20 May 2014

The owners of Bon-Fella records are testimony to the saying that patience is a virtue and perseverance pays.

In 2009, two young men, Solomon Mabutho and Eugene Khumo, who were bound by a common love for music, decided to form a record label. The two met in the dusty streets of Monarch location, during the heady days of their youth when all they had was an undying love for music and star spangled dreams that were fired up by music videos of American artists living the life of the rich and famous.

Mabutho offered a rare glimpse into the inside story of Bon Fella records, from its birth in the dusty streets of Monarch to its phenomenal growth and eventual success as one of the leading record labels in the country. His story is that of perseverance, hard work, disappointment and finally success.

“It was not easy when we started. But we were patient, we worked hard and we finally made it. We started this company from scratch and we were finally assisted with funding by the Ministry of Youth Sport and Culture, through the Youth Development Fund, in 2010,” he noted.

Mabutho said they faced challenges such as shortage of venues for their performances coupled with the country’s small population which contributed to less demand of their products. However, he was quick to point out that his company adapted quickly and introduced new trends and products that arrtacted more clientele.

“We wanted to cater for the needs of our different clientele. So we grew our product offering. Beside music we do film, drama, television commercials and music video productions. We also do graphic design,” he said.

As a way of promoting their stable, the two also collaborated with more established labels like Rich Sounds Records in South Africa. They have also worked with big local artists like Slizer, Star Luu, and Tabona. Mabutho is also a recording artist who has three albums under his belt and has performed in countries like Namibia and Zambia.

He is currently working on the fourth album named Sangarita and has a new single that is enjoying airplay on local radio stations. Bon Fella records has also done advertorial voice overs for reputable companies like Sefalana, Shoprite and Naledi Motors.

They have also produced reputable videos such as The Best of Alfredo Mos, Radijo, Ramokwejepe and Radidibo, Mc Maswe, Halala Tama Brown Part 1, 2 and 3.

The record company has also signed upcoming groups like Marabela cultural group and Kakatswana traditional group, which won the President’s Day competitions in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

Bon Fella has also signed six more artists who are currently working on the Radijo versus Tamajasa videos. Ends