South African superstar, Lethabo 'Focalistic' Sebetso, is delighted about the love his music has attracted in Nigeria which he now regards as his second home.
The Amapiano star openly discussed his appreciation for the love from his Nigerian fans while speaking to a team of content creators, experiencing Spotify's Amapiano Tour, in Pretoria, South Africa on March 19, 2023.
Focalistic may, according to the artist himself, have more than 50 million streams from Nigeria these days, his second-highest behind his home country, but his relationship with the market didn't kick off to a great start.
He said, "The first time I went to Nigeria, people weren't dancing - they were literally just watching me with flashlights and I thought, 'No, we need to change this.'"
The star's fortunes have changed since then in Nigeria and he credits this to his collaboration with Afrobeats superstar, David 'Davido' Adeleke. The duo collaborated on a remix of the South African's Ke Star and later the Champion Sound smash hit months apart in 2021.
"From meeting Davido four years ago and now having over 50 million streams from Nigeria alone, it feels like that's my second home. When Champion Sound went number one, I was in Nigeria, performing, and it just spiritually happened - the universe. It's been a crazy journey," he recounted.
The Spotify Amapiano Tour between March 19 and March 22 explored the roots of the sound and how strategic collaborations can help it become a mainstay global giant. Focalistic noted that he's pressed about working with others to build on the momentum of the sound, including in Nigeria where he's lined up collaborations with Afrobeats stars.
The 26-year-old said he's already made a new song with a Nigerian artist in the past week but was shy about dropping a name.