The Sound of Healing: The Billionaires Are On a Mission To Conquer With Love and Music
THE musical journey of DJing couple Ngcebo Mdima and Karabo Motlogelwa, otherwise known by their stage name The Billionaires, has been one of spiritual inspiration and connection. As the couple have been on the quest to establish themselves as a formidable powerhouse, they’ve defied all the odds, standing tall against all the stigmas surrounding them as members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Hailing all the way from KwaMashu in Durban, Ngcebo ascended to the City of Gold to pursue his studies before he worked at the now-cancelled primetime TV show Isidingo. However, after only half a decade, the itch to obey the beckoning of his true calling – the music – pushed him to turn his back on his job in pursuit of his dream. The life-altering decision saw him rub shoulders with acclaimed deck maestro DJ Ganyani, from whom he gained more experience while working behind the scenes.
On the other hand, Karabo, originally from south of Johannesburg, nurtured his own love for music during his school days at Southview High School. Even after matric, he continued watering the soil of his musicianship till it flowered into the ability to play various instruments, such as the marimba and the flute.
The couple met in 2016, united by their mutual love for each other and the music, and eventually saw them give birth to Charlie Communications, their marketing agency. The venture roped in stars such as TNS, Lady Zamar, and Prince Kaybee, among others. And yet, the world of marketing was hardly enough for The Billionaires – the gravity of music grew too strong for them to resist its pull.
“The passion of being a producer and a DJ kept on burning. We even requested TNS and other DJs to teach us here and there during the studio sessions. So when we transitioned from PR and marketing to actual DJing and producing, in 2021, we started deepening our knowledge of how to DJ and produce. Karabo bought equipment, and then we transitioned further earlier this year, and learned more about all the other technical stuff of producing and DJ’ing.” Ngcebo said.
The lovebirds fused their musical talents on a “spiritual” level, according to Ngcebo, with him reiterating that he’d never have dated Karabo if he wasn’t spiritually inclined. With their sound being geared towards “healing”, The Billionaires aren’t about putting out records of smoke – a thing that’s here today and forgotten come tomorrow. To the duo, curating music is about unearthing a gem that penetrates one’s innermost being and goes deep enough into one’s feelings and manifests as goosebumps.
The change, though, from PR and marketing perfection to DJing excellence has not been without its fair share of troubles. As members of the Queer community, the couple shared how the stigma surrounding them has been a hindrance in some instances.
“We are rising stars. And coming from marketing for other artists for five years, it’s been a huge challenge transitioning. One challenge is that we are an LGBTQ+ couple, and promoters are tricky for our manager to approach because they may have a negative response to us DJing as a gay couple. So we have to sometimes step in and ask them to give our manager a chance like with any other artist who is represented, because we are confident in what we are selling. Because when we play anywhere, I’m telling you, we leave no stones unturned. To those who do give us a chance, when we get there, kuvele kunyiwe.” Ngcebo said.
The couple lamented the lack of support from the A-Listers they had worked with to promote years prior. “They have not supported us. They would just post a flyer of, say, our EP. Just that. On the other hand, when it was for them, we would post and boast under our own budget,” said Ngcebo.
Even though their walk has been on self-sufficiency and self-reliance as an indie act, the couple have pushed through the pains and the negatives. Powered by love, they dropped their EP Sons of the Soil in August 2023, comprising seven songs, and a forthcoming music video shot for “Let It Rain”, featuring Cape Town musician Bukeka, this past Saturday. The project boasts contributions from Indlovukazi, known for her parts in Prince Kaybee’s “Gugulethu” and TNS’s “My Dali”, as well as KZN vocalist Lizwi.
“The theme of our EP is love, unity, and spirituality. We chose these themes specifically because we wanted a universal language that everyone would understand. And we wanted it to transcend boundaries. We didn’t want our music to be limited to a specific group of people. We wanted everyone to feel included, which is what we’ve always believed in. We got a lot of people from all corners of the country just to accommodate everyone,” said Karabo.
With October being Pride Month in South Africa, The Billionaires expressed their gratitude and happiness about being a driving proponent of the movement at Joburg Pride on the 28th of October at the Wanderers Stadium.
“Since it’s Pride Month, we are honoured to be chosen to perform at the Joburg Pride. We just want to spread love to all our LGBTQ+ family and to encourage them to never stop showing up, and coming through despite the challenges.” Karabo said.
Ngcebo expressly encouraged members of the Queer community to reach out to them via the socials, stressing the need for solidarity, especially because of the crushing weight of the discrimination LGBTQ+ members faced.
“We are here to help because we have the network and we can open doors for them. I know that there are all these politics, so they can inbox us so that we’ll be able to help them with whatever we have access to. So please don’t be afraid,” Ngcebo said.
In karmic justice, The Billionaires’s fight for visibility has also culminated in them being honoured for their exploits as DJs. The pair notched three nods at this year’s Eminent Video Music Award, being nominated for Best Artist of the Year, Best Collaboration Video, and Best Group Video. Having only started out last year, the sky’s proving not to be the limit for the new guys on the block already making major waves.
“We see ourselves being well-established and recognised for our work and the difference we’ve made in the music and entertainment industries. We want to venture into more collaborations with big artists and performing overseas on big stages. We see ourselves working with brands and having our music playing on Netflix shows. We also hope our TV show will get the greenlight to encourage others like us. We want to dominate the industry,” said Karabo when asked about the couple’s ten-year vision.
