their “depth”.
“Some of the South African artists we have hosted before were popular for certain tracks or simply because of their style of music. Their appeal was mainly because they could attract crowds and get them to dance,” said DJ Mekonko.
“Reason earned his stripes because of the depth of his lyrics even though he still makes tracks that people can dance to. He is among the few top South African rappers although he has not been in the industry for a long time.”
Reason will share the stage with local stars Jiji F, L Tore, Juvy, Skebz D, T MEch, Chocolate Soul, Kopper, Harris T, Hunky D, Ebonix, Switch Jr, Smooth, Da Starr and IndividualMax among others.
