MANY know him simply as Jairos the farm manager from Zambezi Magic’s popular drama series Mpali.
Well! Who would blame them anyway?
But there is another side of Joe 'Swax' Sakala that many people don’t know - well, except maybe for a few others - he can rap too.
Swax as he is known in the music circles was born in Kitwe at the Kitwe Central Hospital sometime in the early 1990’s.
Swax, who apart from acting and music is also a qualified Information Technology (IT) specialist told the Weekend Mail that he started music when he was still very young but only got to record his first single titled Battery Dead in 2007.
“The interest in music kept growing as I grew older,” he says. Battery Dead featured Shine Di Asylum and Jay B.
Jay B, who is a close friend and mentor also happened to be the one that produced the song at Retro Nation.
“...and the rest is history,” he says.
Discovering his music talent and coming to settle for it as a career was not easy for young Swax as he had to deal with the challenges and dilemma that comes with trying to juggle between class and music.
“Someone successful in the music industry would tell you that it’s not an easy road, but we had to do what we had to do - if it meant skipping class in order for me to go to the studio, I had to do it,” he says.
He says he owes part of his success to his parents who were relatively supportive of him. “...but school had to come first.”
He says his music is for peace, love and harmony.
Looking back at Battery Dead, his first ever single, Swax says he owes it all to the song for most of his success today.
“Too much! Yenze hit, well, to me and my friends [laughs]. I wouldn't change anything about that jam cause it was what it was,” he says.
Married to actress and rapper Lissy who plays Ntombi, Nguzu’s fourth wife in Mpali, Swax has a catalogue of songs to his name.
Among his popular songs are Tibaza Che and Hyper Sase.
“I have worked with the likes of Retro Nation, DeeDz, Mustang, legendary artiste Harry B, Mixtizo, and Bobby Jay. I have also worked with Phili Kay, Mustafa and a lot of other talented people still in the underground and still making good music,” he says.
Swax says he would love to work with renowned acts in the name of Chisenga Katongo [formerly Crisis], Krytic, Jay Rox, Slapdee, Chef 187 and Muzo aka Alfonso who he says is his favourite rapper.
Asked how he rates the music and entertainment industry in general, Swax who has a number of mixtapes to his name says it is steady but more still needs to be done.
“The industry is safe,” he says. “I remember there once was a time when local artistes weren’t rated as highly as foreign artistes. But now, we have artistes that are main evening shows alongside international acts. So, I can say, we are there and we are still going. Big ups to all the musicians making that music for change.”
His first album was The Kafue Hustle.
“The album was a success I received a lot of positive reviews from peers and fans about it,” he says.
Swax says much as he is into acting now, he will not stop recording and releasing music. He says music introduced him to film and turning his back on it isn’t in his plans.
“I owe everything I have achieved today to my music. No one knew me before I started music and that is why before I do anything, I think and plan how I am going to do it to my best capabilities,” he says.
Other mix-tapes to his name include The Kafue Hustle, Depo Muzik volume 1 to 5, Cloud 9 Media and Retroduction which was more like a Retro Nation compilation.
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