DANDALA- This Dandala Is the Epitome of the Odyssey of an African Man Besieged with Society’s Expectations and His Personal Fla

He is not your drop-dead gorgeous kind of guy but his African red lips have an easily smiling look that is guaranteed to attract. Hlomla Dandla is a well educated and travelled man who has been acting and directing South African movies which transcends into major parts of the African continent. When you are a core element of productions like Isidingo, Jacob’s Cross, Generations, All You Need Is Love, Interrogation Room, Land Of Thirst, Gaz’lam and Jozi-H and the son of a man who was once the head of all African Christian council, scandal is bound to bed you. This

Dandla is the epitome of the odyssey of an African man besieged with society’s expectations and his personal flaws. The thirty-five year old got divorced from his wife ironically after presenting the reality show, “All You Need Is Love”.
Dandla was born in London and has therefore been tagged as one of the people who sometimes find themselves lost as to where they really belong. ‘Baby making machine’ as he is called has three different daughters from three different women. Though he is famous, he is bound by a society that frowns on Christians having children outside wedlock.

Though English was his first language, he thinks and dreams in Xhosa because that is the language his parents speak to him with. Despite being acculturated, he says, “It is very funny, when I get upset, even at home, they know when I am speaking Xhosa that, “Alright, he’s not filtering anymore”. He appreciates the people and the land since people are ready to offer a helping hand anytime.

Amidst all glamour, he acknowledges that he is not a city boy by a long shot. His hometown is quiet arid but something sparks whenever he goes home. He has been circumcised as expected of every young man and he feels quite proud of himself for that attainment which meant he could partake in family meetings. A family meeting in Dandaville (the place is literally full of Dandalas) is a must for him since it offers spiritual refreshment.
The Scandal of baby making was followed by another rumor that there were more skeletons in the closet. This made him admit on air that the only truth was that he had three different baby girls from three women. After conceding, he added that, “I am learning more and more that I am traditional man. I thought I was a modern man. I am also a family protector, a king of my castle”.

Dandla directed, “The Bet” which was screened on all South African broadcasting channels. This interested him because it was meant to spark a debate on values like peer pressure, HIV/AIDS and pre-marital sex within the society which he felt spoke to him on a personal level. The Bet was God-based and as such a very delicate subject because of his father’s status and what he was being lashed out at. He might not be a bishop like his father but to him one of the best platforms to preach was the production. Religion he says has become too judgmental and preachy so he rather engaged people in the movie.
Prayer was an integral part of his childhood and it still was but people and maybe his father were not seeing it that way. He drew on his own experience with his father to direct a part of the movie to make a statement that flaws does not mean it is all lost. To him most fathers would not be patient with their wards when they for instance find drugs in their school bags as it happened in the movie. In his mind he could not help but imagine his father shouting, “Do you think I am stupid” even as he denied knowledge of the drug.

Dwelling in flaws to him is not the best; rather allow it to give you direction. That is why he thinks the timing for the movie was perfect. “It seems there is too much negativity in our society. There is backlash from the apartheid era, but we need to work on these issues. We pulled together to fight the regime and it worked eventually. Surely we can rise up again and overcome our difficulties?”

FASHIONISTA H. MONTIA- THE BEAUTY IN ME

She clinched the Miss Malaika crown at the age of eighteen, becoming the youngest queen of the Miss Malaika series. It did not just end there for her; she carried along her innocent, refreshing and sexy personality to niche a name for herself in modelling. The feat she has achieved is bound to take place as the young lady says her determination drive is so high that sometimes it scares her. Since she doesn’t want to be just another model passing through the well established modelling world of New York, she is back home working tirelessly in the quest to become “a model that helped build fashion and modelling in Ghana.” She is currently working to promote her, I AM FASHION concept. What’s On caught up with the beauty queen during one of her rounds on Oxford street, Osu RE to get first hand information on who she really is and the aftermath of Malaika.
WHO IS HAMAMAT?

“She is a simple girl who doesn’t really like simple things. I do things to fit me as a person and I’m also an extrovert.”

WHAT IS THE SECRET BEHIND YOUR BEAUTY?
“Hmm! I have used shea butter since my childhood. I know that sounds surprising but my grandmother is a naturalist who was awarded by the ex- president, Mr. John Agyakum Kuffour. She has also being honoured a doctorate degree by a group doctors who learnt from her though she has never been to school. So you can imagine the extent to which she influenced my parents and me. At first, I thought it was not fashionable but with my dry skin, I realised it is the only remedy for me.”

