Why dad named me Mandela
Kwaito king Arthur Mafokate's son Arthur Jnr (17), who calls himself DJ AJ, is hyping things up with his new house album Mandela.
DADDY'S BOY: As a kid, heir to the 'king of kwaito' title, AJ, just wanted to be like his dad - not the father of the nation
PRINCE OF KWAITO: Mandela 'Arthur Jnr' Mafokate is ready to take the throneWe ask him about the title of the release - and he tells us it's actually the name his dad gave him hours after he was born in 1994.
Speaking to Sunday World on Friday, AJ says he didn't understand why Mafokate called him Mandela while he was growing up and he had serious issues with the name.
"I had no idea why my dad would call me Mandela.
"I thought he was teasing me.
"I'd ask him to call me Arthur as I wanted to be like him.
"It's been my dream to be like him, but since I came to understand the name of uTata Mandela, I realised why he gave me his name."
AJ says about two years ago he came to have a clear understanding of the meaning of Mandela's name and what a powerful influence it has around the world.
So he wanted to honour the great name his dad gave him and celebrate the way Madiba made South Africa a better place for all.
But his venture into the music industry has sparked a debate in Mafokate's family.
"Now there is another problem that I need to deal with - my grandfather and my dad are at loggerheads because of horse riding and music.
"My grandfather wants to know if I'll have time to ride horses again now that I've ventured into music.
"I need to sit down with both of them and explain how I can juggle both passions without upsetting either of them and I hope they will understand," he says.
He says he is grateful to his grandfather and his mother for raising him with love and he respects them for that.
Arthur senior says: "I am glad he did well at school and now he can pursue his dream - and what is fulfilling is that he really appreciates the name I gave him."
- mdakaneb@sundayworld.co.za
Thatha2
What's all this? You'd understand why Americans like copyrighting their names.
