The Chainsmokers, Kate Hudson, Lady Gaga, and now “African Getdown”. The Elyx House Hollywood aka, the private residence of Jonas Tahlin, CEO of Absolut Elyx, has hosted some of Hollywood’s biggest names, and this past Thursday night made an honorable and very unforgettable addition to his celebrity-studded belt.
The guests brought together by hip hop recording artists, actors, poets and Oscar Award-winning film producers Common, the South African-inspired event was nothing short of extraordinary. This wisely follows the recent global success of African-inspired culture and films like Marvel’s “Black Panther”, which recently crossed $1 billion dollars at the global box office last week.
“It was all about connecting with people from the US. It is a kind of rainbow country. Something the world needs” says one of South Africa’s top Afro-House producers and DJs, Mkhululi Siqula, best known as “Heavy K”.
The elegant and colourful ‘good vibes only’ and, apparently, invitation-only event, not only showcased African-inspired cuisine throughout Hollywood’s glamorous golden era – Elyx House, but also put on some awesome looks. Guests enjoyed performances by renowned South African artists including, DJ Heavy-K, Anattii, and DALES together with top African TV presenters, Luthando “Loot Love”, Shosha, and Ayanda Thembethe.
“We are excited to support and deliver an African platform of creativity that is fast becoming a global phenomenon”, said Iris LeBerg, Global Marketing Manager at Absolut Company.
“The highlight of the night might have been Average simply because of everything he stood for. I feel the timing is right for an event like this as it offers an opportunity to showcase all forms of creativity. It is truly a sign that the world is waking up” said Celebrity Services Africa Executive Event Organizer, Davin Phillips.
ABOUT THE TALENT:
GENERAL
Academy Award, Golden Globe, Emmy and Grammy-winning actor and musician, Common continues to break barriers with critical acclaim, diversified roles, and continued success at the box office.
She appeared on the big screen in the Oscar-nominated film SELMA, a film centered around the civil rights march that changed America. With John Legend, he won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe in 2015 for “Best Original Song in Motion Picture” for “Glory” which was featured in the film. In 2016, he appeared in David Ayer’s high-profile comic book film SUICIDE SQUAD from Warner Bros. This film broke box office records both domestically and worldwide.
In 2017, Common starred opposite Keanu Reeves in the highly anticipated sequel JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2, and appeared in Judy Greer’s directorial debut, A HAPPENING OF MONUMAL PROPORTIONS with Allison Janney. This summer, she appeared on MEGAN LEAVEY Bleecker Street alongside Kate Mara, Tom Felton, Bradley Whitford and Edie Falco.
He recently completed production of THE HATE U GIVE, directed by George Tillman Jr. and based on Angela Thomas’ novel of the same name. Common star with Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, Anthony Mackie, Algee Smith, and Issa Rae. Next, Common stars in Andrea Di Stefano’s action thriller THREE SECONDS, with an all-star cast including Clive Owen, Rosamund Pike, and Joel Kinnaman, in theaters on August 17. He also provides the voice for the upcoming animated feature from Warner Brothers, SMALLFOOT, in theaters on September 28.
It was announced that Common would executive produce and star in “Black Samurai”, a TV adaptation of Marc Olden’s 1974 book series, which inspired the 1977 film of the same name. He will also star in QUICK DRAW, a new revenge action thriller to be produced by TRANSFORMERS producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Content Media.
Behind the scenes, Common recently produced the Netflix drama BURNING SANDS and performed an original cover credits song “The Cross” featuring Lianne Le Havas. The film premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and is released on Netflix on March 10. He currently serves as executive producer of Showtime’s new TV series “The Chi,” a coming-of-age story set in Chicago from writer Lena Waithe.
Common’s 11th studio album, BLACK AMERICA AGAIN, was released November 4, 2016 on ARTium/Def Jam Recordings. The album includes a socially conscious new single, “Black America Again” featuring Stevie Wonder and the anthem “Letter to the Free,” the closing title track of Ava Duvernay’s powerful 13th Oscar-nominated documentary, for which she also received 2017 Emmy for “Best Music and Lyrics.” He was recently featured on Andra Day’s new song for the MARSHALL Open Road Films soundtrack, “Stand Up for Something,” co-written by Common and eight-time Academy Award nominee Diane Warren. The original song has received Oscar, Grammy, NAACP, and Critic Choice Award nominations, in addition to a “Hollywood Song Award” at the 2017 Hollywood Film Awards.
DJ HEAVY-K – musician/producer/DJ
One of South Africa’s top Afro-house producers & DJs, Mkhululi Siqula (27) best known as “Heavy-K”, aka Drumboss, hails from the dusty town of Veeplaas on Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape region. Heavy-K has worked with just about all the top artists in the region, including DJ Black Coffee and is currently a number one hit in South Africa. Her hit, “Inde”, released in November last year, garnered more than 3.2 million views on YouTube.
ANATTI – musician/producer
Anathi Mnyango (25), better known by his stage name Anatii, is a South African record producer and musician who has also worked with musical personalities such as DJ Khaled (on the song “Banaz”) and music composer Lebo M (“The Lion Raja”). Anattii exploded on stage when he released his debut album, Artiifact, in 2016, featuring top South African artists in addition to Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage, Somali-Canadian electronic duo Faarrow and American singer Omarion.In August 2017, Anatii was selected as The Young Independents influencer this year and, three months later, became a high-level influencer for the LuQuLuQu project set up by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
DA LES – musician/producer
Da LES, is a South African and American hip hop recording artist and record producer. He achieved early success with his band, Jozi, and has pioneered African hip hop, including the song “All Eyez On Me” with Nigerian rapper Burna Boy, Malawian singer Gemini Major and fellow South African rapper AKA. Da LES was born Leslie Jonathan Mampe, Jr., in Washington DC, United States, to South African parents, Leslie Jonathan Mampe, an IT specialist working at IBM, and his wife, Priscilla. Mampe, Sr. was a collector of musical records and known as a party host. It was through this that Mampe discovered his musical talent at a young age, while living in the United States with his parents. In 2014, Mampe starred in the South African television series, The Real Jozi A-Listers, as the title character alongside South African television and media personality Maps Maponyane, both playing fictional versions of themselves. His latest album Hall Of Fame 2, is an African hip hop hit.
AYANDA THABETAKTERI/TV PRESENTER
South African television presenter, actress and model, Ayanda Thabethe currently co-hosts entertainment show BET BET Africa A-List where presenters unravel music, fashion, film and more, cover red carpet events and interview A-Listers from the inside and abroad. She started her acting career in the South African telenovella, “Roxkville” (also starring Terry Pheto) and also has a passion in developing, encouraging and creating sustainable and practical solutions for entrepreneurs and is a co-founder of a non-profit organization. called the African Emancipation Foundation.
LOOT LOVE – TV & RADIO PRESENTER
Loot Love, born Luthando Shosha, is a South African television presenter and Radio personality, best known for co-hosting the Friday night show Live AMP, SABC 1 and currently hosting for South African radio station, The #Absolutehiphop Metro FM Show.
Image Credit: Getty’s image
