Credit: Nelis Engelbrecht photography
EMO ADAMS Emo Adams was only 9 years old when he stole the hearts of the audience members in David Kramer and Taliep Petersen’s musical, District 6. In 2007 Emo released his first CD, “Tall, Dark & Afrikaans”. Ever since he has been on the go entertaining audiences at big festivals and shows all over South Africa, TV series and his chat show, Jou show met Emo, which is one of kykNET’s most popular shows. AWSUM asked him a few questions about fatherhood and his plans for 2018. What were the highs and lows of your school career? Meeting Nelson Mandela at our school. I sang an anthem to him which was known as the unofficial anthem back then. I did not know the words so I had to sing it off a page. There weren’t many lows during school. The only low was on my first day of Standard 6 (Grade 8) when the police raided our school. I would say that was my low. Any stories your old high school teacher would tell us? I really don’t know what my teachers would say, because I wasn’t loud. I was a quiet, and average student and did not even make jokes or anything. March last year, you became a dad for the second time. What do you enjoy about fatherhood? I think everything. I have been an entertainer my whole life so fatherhood is very new to me and you learn something every day. It’s not like entertainment – you present something different, add a few lights and then it’s a new show, but with kids you learn something every day. The whole experience is what’s amazing to me. Rehearsal, shows, teething, nappies, what’s your recipe to keep all the balls in the air? If someone knows the concept of that recipe I would pay that person. Everyone’s life is different, so you try to fit everything you can into one day. The best I can do is to give 100% at work and 100% when I am home. That is like the best case scenario.
Editorial team Designers Aniena Keller Nadia Matthee Ruveix Venter Rowan Engledoe Coordinator Zinta Koekemoer Andre Hanekom Distribution Yolande Brittnell Steyn
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What do you do to relax? I don’t really relax, but if I do it’s with the family. Our family made a pact that every Sunday we will take a break from everything and spend time together. That was kind off our new year’s resolution and has worked well for us so far. Luckily my wife is taking me to Thailand for my birthday so that will be a nice vacation. Who is your biggest motivator/cheerleader? There are a few people, but my biggest cheerleader would be my wife. She supports me with everything that I do even if she thinks I’m taking on too much work or I need to take it slow. And then my manager Olivia Gildenhuys. She is the second one that will always motivate me to reach higher grounds and shoot for the stars. Also my friends, the group JAG, my parents and, like everyone, I have a lot of good people in my corner that always motivates me. You worked with a few big names in the industry, namely David Kramer and Taliep Petersen. Any life lessons you learnt from these icons that you want to share with the readers? You really do learn something from everybody and obviously the longest time of my career was with Taliep Petersen and David Kramer, but you learn so much of all the people. You steal with your eyes and learn, make mistakes and you try to improve. Even with my director Basil Appolis, we worked together for years and I know exactly what he wants. He inspires me to write my own scripts and to start producing and directing. There are quite a few people that inspire me, but I think for me, I would say the community of Mitchell’s Plain, because if you look at their
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Pieter Brand | 076 026 3250 pieter@tiemedia.co.za
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AWSUM NEWS APRIL 2018
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lifestyle you get inspired to try better. You can see that all of them try to do better in life and it gives me the courage to try harder. You and your wife, Michelle Gildenhuys is the perfect image of the new South Africa and that love conquers all. Any advice? She is a very good activist and example for what our country should be. I wouldn’t say it’s a new South Africa, you can only be “new” so many times but we must try to change the mentality of people or what they are used to. They say you can’t learn an old dog new tricks but you can teach the new people. That’s the reason why she does motivational talks at schools. The youth is the people you need to help and who can make a difference. She is definitely a great advocate for what this country should be. What’s on the horizon for 2018? The Emo 30 show for kykNET and my 40th birthday. It’s cool to know that you have been in the industry for so long and also relevant for so long. I know there were many before me and there would be many after me, but I have seen a lot of people come and go and you never hear from them again. Any funny memes that you saw lately? I don’t know, the last one a read was don’t be so ‘judgerag’…it is a word for when you judge people. What is you favourite hashtag? #awkard
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