Bio

AK!(African Knight) born 22 March 1980 as Akona Maqashalala has always been different... Excessive and quirky are just a few adjectives to describe this old soul, yet new face to the music industry... Classically trained, he wrote his first song @ age 12 and performed it front a bustling crowd of festival goers in Grahamstown. From there he went to join a rock band where he stood as lead vocals... After leaving school another evolutionary jump was taken, RADIO was added. At this stage he is around 20 and has yet to collide with the art of mixing... After a stint at the radio station he falls in love with the world of production... Forging his craft the hard way, alone and with no guidance to generate a very specific melodic melancholy sound that always seems to draw on nostalgia... From there came the birth of AK the DJ... Prolifically collecting music, he took his time to get out to play for crowds... Plotting and planning and making sure that he could understand the crowd dynamic more than just playing tracks. For those who have had the chance of hearing him play we can all say that every set has been a memorable one... From the days of Escobar(Pineslopes) to days gone Opening of Roger Goode(Original PE Beach Party) to the various house parties in and around JHB. The most important aspect about this particular musician is not hype and collected consciousness, its more about intimacy and emotion. He strives to make you feel something, lonely, euphoric, ecstatic, bombastic, hatred... even love... So when you hear The AK! Live or recording now you know what the thought behind the music is... Life's a journey... Enjoy the ride...