Exclusive: Hardlife Avenue talks life after Mantani, new hits

Hardlife Avenue Stars pop into one’s mind when one talks about the South Sudanese artists who have made a mark on the country. They are never left out because of their heart-warming bangers that almost top different media houses.

As the country was being born into independence in 2011, a musical group was also mushrooming to showcase the talents.  The City Review spoke to lead vocalist Silliman Musa Dima [Nicky Prince] and Linus Junior Ochwo [producer] about their musical career and how they are healing from the loss of their colleague, Mantani.

Sarah: You are one of the biggest musical groups in South Sudan. When did the group start and how?

Nicky: The group was formed in 2011 and consisted of Nicky Prince, the finest, the late Mantani the best boy, and Loginda Ginda, who at a later stage left with no clear reasons. The duo finally proceeded with the dream until 2014 when they teamed up with Linus the Genius and did a couple of collaborations like Offside, Kilokwenkulek, and Yau-De, among others, that eventually saw him join the stars in 2015 till date.

Sarah: Who are the artists that influenced you?

Nicky: Honestly speaking…nobody influenced us, but it was a calling and we have a motto that says “voice of change.” our lyrics and music is influenced by what happens in society, such as social issues, culture and relationships. As founders of the group, we were never driven by inspiration, though people claim that we were inspired by the good life of Uganda’s Radio and Weasel, which is not true because our music would have reflected theirs, that is not the case. It was just a matter of putting different creative minds together for the best.

Sarah: Yau- de was widely recognised is as one of the breakthrough songs. What is the story behind it?

Linus: Kilo kwen kulek was so much loved and received by the fans who suggested that we do a rendition of the song in English because initially it was done in the Kuku dialect. But it was not going to be possible because the feelings differed in one way or the other.

Nicky: That Yau-de was done based on societal issues, especially relationships where heartbreaks are involved in marriages. It was not based on a true story, we did it out of what we saw in our environment. We are overseers in the community. We do not only sing to please people, but also educate and inform them too.

Sarah: Mantani, one of the co-founders of the group, is gone. How has that affected Hardlife Avenue Stars?

Nicky: The death of Mantani affected us so badly, just like any other person in the family, and it is hard to recover from it. This sometimes leads to depression. We were shocked, it was Allah’s timing. We need to be exemplary to our fans and instil a mood of recovery in them because we are the voices of the voiceless.

Sarah:  The late Mantani was one of the best producers known for working on traditional songs. What gap has he left in the production industry?

Linus:  I had all my hopes for the late Mantani because I trained him to be a better person in the production business because I had mastered all the techniques. He is irreplaceable.

Nicky: He was naturally gifted, and that is why he garnered so much love from both the fans and entertainers. He had established himself and specialised in producing traditional songs. Kelpha Kandice and Sunny Martin are among the diaspora South Sudanese musicians who have worked on different projects with him.

Sarah: Do you have any plans to recruit new talent to fill the void Mantani’s departure created?

Nicky: No one can replace him. We can’t get a replica because even his daughter can’t replace him. We have no replacement plans because it is never easy to form a group. Groups are not formed or created randomly.

Sarah: From a producer’s point of view, who is that promising artist who can at least try to fit into the late Mantani’s shoe if given the chance to join the Hardlife Avenue Stars group?

Nicky: A lot of artists could replace [him], but the main factor is discipline and the relationship with the members. It is the exact reason Weasel Manizo of Goodlife can never get a partner in music.

Sarah: There’s a Juba anthem going around on social media titled “fi dom tai”. Is it one of the 2022 projects, and what are some other songs?

Nicky: Our group rarely discloses, and we do not make noise in the name of pushing our songs. All we do is surprise our fans and well-wishers by dropping the bangers and leaving it to the people to judge whether they are a hit or not. And if it’s not a hit, it still doesn’t stop us from releasing other songs because we are always optimistic. There are two songs so far released, namely: “Fi Dom Tai” and “Lene’baan”, a wedding song whose video was recently shot and will be released by the end of the week as we prepare to shoot the video of the second song. There are other projects yet to be let out but still being cooked in the music kitchen, and it is entirely up to the fans to guess. As of now, we are not ready to disclose anything as per now.

Sarah: Who are the artists you would love to collaborate with and why?

Nicky: Collaborations have always been in our minds and that is why after the release of the previous album, “ana yau bi arifu’’ and we are targeting young promising artists, especially those who have not made a name in the industry, to build a platform for them for easy recognition.

Linus: I train upcoming producers in the industry, and in the long run we are also looking at doing more with international artists, not just in East Africa. We are looking for people who do not have a large enough fan base in their previous countries so that we can both push our songs equally in order for them to cross over, rather than those who have made a name for themselves and do not participate in promoting the projects because they believe they have made it in life.

Sarah: How has the pandemic affected you and the music fraternity as a whole?

Nicky: It has not affected us in terms of releasing songs because we are a dynamic. We have been making money by singing at peoples weddings though not much. Nicky still adds that they both have side hustles that keep life going.

Sarah: Apart from musical gigs, how else do artists make money?

Linus:  We make money aside from music, unlike some artists who only depend on music as a source of income.

Sarah: What is the gap in the music industry in South Sudan?

Nicky:  Whenever there is a monopoly, the gap widens in reference to the pandemic where most artists get money from musical performances, unless if one has occasional songs like weddings, birthdays; they get bookings. Some artists have gotten money through signing endorsements with companies, online streams, YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music. A few artists only know that they can make money.

Sarah: Speaking of endorsement deals, you were recently seen on billboards of a new television coming up soon. When is the launch?

Nicky: There is a partnership with JBS TV whereby we are giving them image rights to use our images in branding. Due to delays, the television was meant to open in February 2022, but by March it will be officially launched.

Sarah: where do you see our music in years to come?          

Nicky: The music has gradually grown as compared to the previous years. There is so much talent with great vibes and a bright future ahead, but the industry needs a lot of guidance and also investments in talents to groom them up.

Sarah: Any last remarks?

Linus:  Musicians should stop using “drugs ma haya” because drugs do not add talent but instead ruin it. They should try and be exemplary and organised to put an emphasis on trying out new talents, like in production.