Many people know the Afro-RNB singer as the Tsonga Prince of music, but those who have met the 35 year old, at a personal level will tell you that he is actually an epitome of humbleness, loving, articulate and multi-talented human being. What striking about Henny is that he is arguably an autodidactic artist like many influential figures in history, such as Leonardo da Vinci, but more fascinating about him is that he embraces other people opinions. One can conclude that he is partially or wholly self-taught when it comes to music and production.
South Africa has rich mix of musicians, from different backgrounds and personalities. once in awhile, you will be blown away when you find out that someone you think you know, is worth much more than they appear or what you thought of them. For this reason, The Only Truth website brings you a live coverage interview of Henny Susani Chauke well known as "Henny C", in its quest to dig out the truth and keep society informed.
Can you tell us briefly about your background?
Henny C: Henny c grew up like any other normal child, I grew up in Mpambo, one of the small village in Malamulele, went to school at Tsamani primary school. I have done half of my high school in Mphambo and then went to Shingwedzi High School to finish up my studies. I was born in a Christian family, I remember my mother would take us to church but my father was mostly not available because he worked far away from home in Rusternburg. So growing in Mpambo we have spent a long time without seeing him, but he was a very present father. My uncle was a musician, but not known he was just playing a guitar and singing. So I would sit with him most of the time and play the guitar, so when he was not around I would play his guitar trying to imitate what he was playing.
How did you come up with your brand name “Henny C”
Henny C: Ok, my whole name is Henny Chauke, you know when I grew up there was this other label I used to like called Loxion Culture, it had a C that was pelt differently, the whole day I would try to write that C, it was very interesting to me, I always wished I could use it somewhere. So when I became an artist I thought I could call myself “Henny C” because I could use that C from Loxion Culture, that is when it became Henny C, at least I can keep my C because it is abbreviating my surname Chauke.
You seem to be scooping awards each and every year, how does that make you feel?
Henny C: Awards is an encouragement for whoever is in a position, I believe in any type of a job yearly they make awards to thank their staff to encourage them to keep them working. For me more than being happy, is an encouragement to keep me working hard as much as am working, because it shows that they see what I am doing, I am not doing it in vein, whoever is organising that particular award is looking at what I am doing and is very aware. You know most of us working, we need to be encouraged in the way, so it makes me feel happy that I win awards for each and every album that I produce, it gives me strength to go on.
Henny C: There is a lot of venues that I went to, and you know that there is always that one place that stands out like you said. You know when am at Bushbuckridge there is this thing from the crowd when am on stage, the acceptance from the crowed, it gives me that satisfaction that I want as an artist, definitely Bushbuckridge actually is one place, let me say Mpumalanga as a whole, actually that is a place I feel more happier when I am on stage, that side they welcome in a very massive way. But also Limpopo as whole, it has given me that acceptance, so I feel so much great. So between these two provinces, Mpumalanga and Limpopo, I actually don’t even know which one has a special place in my heart, so because Limpopo is my birth place it will take the cake but Mpumalanga does it.
Have you ever dealt with performance anxiety?
Henny C: Well, that comes in each and every performance, you know it is a very scary thing because is more like going to an interview. You are being checked, other people invite you to see if you can pull the crowd, so you are always trying to be organised, and you are also trying to satisfy the ones who bought the tickets, so it always play in your mind that I need to pull this through. So the nerves come but as soon as they give me the mic, it’s like they are releasing some sort of energy. I normally take my mic before I go on stage, I start performing from the crowd, so that calms me down, and it calms my nerve. The moment I reach the stage, seeing audiences responding positively to my coming that also takes away the nerves, but trust me the nerves are always there, you feel like your knees are being knocked with a harmer, you can’t feel them, so you just have to gather yourself and go on.
You have been in the music industry for quite some time, for almost 16 years but only manage to break through in 2016. What were the challenges, why it took so long to break through, and what were you doing before recording your first album in October 2016?
Henny C: Challenges like any
other musician, you have to fight to be recognised first, you have to convince your village first to believe ve in you which is one of the difficult challenge to an artist or any other person who is in the entertainment industry or business, having to convince your village. Once you have convinced your village you are done. Also having financial challenges, it has always been an issue, it is never an easy one. And finally having to convince the whole of South Africa to say I am here, I need to do this thing.
What drew you to the music industry
Henny C: I think it was a drive that comes from within, most people would say it’s a calling, it can be called so, and you know we were born differently, we have similarities in most ways but things which differs from other people. You know we were born with kidneys, born with a heart, but then there is this button that God put, which is your talent, it put you somewhere.
What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Henny C:
Every child is born with his/her gift and the destiny they gonna reach, as a person you are the only driver to your destiny. Whatever you do one earth, do it with both hands, with passion and love and you will reach exactly the goals you want to reach. Only you that can do it for yourself
Who inspires you?
