Creating music, directorial and production pieces for television and stages while working with the finest performers across the globe has been an 18-year long journey for Mpho Pholo.
Today the music director, composer and producer affectionately known in the music business as 37mph, is announcing his up-coming body of work, an album, Lerato releasing on 12 March.
Lerato, a Sotho word meaning “love” is an album shaped by a subject of passion for 37mph, marking it his second album after first releasing “37 Energy Levels” in 2009 which was followed by two singles “Eyes Closed” featuring local youngster Kaien Cruz in 2018 and “Closer” featuring Nigerian artist Praiz in 2019.
“For the last five years since 2016 I have been focused on creating and excelling a name for myself as an international music director for award shows, television productions and specials. When I decided to begin working on a body of work I knew it was going to take intentionality and a single-minded approach, so I set time aside to write, Lerato in August shortly after recovering from Covid19,” said 37mph.
For Lerato, 37mph elevated the game as he championed the entertainment industry’s call to “open up the industry”, collaborating with 80% up-and-coming artists for the 10-track album only seeing him feature three known talent on the project Zeus (hip hop artists from Bostwana) on leading hit Lerato and SA rapper Chad Da Don on another track called Say You Love Me and Zulu Mecca on I Don’t Wanna Miss Ya.
The up-and-coming talent featured on the Lerato album hail from across the continent such as Namibian talent Kurzca on a track called See You Tonight, a track also featuring KwaZulu-Natal talent 2RealSA and multi-instrumentalist from Uganda, Myko Ouma in Njakutunga. Local vocalists featured are Mamello Mokhele (Soweto) who leads on vocals on Umdali, while the projects also features more Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal including Lele, Tamarsha, Mosa, Kebbish Colley and Garret Webster on other tracks.
“Lockdown levelled out the playing field, I decided to take the elevator down and discover new talent, especially the ones who have innate qualities of being global singers and songwriters. The engagement with the music production community sparked my passion for reaching out to upcoming artists. Developing new talent and being an architect for an artist’s sonic journey is a passion and a skill I’ve developed in my career,” said 37mph.
Through his 18-year career in the music business 37mph has worked with Africa’s crème de la crème such as Cassper Nyovest, Micasa, Ami Faku, RJ Benjamin, Jozi, Morafe, Nomsa Mazwai, Zola 7, Malik, Slikour, Zuluboy, JR, Reason, Proverb, Sindi Nene, Tebogo Moloto, Zuluboy, Falz (Nigeria), Bebe Cool (Uganda) Efya (Ghana), Praiz (Nigeria), Negus (France), Vanda May (Portugal), Trey Songz (USA) and Jason Derulo (USA). His resume also exudes work from shows including DStv Mzansi Viewer’s Choice Awards, Hansa Festival of Legends, SA Hip Hop Awards, The Voice South Africa, Nigeria and Afrique Francophone while also having worked on Coke Studio Africa and South Africa, M-Net 30th Celebration, The Bantu Hour S1, PSL10 Awards and many more.
Pre-order the album Lerato, from the tomorrow, 26 February 2021 and receive an exclusive listen to the first single “Lerato” before the album launches on 12 March. Pre-orders will be available across streaming platforms including Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer and Tidal.
Supporters can also tune into musical maestro’s Instagram Live sessions to listen to vast conversations on “love” from various guests hosted by 37mph biweekly in a through his webisodes dubbed “Lerato Series”.