Who is Matenas? Dance sensation & his dad speak out after viral videos

Who is Matenas? Dance sensation & his dad speak out after viral videosMatenas Wadi Yobisi's dance videos caught the attention of Mzansi, making him an instant celebrity. His dad opens up.

by Nokuthula Ngcobo

24-06-2022 14:14

in Entertainment

Getting to know Matenas (left) following viral videos and the release of his song with his friend Mandla Kayise (right). Inage via @matenas_wadi_yobisi/Instagram

The internet just loves Matena's amapiano dance videos and the catchy chant Matenas Wadi Yobisi is heard everytime he busts a move.

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The Pretorian schoolboy, who is booked and busy, released his self-titled debut single with his friend Mandla Kayise on Friday 24 June.

With fans curious about his real name and age, especially after sparking outrage on Thursday when a provocative video of him and stripper went viral, Matenas had a chat with TshisaLIVE.

ALSO READ: Isn't he underage?': Video of Matenas with stripper sparks outrage

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WHO IS MATENAS? The 16-year-old internet sensation's real name is actually Martinis Olckers, but his schoolmates decided to give his name a vernacular spin and that became his stage name.

A month ago, his friend and manager Mandla, 19, asked to take videos of him while at Suiderberg School, which they attend together. After uploading the videos on social media earlier this month, Matenas became an instant celebrity.

Mandla was asking to take videos of how I dance. That's how I got popular. It feels amazing. It feels like I'm dreaming as I get more popular, he said.

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In the viral videos, the young man is in school uniform and is surrounded by his friends and schoolmates who hype him up as he dances. According to Mandla, it was after the second try that his friend went viral and that's when his following on Instagram escalated. Currently, he has 20 000 followers.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by TheeRealMatenas (@matenas_wadi_yobisi)

-- THE DEBUT SINGLE HAS DROPPED Matenas quickly caught the attention of various amapiano musicians when he went viral, including Nkao Tempela hitmakers Mellow and Sleazy. The duo took to their social media to announce that Matenas will be joining them at the Barcardi Fest in Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria last week.

As videos of his performances circulated, this prompted him and Mandla to release a track under a music group with their friend VusiR5.

We are like a team. We work together. VusiR5 is a singer and Mandla can dance too, Matenas told TshisaLIVE

They also shared that they are set to sign a distribution deal contract with Sony Music in the coming week.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by TheeRealMatenas (@matenas_wadi_yobisi)

-- ALSO READ: Booked and busy': SA schoolboy breaks the internet with dance moves

MATENAS' FATHER WEIGHS IN ON PROVOCATIVE VIDEO Following a recent video of Matenas dancing with a stripper who twerks and rubs herself against him as he rubs her buttocks, Twitter was not impressed. Many tweeps were disturbed by the clip as they wanted to know how old he was and who his parents are.

Speaking to the publication about the his son's viral videos, Lucky Olckers said that Matenas keeps him in the dark.

They don't keep me up to date. I'm in the dark always. If I say something to my son he gets cross, saying; I'm going, I'm going'. I don't want him to go, that's why I leave him, the father said.

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