By: Lerato Mutlanyane

Lucky D’s fingers fly across the decks, bringing us acoustic sounds of Soul and R&B. Emerging from Motse Thabong in Welkom, Lucky David Mapena, known as “Lucky D,” is known for crafting a unique blend of soul, R&B as well as Afro Pop and has captivated great audiences with his craft. With his career taking off as a mere hobby, it eventually transitioned into a passion for playing soul/R&B, which landed him huge gigs with the likes of Wilson B, Sentle Lihoko, David Mashabela, the late Peter Mashata, and many more. Navigating the soul/R&B genre presents numerous challenges, as its appeal is limited to a specific audience. However, Lucky D is thriving despite these obstacles. Lucky D indicated that the many occurring challenges within the industry are that there is a vast number of DJs that want to join the pool, gunning for the ball, which seems not to be sustainable for all, and how the people in the industry are disjointed. “Events are just not normal, there is a lot of duplication and there is no creativity at all,” he mentions. With DJ Teddy’s exceptional mentorship, Lucky D has rowed this ship for a good 15 years, making appearances at Bloemfontein’s most astounding establishments like Cubana and Sechaba Lounge. With aspirations of owning a soul and R&B lounge that supports the curation of live music and will be one of the city’s key tourism points. Catch Lucky D at Sechaba Lounge every Sunday for the “Extended Sunday Soul Sessions.”