MY INTERVIEW W/KAYSHA

Sometimes you have 2 take chances in life and this was def' 1..Just like you I saw Kaysha in all those videos, said the usual "kaysha on dit quoi" ...u know . And I was like , why don't I just go the source itself, since I am writting about him, why don't I go ask him questions that I would like to find answers to ....

Gracefully he accepted, neanmoins when he saw my list of questions , his answer started by :

"Daaaaaaaaamn!!!!! one million questions yo"

*Side Joke Kaysha, maybe this could be the title of your next song, of course I'll wait for my royalites...lol

Anywhoo people let's go:

1/First of all how did you come up with the name Kaysha?

It just came up one day at school, out of nowhere. Not even to perform, but just writting my name on walls as I was really into the hip hop culture, not just performing but also grafitti, dancing, tagging (on school tables only lol), turntabilism, rap, zulu nation, etc...

2/Where does your personal confidence come from?

On stage from one show to another. On my first shows, I was really shy, afraid that people wouldn't like me. I would never speak between tracks. Today, sometimes I speak more than I sing lol...

-You know I find it easy for people when they are a pretty high level of success, to LOVE but also IGNORE their public, but 1 thing about u is that you seem to understand that u can't ingore the people who MADE or MAKE you in this business..where did you get this humility (if there's such a word ...lol)?

I think it's in the education. My parents taught me to always respect your elders. Homeless, poor or rich, we always were raised respecting the people that were working for us at home. When my father worked as an Ambassador in France, I never looked at our driver as a servant but more like a big brother I could ask an advice and laugh with on the way to school in the morning...When I did a bad thing, the maid would beat me up with the approbation of the parents. I've grown a spoiled kid but my mother always taught me to give my toys to my poorer cousins when I was young...

- How do you define yourself as an African man?

I don't know. Africa is so full of differences... I wouldn't know the exact definition of an African.

What I can say is that I was born in Zaire and 75% of my blood is African blood. After that, some caucasian guys that live and work in Africa are so much more African than me...

I live in Europe and I'm so worldwide "chinese" in my mind that I'd define myself as a poduct of a "cultural metissage".

-How do you define yourself as an African man living in the Western world?

I've lived in Africa, South America, the West Indies, America, Europe. I'm just not trying to fit in, I do my thing the way I envision it, that's it. It's not the place where I dwell that defines me..

-Whats your relationship w/your home country, do u visit often?

I used to, but the 10 years of war took me away and I just discovered the rest of Africa these past ten years. I went back only once since then, but I'm about to come back more often now. But I like to see Africa as one huge country, so I go home up 8 to 9 times a year...

- If you were asked the hottest spots in congo what would it be ?

The mighty Grand Hotel with it's night club: l'Atmosphere, I used to perform there when I was 16. That's where I stay when I go home. Then the stadium, because my father built it. And Mbinza becuase that's where I was raised...

-What are the keys to success to you?

Hard work, believing, dedication, faithfulness, respect, and patience Oh, some talent might help you too... lol!

-Do you feel that being from African descant you encounter a lot of challenges in your career?

You will encounter challenges wherever you come from. I recieved more challenges because of my anticonformism more than my Africanism. People love to put people in categories, congolese doing rhumba and arabs doing Rai. When you just break those simple rules, you start having problems...

- Silly question..but do you have an entourage..a possee...do you have an assistant?

Assistant no. Crew, family yes, Anofela, Top One, Elizio, Provi, Kiff, etc... I have teamates and we all evolve around each other . Come try to beat me and watch what happens lol...

-How does your family react to your succeess?

With pride I guess. But at home I am a brother, a son, a father, that's it... It's something necessary anyway, or your head would just blow up. If my cousins acted as groupies, I would be shocked cause I've known them since birth..

-Did you know that 1 day , you woul be famous?

Not really, but I had hints

-What are you side business huttles?

Sushiraw clothing, sushiraw films, smoking beez design, digital paintings, acting, directing are some of my new hobbies....

- What are ur plans for the future?

Elevate to the sky .

-Would you say that producing african artists is rewarding financially, actually being that we are "African" entre guillemets do you find yourself giving to the people you produce "breaks"?

Producing is rewarding of course. It's always good to take an artist and record, produce, and publish his album. It's good financially and in an artistic point of view, it's great to venture where you can't go in your own album.

Some artists just buy me tracks, some I invest in them by signing them to my label.

- Do you enjoy making business with your African peeps?(Honeslty..well as much as u can..lol)

I enjoy working with serious people, I don't care where they come from. I met some ridiculously abject people in terms of business. People that just "talk ". People that always swear it's not their fault. But I also met great people that took me from one level to the next. Some where Africans, some from the West Indies, some chinese... It's all about who can take you somewhere and who you can take somewhere .

-Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Over there in the horizon .

- Are you accepted in the islands community, or was it hard 2 convice them that an African brotha could make great zouk ballades?

I was accepted instantaneously. The place where I come from wasn't really an issue because the sound was dope and the vision was clear. You will always have people that try to use that issue to break you, but then, it's just some people that hate you cause you do what they can't do. The monkey that can't reach the fruit on the branch says that it's bitter...

-Who are your fav' designers?how do you define your style?

I'm not a guy of definitions, I just dress how I please. I don't follow trends or designers. I'd rather go to a zara and please myself...

-What was your best experience concert wise ?

100000 people in Angola singing my song "Musiquarian" .

- What was the best concert you went to see as a fan?

Michael Jackson in Brussels. That man is the man, the artist. And no matter what people say, he makes me proud as an artist, a black man, an icon.

- Who are the coolest people in the african scene (be honest..)

Elizio, Jacob Devarieux, Lino Versace & Borosanguy to name a few....

- What was your favorite collaboration ? who would u love to do a song w/african wise, and world wise?

Fav collab? Too many to mention, but Jacob Desvarieux, is great and humble. Nelson Freitas is supercool. Top One and Anofela are my favorite "studio people". I'd see myself working with Femi and Michael Jackson. I'd show them some styles they don't know about...

- Who do u admire for their business skills? music skills?

Business? P. Diddy of course.Music? Quincy Jones of course.

- Do you see yourslef moving back in africa eventually or always living btw 2 airplanes?(honestly)

Between 2 planes. I'm not ready to move back yet. I need my 300 chanels and hi-speed internet and occidenal life. Sorry afro-centrists!

- We dont need to go there but i have 2 be partial to my readers..kaysha taken or not?

Not taken and trying to stay like that for a minute. Love betrayed me too much

- If yes or no what makes african women so special and unforgettable?

They are either the greatest woman on earth with those special values. But they can also be hell of liers.

- What's 1 advice you would give to an african sista?(wisdom)

Never sacrifice everything for a man, instead, go ahead and build everything with the right man. The right man is not the one you want, the right man is the man who deserves you and loves you the way you love him...

- Whats 1 item you couldnt leave without? (anything...)

My phone and my laptop with wifi internet

- I believe that you are a father right, i've noticed that african fathers that live abroad seem to be more affectionate than our own fathers back at home , in your opinion what's the reason?

I have no idea...But I think our fathers back in the days were working real hard to make it happen. And the parental job was left to the mothers and maids and aunts and sisters. Nowadays, men accept to change diapers and feed their babies. Everything evolves...!!

-I that know it's a general question and i know it's hard 2 say but do you ever see Africa pulling it together eventually and if yes how? And also whar role could music play towards a futur development of our beloved continent i?

Music brings pride to African people. Never have I seen Africans so proud of their music and artists as today. It used to be a congolese thing. But nowadays, Africans as a whole are proud of their artists. You don't need to be from Abidjan to dig coupe decale, zouk, rhumba. The new generation just love that african music movement and it's a great step towards unity. Then all I have to say for that matter is that my fellow Americans built their country on blood in and their country. Europe was built over 2 world wars and even before that, religious wars and slavery.

So they need to give us a break!! You don't just import the model of democracy from Europe or the Us to Africa.

You don't have the same story, values, culture, trends, views, etc...

From an African point of view, we will get there when we stop asking, and do it ourselves. But then, these same people that look at us and tell what is good and what is bad won't let us do our thing. Africa should deal with China another way and leave Europe...

-Did u finish your degree? And if yes, even though u went on a different direction what do u feel it brought u 2day?

Education is there in each of my words, can you read it?

-I know that u did couple of projects w/members of the jet set...any feelings about the death of Douk Saga?

It's sad to see a man go, jetset or not jetset.Then it's sad to see that people still would rather talk about sorcerers than the real deal...

-Is there a quote you live by?

Life is like a river, you are never in the same water .

-How important is religion 2 u?

I'm a buddhist. But I take what's good in any book. I'm free to fear, love and generate passion to who I believe.

- Last but not least WHAT DO U KNOW FOR SURE IN LIFE?

As you live, you learn !!

And as we finished the interview he wrote" Damn girl these were a million of questions". Anywhoo I want to say thank you very very much for taking a chance and the TIME because I'm sure that you are very busy man.

Stay humble, talented, smart, grateful!!

Djaa Kaysha est vraiment dans le chaud:)

Eyee Wayee:)