Mic check 1,2: Just Hlo

From gracing our screens on Mzansi Magic's Gospel Alive every Sunday to serenading us with her beautiful melodic voice as she backs up some of the BIG names in the industry, from Zahara and Brenda Mtambo all way to Gospel sensation, Mahalia Buchanan. Now it's time for the beautiful songstress to spread her wings and remind us why we fell in love with soul music. I got a chance to chat with the ever so beautiful Hloni "JustHlo" Mohlala during her busy week preparing for her 1st ever showcase THIS SATURDAY, 14 May 2016.

1. Being that this is the 1^st of MANY showcases, I have to ask, how are you are feeling?

I must say firstly, I'm feeling blessed more than all the other obscure feelings I have. It's such a blessing to see your dream take its shape. Also because obviously I'm nervous and all those butterfly effect feelings haha. I'll be commanding an entire stage for the 1st time alone EVER. 

2. From backing the biggest artists in SA to featuring on a number of projects, now the spotlight is on YOU, what lessons have you taken from them in preparation for this showcase?
Woah, that's a very big question. I learned that perfection is a lifestyle when in preparation for a show. Also just that you need to be patient with the process whilst you prepare. There is a lot that goes into preparing for a show, and it can never be easy with so many different characters involved so one needs to pray a lot and remain humble and grounded through it all. I've also just learned to remain calm through it all. 

3.Being that you are first and foremost a God girl with musical influences ranging from Thandiswa Mazwai to Jazimine Sullivan, how would you describe your sound?

I'd call my sound Afri-Neo-Soul. 

It's inspirational and very personal too. 

4.Give us a run down of “the day in the life of JustHlo_” in preparation of the show?

 Well ... I wake up and pray. 

• check with my manager what my day is like in terms of my diary. 

• Take a shower and get ready

• Head to Rehearsals with the Band till 5pm 

• Do interviews in between that and send emails. 

• Head to check on my wardrobe and style for the following day for any appearances I need to make. 

• Do make up trials for those looks 
•Have Dinner 

• And try head home to rest well after midnight most of the time. 

5. You travel a lot so I have to ask, what are your travel MUST HAVEs?

My neck travel pillow, my phone and my toiletries especially my perfume & ALL my make up . I can walk naked for all I care as long as my neck doesn't hurt, I smell like a million bucks and have a MEGA JustHlo Facebeat on by Doneupkhumo my make up artist so yes this means she NEVER stays behind! Haha. 

Those are my must haves oh and my handbag. Yes I'm a girl. 

6. What can we expect from the show?

Just expect what you know JustHlo to be when seeing her on stage at any given time. 

The Dream is FREE but the Hustle is SOLD SEPARATELY...

Had someone told me that “all things are going to be difficult before they get easy” I would have probably handed in my “adulthood” resignation and settled as a DUCK. Three months into my radio internship and it dawned on me how quickly dreams change. We are taught at an early age to dream big, envision ourselves as princesses, pirates, doctors, accountants and even ballerinas. Our talents are carefully nurtured like a carefully crafted pot plant until we are slap bang in the middle of our lives, working day in and day out in a life we clearly didn’t envision.

It’s not many that can fight for their dreams, free as it may be, some dreams come at a cost.

I remember telling my parents that I FINALLY wanted to be a journalist, this after many failed attempts of telling them I wanted to be a singer, dancer, actress, philanthropist, author and everything else under the African artist sky. Apart from the astonished look of “my daughter is going to die doing a story in a war zone”, my dad’s first question was “how much does it pay?” Now quite shocked and a little offended at the question, I understood where the question was coming from. In most if not all cases, parents want the very best for their children and coming from a middle class family where ends were met with a bit extra left over, it was no wonder why my parents wanted more for me thus resulting to the question of money stumbling through the shock-waves straight into the crux of the career announcement.

I knew what I was getting myself into or well I thought I did, I mean I did use “The Devil wears Prada” as a

manual for navigating the world of journalism. You pick up a thing or two after watching it a couple of times, namely that to survive in such an industry or any industry for that matter, you HAVE TO WORK YOUR WAY UP, maybe not in 93 minutes but you will eventually get there. Little did I know that the struggle to work your way up while staying steadfast in your dream was REAL.
Most people think that once you are done with school, toss your graduation hat in the air, the world is your oyster. True as it may be, people forget to add the disclaimer that states that “THIS is where the REAL work begins”.

Forget about landing your dream job the minute you step out of the varsity gates, you know that 6 figure, view from the top type of job. Now I say this with no malicious intent but rather a reality check, to rid this sense of entitlement that the world has made to be a norm. YES our parents nurtured the pot plant we call our dreams by sending us to the best schools, YES we may have managed to steer that which we were given in the right direction by means of going to school and getting that qualification BUT DARLING that was just the foundation of it all. Like I reiterate, don't forget the disclaimer that comes with the graduation hat toss, THIS IS WHERE THE REAL WORK BEGINS.
Now the first step in this is getting your FOOT in the door, which I dismally failed to understand as rejection was a foreign concept to me until I began applying for varsity (story for another day) nonetheless the sense of entitlement slowly started to fade. The realization that the first job won’t be the cushiest job nor will it come with the benefits that we only see in movies, IT IS A START.

A start very few get a chance to experience the minute they step out of the varsity gates. It was with this mindset that made me understand that one need not settle for any job but rather get a job within the desired field of choice after all Rome wasn’t built in a day. 

The key to this crazy roller coaster we call life is to get your foot in the door and keep the tunnel vision to your dream because brick by brick, you will build the life you want. It is only in the end that you will see why the dream is FREE and the HUSTLE is sold separately because after all the blood, sweat and tears will you appreciate the view from the top after all no one remembers easy, everyone remembers the pain, the sweat, the tears because that’s what makes it GREAT.