Published
Name: Teleki Wilfred Mphahlele aka Da Africa Deep
Nationality: South African
Occupation: Producer, DJ
Current release: Da Africa Deep's new Love Your Life LP is out via Mayonie.
Hometown Recommendations: I would recommend Magoebaskloof, in Limpopo, South Africa — particularly the area around Modjadji, which is deeply connected to the story of the Rain Queen. There’s something very spiritual about the place. Rain has a special significance there, and traditionally, the Rain Queen is believed to have the power to bring rain to the land. The area itself is incredibly lush, and rain feels like a constant presence throughout the seasons. For me, being there has an almost healing quality. There’s a belief that when the rain falls on you, it cleanses you — as though it washes away the weight and impurities you carry from the outside world. When you arrive there, you immediately feel a different energy. It’s peaceful, grounding and deeply connected to nature. That feeling of renewal is what makes it a place I would recommend experiencing.
If you enjoyed this Da Africa Deep interview and would like to know more about his music and projects, visit him on Instagram, Facebook, and Soundcloud.
Do you have certain rituals that help you get into the right mindset for creating music?
When I’m creating music, I need the environment around me to be calm. I like the room's energy to be low and peaceful; even the frequency of the space needs to feel right. It allows me to disconnect from everything happening around me, zone in completely, and enter my own creative space.
When I’m preparing to play for an audience, it becomes more spiritual. I pray and ask God to help me connect with the people I’m about to play for. For me, that connection is important; it’s about being in tune with the people and the energy I’m going to share with them.
For you to get started, do you need to have a concrete idea or a visualization of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?
I don’t necessarily start with a concrete idea or a vision of what the finished work should be. For me, the creative process begins with simply being alive and experiencing life as a human being.
I try to live as normally and fully as possible — laughing, going out, spending time with people, having conversations and experiencing different moments — rather than constantly locking myself away in a room to create. Those real-life experiences naturally become a source of inspiration.
I think that’s what allows me to keep my creativity authentic. The more I experience life, the more I have to express through music. So rather than trying to plan everything in advance, I allow life itself to feed the creative process. In many ways, living is part of creating for me.
What makes lyrics good, in your opinion? What are your own ambitions and challenges in this regard?
For me, good lyrics are words that contribute something meaningful to people’s lives. They should carry something positive — whether that’s peace, love, hope, or simply an emotion that someone can connect with.
My ambition is to create lyrics that go beyond the music itself and leave something with the listener. If the words can bring a sense of peace, make someone feel loved, understood, or connected, then I feel they have served a purpose.
Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? How much improvement and refinement do you personally allow until you’re satisfied with a piece?
For me, it comes down to how the music makes me feel. If I listen to a piece and it genuinely makes me happy, that’s when I know it’s finished. If it doesn’t, then I know there’s still something missing, and I need to keep working on it.
It has to fulfil me first, as the creator. I don’t necessarily believe in endlessly refining something just for the sake of perfection. What matters is reaching that point where I can listen to it, feel completely fulfilled by what I’ve created, and be happy with it. That’s when I know I can let it go.
There are many descriptions of the creative state. How would you describe it for yourself personally? Is there an element of spirituality to what you do?
For me, creativity starts with being whole within yourself. I try to let go of anger, frustration and anything that might disturb my inner peace. I need to feel content and aligned before I can truly create.
Spirituality is a very important part of that process. Personally, I try to align myself with God. I believe He is the creator of everything, and entering that spiritual space allows me to approach music with a pure heart and soul.
When your heart, mind and soul are connected, you become more open — almost like you’re creating space within yourself to receive ideas, emotions and energy. That’s the state I try to reach when I create. It’s less about forcing an idea and more about being open enough to receive it.
For your latest release, what did you start with? Were there any conceptual considerations behind it?
My latest release, "My Side," came from a very personal place. I have a close relationship with the singer, Lyric Shoxen, and we’ve discovered that we share similar life experiences, which naturally created a strong connection between us.
When we created the song, he was remembering his mother. That emotion became central to the record, particularly through the idea of “you’re always by my side.” He was also very close to my mother, and that shared connection brought another layer of meaning to the song and strengthened the bond between us.
There are many tracks on the album that mean something to me, but "My Side" is particularly special. It came from a genuine human connection — friendship, family, memory and the feeling that the people we love can remain by our side, even in different ways.
Are there things you’re passionate about but rarely get the opportunity to talk about? Please tell us about them.
I’m deeply interested in the psychology of human beings — understanding human behaviour, why we feel the way we do, and why we react differently to certain emotions and experiences. I’m especially fascinated by what happens to us when we experience music: why a sound can move us, bring us joy, or connect with us when we’re going through sadness.
That curiosity is actually at the heart of Da Africa Deep. The idea is to explore the depth of music and try to reach its purest form — creating something that people don’t just hear, but genuinely feel.
I believe music can reconnect us with something very fundamental. Life can sometimes become overwhelming, and we can lose touch with ourselves, but music has this ability to bring us back — to remind us that we are human, that we can feel, and ultimately, that we are alive.
Outside of music, I’m also a big football fan and support Real Madrid. But one of my biggest passions is motorsport. I’m a real car enthusiast and love racing — I spend a lot of time on Formula 1 racing games, and whenever I get the opportunity, I go karting. That competitive side of racing is something I really enjoy.