GIVE US A BRIEF BACKGROUND ABOUT YOURSELF.

“My parents are Mr. Ibrahim Montia and Mad. Arsha Taimoko. I have two other siblings. We hail from a small town called Kandia in the Upper West region.”

DO YOU THINK FAME TOOK AWAY THE NORMALCY OF GROWING UP?

“Yes it did since I had to mature quickly to match up to the new status. I could not hang out with my friends as often as I wished but then, I knew it was all for the best. It felt like being camped in a box but I don’t regret what has become of me so far.”


DO YOU MODEL FOR ANY FAMOUS DESIGN THAT WE KNOW OF AND HOW EASY WAS IT LANDDING THE JOB?

“Yes I am on for Akon’s Konvict, Forward, Baby Phat and Bravo TV. So far, I think modelling for Konvict, Akon’s clothing line, landed me on the modelling pedestal but it wasn’t easy getting there.
In New York, thousands of potential models go for audition on daily basis. They did not take into account whether one was a beauty queen or not. I was schooling and at the same time going for castings each day. It became very difficult and frustrating but I never gave up until an agency called me to work for Konvict.”

WORKING FOR KONVICT MEANS YOU MET AKON PERSONALLY. WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION AT THAT MOMENT?

“I can’t really describe it because when I saw him, everything looked normal. But when I got home, my sister made so much fuss about it. Then it finally hit me.... wow! I have really met the man. I was so thrilled. Later he got to know that I was an African so we automatically clicked because we had something in common. The next experience was great because I had finally met someone who was darker than I was. Meeting him, one can tell he has not allowed fame to thwart his focus on life”

WHAT MADE YOU GO FOR MALAIKA?

“I had just completed Achimota Secondary School and was seriously searching for a job because I was restless. A cousin of mine saw the advert on television and informed me of the pageant and the car involved. That was what really got me interested but I was a tomboy so I had to quickly change into the girlish type to fit in.”

AT AGE 18, WHAT GAVE YOU THE ADVANTAGE OVER FELLOW CONTESTANTS TO CLINCH THE CROWN?

“I think they all took me for granted because they were in the tertiary institution and older than I was. They looked so elegant and I could not help but respect them as we do to our seniors at the boarding house. I was always thinking of what I could do right that they were ignoring. I was late in preparing my speech at a time when other contestants were already memorising and fluently presenting theirs. I was also confused about what to perform as my talent. So on the eve of the finals, I kept playing with my laptop until a Michael Jackson song started playing and ‘bam’, I got my talent. But the dance routines were not easy and at a point, I wanted to quit all together.”



WHAT IN YOUR OPINION HAS DRIVEN YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?
“I think God and my family are my backbone. From the onset, some friends and members of the extended family criticized me because of my age and Islamic religion. It nearly hindered me from taking part in the Miss Malaika pageant but my parents gave me the full support.”


WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP?

“That list is long! I wanted to be a doctor, then an air hostess and whole lot of other professions.”

HOW FAR WOULD YOU WANT TO TAKE YOUR MODELLING CAREER?

“I am still a model for my agencies but now I want to lay a stronger foundation in Ghana. After my experience in New York, I think the average Ghanaian has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to which attire to wear and for which occasion. So i hope to use my, I AM FASHION Media Consultancy to groom aspiring models and those that are already in the business to be the best in what they do. Again, plans are far ahead regarding a TV show I will be hosting. The show is going to be about fashion and will line up designers and makeup artists who will provide useful tips for all body types. So people should watch out.”

WHICH OTHER PAGEANTS DID YOU TAKE PART IN?

“I won both Model of the Universe Africa and Model of the World Personality. I placed fourth at the Model of the Universe and got to the Top 10 of Face of Africa.”

WOW, THAT’S QUITE AN ACHIEVEMENT! SO WERE THERE ANY CHALLENGES OUT THERE?

“I don’t really consider this as a challenge but I realized I was the only black girl in the Model World pageant. We went out one day and a little boy ran to me and licked my hand; those around started laughing. I asked what was going on only to be told the boy thought I was a chocolate statue. I was so embarrassed but it also looked very strange. Now I just laugh whenever I recollect the incident. There was also an incident of an airport aid ignoring my heavy luggage to help the next white passenger. That shocked me because I thought racism was a thing of the past.”
ANY PARTING LYRICS?

“I’m more experienced than before and I have so much to offer. Ghanaians should get ready because the fashion and modelling scene in Ghana is going to be big and more exciting.”