Henny C: A lot of people inspires me, I used to say one person then and I realised that sometimes it’s a blander. So I pick each and every positive thing from any person who lives in this world, May it be a fan, may it be a world star. You know I pick key elements from every person.
If you could open a show for any artist who would it be?
Henny C: We normally focus on ourselves as musicians than others, if you asked me this question question three years ago my answer would be Mr Bow, then I realised that even the smallest artists need someone who can open for them. The word open means a lot, especially when you open for small artists than you. You are actually opening even more for his doors to be known out there, so I would prefer to open for an artist that is small and less than me in terms of followers
Any collaboration with other artists on the cards?
Henny C: In terms of collaboration now, I can’t say much because I have not signed anything with anyone to finalise a collaboration. There are artists who are interested in featuring and I am also interested in featuring them, but it’s not yet a done deal so I rather not say much about it, but I am working on my CD which will be released on the 14th of February 2019
You are also a studio producer, Composer, Song writer, Studio engineer, Photographer, Videographer and Music Video Producer. You are clearly multi-talented, where did you learn all the skills and knowledge you have acquired?
Henny C: In 2006 or 2007 I used to work as waiter at ocean basket for three year and I was lucky to get some few cents and I managed to buy my first computer. My younger brother had some CD that had a program called T-Base, somewhere somehow we installed it in our computer without anyone giving us advice, we pressed and pressed until we figured it out our selves. It didn’t take us long to know because we knew how to play a keyboard, but we didn’t have a keyboard so we drew music through the mouth, those who are producers they will know what I am talking about. So even the videos, editing and shooting I just bought cameras we did ourselves, so that is God given talent we no taught by anybody.
Since you are a man of many talents, what is the most useless talent you would say you have?
Henny C: You know talent can never be useless because the one you call useless can be the one that saves your life the other time. I can’t really tell, but actually I respect everything that I do, may it be being a father, may it be being a soccer player because I did try to play soccer but somewhere somehow I think I was not good on it. I tried but I can’t call it useless because you will never know what happens, anything can happen.
What is the process of writing a song like to you, because some artists claim that they dream about it?
Henny C: I make a beat, after making a beat I sit down with a mic, the I just record word by word. That is how I work, I don’t write on paper or dream about music, it is very rare for me to dream about music. So I actually just compose my songs, I record myself so that I can chop and cut whatever that I want to because I mean I am not under pressure of having to waste anybody’s time, so that works for me actually.In terms of composing, it comes, I create a beat then I think, then something will come through then put it on. I wrote all albums expect for the three songs, which is one in each album where I featured Speedofivo, he only wrote his part in the songs I featured him, so I can’t say I fully composed the song. He is one of the guys I respect in music. But besides that all songs have been written by me.
how would you like to be remembered?
Henny C: Its still early for me to say, but I were to be remembered any day, I just want to be remembered as an artist that never change, even after whatever I become. I want to remain humble, most people say I am humble, I believe so, so I would like to remain the same. I just want to be remembered as that one artist that never changed even when thing went good for him or bad for him. I just want to be remembered as a friendliest musician that ever lived in this earth.
Fans
How do you interact and responds to fans?
Henny C: I’m very active on Facebook, or in all social networks, I try to make time and respond to their comments because that is the closest platform they can get close to me, because I cannot be everywhere. If you can check the interaction I have with my fans, if you in box me, you comment on my page, I respond as quickly as possible as much as I have time I will sit down and reply to my fans. When I am in gigs, I am an easy guy to go to, I don’t walk are with bodyguards and all of that stuff. If someone wants a picture they get it without even have to beg for it, so that is the best things I can give back to the fans that have supported me.
You can follow Henny C on twitter: @hennyctprince
Instagram: hennyctsongaprince
Facebook:HENNY C
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In Africa we pray for rain well aware that after the rain we are rewarded with crawling and flying insects that are protein rich and nutritious to our bodys. Africans of nowadays indulge in things that are more dangerous in their lives. The Meat products that they eat are injected with brine or breed in an environment that fastrack their growth. Brine is injected into chicken and other meat products to retain succulence and flavour. If you pay attention to details you would notice that some of the individually quick frozen (IQF) chicken portions packages are written 30% brine and 70% chicken. In South Africa we are used to eating three or more meals a day for most of our lives, so imagine what happens to your health when you eat 30% brine three times a day. 
Very few African governments have embraced the use of insects as food and feed, leading to a lack of and poor legislative frameworks to effectively support this emerging industry. South Africa has high rate of unemployment, and we have a government that is looking for solutions from wrong places. We have vendors in thohoyandou selling termites or flying termites but without government support they will not prosper, we do not have big supermarkets that sells these edible insects for human consumption. The department of agriculture and tourism has not come to the party, is it feasible that we can farm some of these insects in South Africa? When we talk about farming everyone thinks of cattle, poultry, goats and sheeps, in dry seasons or diseases there is no plan B, people lose jobs and food production goes down. The costs of farming chicken and Cricket will vary and cricket will be less in terms of cost. 
