SWAZI TALENT: Meet The Sensational Smooth Criminalz from Manzini

The Smooth Kriminalz is a dance crew that hails from Manzini, affectionately known as “BremCity” and consists of Mancoba Nhlabatsi, Sandile Masisela, Mxolisi Baras and Sibusiso Simelane. The crew epitomizes the concept of following ones passion. All four members met during the high school concert and talent show dance scene at the time, observed each other as competition and decided to put the crew together and work towards one common goal.

The name Smooth Kriminalz comes from the crew’s collective admiration of Michael Jackson, an icon and dance revolutionary. In particular, the Michael Jackson music video Smooth Criminal.    

“We identify with Michael Jackson, not just as a dancer but through his constant endeavour to change the form of dance and see it constantly evolve. We see ourselves as the crew that will constantly reinvent itself through our passion for dance & revolutionize the local dance scene, just like MJ”, says member Sandile.

The crew’s dance style can be classified as a fusion of urban hip hop and street culture. “As a dance crew, we believe that a dancer must be able to do all forms of dance and incorporate that into their preferred style. Dance is a craft, a culture and in order to master it, you must be able to do all forms of it. There is a certain humility that comes with knowledge”, says crew member Mancoba.

The crew combines Hip Hop with crumping, popping and locking. So determined are the crew, such that they have a management team which includes: Manager & Booking Agent Linda Malinga, internationally experienced choreographer, dancer and performer Mabandla Dlamini and seasoned Swaziland entertainment industry icon KrTC, who serves as the crews mentor & life coach. “It is important to surround yourself with people that will build you, keep you focused and believe in your purpose”, says Mxolisi

“There is more to just being a dancer. It’s a craft; it’s a way of life. It requires perseverance, unbelievable resilience and most importantly, motivation” says crew member Sibusiso. Smooth Kriminalz have shared the stage most recently with Siyinqaba at the Trade Fair, performed alongside KrTC and Mozaik on individual performances and at Bushfire.

True to their urban culture influences, the crew is using a combination of online platforms to give their fans exclusive access. This includes a YouTube channel called “ Smooth Kriminalz of Dance”, a Facebook page that goes by the same name, where videos of their performances can be viewed, regular updates, gig guides and fan based content.

In a bid to know the Smooth Kriminalz better, we sat down with the current Sprite Urban Dance Competition winners for a chat:

Sibusiso Simelane

Age: 21

Where you were born and where you live: Manzini, currently resides in Ngwane Park
Where did you attend school: WEM College and will soon be pursuing a BCom, majoring in Business Management. Business seems to run in our family, my father was a business man and I would like to emulate that as well.

When did you realise you had a passion for dance: I met Sandile in 2006 and he actually taught me how to dance hip hop. I used to dance the “House” style of dance back then, predominantly at school concerts whilst I was in high school. The Smooth Kriminalz were an inspiration to me, I changed my style of dance, learnt that I was actually better at the hip hop genre. Smooth Kriminalz are my family, the place where I have grown and continue to grow and live my dream everyday.

What is your take on the dance industry in Swaziland: My honest opinion is that the majority of the crew out there do it for the wrong reasons. They merely want to see their names in lights, they want to be famous, it’s almost a very superficial way of wanting to be involved in dance. As a Smooth Kriminalz, we have sacrificed a tremendous amount of things. Dance is our passion, it’s our provider and it’s our safe place. It’s not just about getting on stage and performing for 15 minutes, it’s about all the days, weeks and hours of preparation that go into that 15 minutes. If dance is not in your soul, you shouldn’t be doing it. It’s a mockery of the whole craft

Where do you see yourself in five years as a dancer: I will definitely still be involved in dance, as a choreographer and performer. Hopefully I would also have my business degree by then and have a successful business as well.

Dance is an art of expression and so is fashion. Are you also into fashion and if so, describe your personal style: As a principle, I believe comfort is stylish. In terms of the outward appearance, I would classify my dress sense as urban street chic.

Sandile Masilela

Age: 18
Where you were born and where you live: Manzini
Where did you attend high school: Salesian High School
When did you realise you had a passion for dance: It was in 2002. My older brother was part of a dance crew at the time. I used to watch them perform at high school concerts and wanted to be on that stage. I wanted to perform for people. I thought to myself that I can do this. I started learning different dance steps and the rest as they say is history. I have always wanted to experience the magic of a stage. It’s a feeling one can never describe.

What is your take on the dance industry in Swaziland:  Personally, I think it has grown but there are not enough crews out there that are doing this for the right reasons. From a dance routine perspective, I think all crews can do better. The one thing that irks me about the local dance scene is that crews aren’t taking responsibility for the image of the dance industry that they are putting out there. It’s all fake. Money is important, making a living is important but as a true dancer, money can’t possibly be ones only motivation. As the Smooth Kriminalz, we constantly endeavour to change that perception. We use our off stage and on stage behaviour as a catalyst the positively change the materialistic and shallow culture currently being portrayed in the local dance community.

Where do you see yourself in five years as a dancer: Owning a Dance Academy for kids. The ability to nurture raw talent from a young age, makes an enormous difference.

Dance is an art of expression and so is fashion. Are you also into fashion and if so, describe your personal style: It’s not something that I really think about – I would have to say Urban Sporty, with a touch nerd inspired pieces.

Mxolisi Baras

Age: 20

Where you were born and where you live: Fairview, Manzini
Where did you attend high school: St.Pauls High School. I would love to study Agronomy.

When did you realise you had a passion for dance: In 2006, I performed at a lot of high school concerts. It was amazing. The high school concert culture is the place where I learnt that I could physically do more with my body. That I could learn and master other genres of dance. Most importantly, it’s where I found my inner passion for stage performance.

What is your take on the dance industry in Swaziland: There is a certain level of respect that comes from doing something, truly from a point of passion and for the right reasons. My biggest gripe with the local industry is that, it is being held at ransom by materialism and all the pretentious interactions that come along with that. The local dance industry would be so much further, if people did this honourably.

Where do you see yourself in five years as a dancer: Definitely as a performer and choreographer. God willing, my Agronomy business will be well on its way as a success.

Dance is an art of expression and so is fashion. Are you also into fashion and if so, describe your personal style: Confidence is stylish. In terms of dress sense, it would be urban street chic with different elements of nerd

Mancoba Nhlabatsi

Age: 20

Where you were born and where you live: Fairview, Manzini
Where did you attend high school: Enjabulweni High School. I have plans to study IT

When did you realise you had a passion for dance: Like my crew members, I started out performing at high school concerts and talent shows. It’s a great place to start, as you learn the art of performing with confidence. Plus, it’s a nice place to start a fan base that will support you throughout the early stages of the performance process.

What is your take on the dance industry in Swaziland: I would like it to reach a point where event organizers, promoters, booking agents and so on, actually realize that a dancer is just as important as a singer or rapper. That as a dancer, we can command a stage, pull a crowd, headline an act and most important, be financially viable. Smooth Kriminalz will be the crew that changes these perceptions, we are doing it already. Soon enough, we will be a main act, headlining our own show. Dancers are not just meant to be in the background, we can and will be in the fore front. We hope Swaziland is ready!

Where do you see yourself in five years as a dancer: I would love to be a choreographer and more involved in the business management side of the dance industry

Dance is an art of expression and so is fashion. Are you also into fashion and if so, describe your personal style:  A combination of urban street, nerdy and sporty.

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