The Kuwadzana-based producer DJ Mega T of the Kutsotswa Heinz fame is out with a new song entitled Potion.
Taken off his latest eleven-track body of work, The Orchard, whch is an AfricanFire AF Music production, the song features an unfrequented but fresh female energy in the name of Anita.
It is a song about a really strange subject matter: Potion or Love Portion… whether real or perceived.
Fewer folks who dabbles in the farfetched, surreal space of fetish priests, traditional healers, voodooists, and whichever group of people that believes there is more to life than what we could visibly see, knows about this better.
The song is a musical equivalent of a really dope romantic movie starring any of your favorite actor and whoever your favorite actress is.
There could have been a variety of versions about love potions floating around the modern-day oversaturated digital airwaves, but this particular one is unique.
The two collaborators were apt in marrying an upbeat dancehall beat with the slowly penetrating beautiful vocals that Anita is, making the ballad simple, effective and ultimately dope.
With this new jam, we’re convinced that the “Bad Gyal” crown, headdress or whatever nerdy fashion heads call it these days, has been effortlessly snatched by Anita…although she still got a lot to prove to us.
We believe that Potion could be a play-this-song-after-10-minutes banger, but could we be wrong?
Listen to the song and let us know what you think of it. And is you don’t get it the first time, don’t worry. You will be getting there.
In the lead up to the new season of Coke Studio Africa, premiering on TV in
Zimbabwe and across Africa Feb 2019, here’s a look at Zimbabwean acts who have
had a stint with Coke Studio Africa—the
non-competitive music collaboration show, bringing together and celebrating the
diversity of African music and talent.
Zimbabwean acts have featured on Coke Studio Africa since 2017. It all started withthe husky voiced Jah Prayzah when he made history becoming the first Zimbabwean act to feature on Coke Studio Africa.
He has long courted success and is widely famed for
smash hits such as ‘’Gotchi’’, ‘’Maria’’ and ‘’Dande’’. Popularly known as
‘’Musoja’’ to his fans, Jah has enjoyed an expansive career that has seen him
release seven commercial albums including ‘’Sungano’’ ‘’Rudo neRunyararo’’, ‘’Ngwarira
Kuparara’’, ‘’Tsviriyo’’, ‘’Kumbumura
Mhute’’ and ‘’Mdhara
Vachauya’’.
He made his debut
alongside Ykee Benda of Uganda and Mr Bow from Mozambique on the infectious
dancehall jam‘’Superman’’produced by
top Tanzanian record producer Nahreel.
Recounting his 2017
Coke Studio Africa experience he said ‘’Coke Studio was a thrilling experience
for me. Going into the project without knowing much about what really happens
when you are there alone would make anyone nervous but getting to collaborate
in making hits that would go on to light up Africa supersedes all the
nervousness.
Its was two weeks that
I was there but certainly some of the best weeks i will live to recount’’,
adding, ‘’ The culture exchange and the way the platform unites artists for one
common goal, of showing off our pride as Africa can never be matched by any
other experience. It was certainly a period to remember and now forms a part of
my Jah Prayzah DNA.’’
Following Jah’s stellar
debut performance on the show in 2017, more Zimbabwean acts seem to have
followed in his footsteps.
Coke Studio Africa
recently unveiled threeleading Zimbabwean acts set to feature on the highly
anticipated upcoming new season dubbed Coke Studio 2019. They include acclaimed dancehall singer and
songwriter Winky D, rising star Tamy Moyoand highflying producer Young DLC.
Winky D will be featuring on the show for the first time pairedalongside celebrated Mozambican singer Messias with production from one of the most consequential record producers in Africa,GospelOnDaBeatz.
Young DLC
Known for his own unique and captivating
twist on reggae, dub, dancehall and afro pop jams, the singer popularly known
as Gafa, has managed to keep music lovers on their feet with his catchy music
for over a decade now. With his hits like“Disappear” having topped the BBC 1Xtra show, Winky D has stamped his authority as a
leading voice if not king to Zimdancehall.
Speaking on his debut at the recording of
the show Winky D said‘’It’s a great experience, you get to meet and share ideas
with an array of professionals from different backgrounds, vibes and cultures.
The integration of different music markets and fraternities is just
invaluable’’.
Arguably Zimbabwean
hottest female artist at the moment, Tamy Moyo has risen fast commanding a huge
following across Zimbabwe and beyond. With one album already under her belt
titled “The 18th Roller
Coaster”, the 20-year-oldafro pop vocalist is set to deliver her star power
and vocal prowess when the new season premieres.
She’s paired with
Lourena Nhate from Mozambique and Abush Zeleke of Ethiopia. The pair will be
produced by Ugandan prolific producer Daddy Andre.
Speaking on her
debut encounter on the show Tamy noted ‘’Coke Studio has been an amazing
platform for me.
I got to learn more about the industry. I had a chance to meet interesting people as well and I definitely hope that this opportunity is definitely going to grow my career and my audience. Working with many creatives with different perspectives and backgrounds under one roof taught me patience, endurance and most of all tolerance’’.
Winky D
Making a stab for the third time is the multi-faceted Young DLC, the record producer, composer and DJ will once again avail his production finesse at Coke Studio Africa this time producing cover tracks, remixes and Christmas jams for all the enlisted stars.
He is the show’s only Zimbabwean
professional on the production team and has also long been Coke Studio Africa
youngest production team member.
Speaking on his return to the show Young
DLC noted ‘’It’s been a phenomenal run, I got to work with Winky D and Tamy
Moyo for this upcoming season, we enjoyed a good rapport and am confident that
will translate to the music.
I also got work on productions for all the enlisted
superstars on various jams which was a very fulfilling experience,’’ adding,
Coke Studio Africa is an inherent platform thanks to the interaction of
different cultures and rhythms.’’
Once again, lovers of the show will experience new and exciting music
fusions; from covers to throwbacks and original compositions.
In anticipation of the show Coke Studio Africa has already released a
heartwarming Christmas Playlist set to light up the festive season across the
continent. The anticipated new season will be a source of celebration for African content and music,
highlighting stories and reunions that you can’t miss!
This past year has been a busy one for MultiChoice Zimbabwe. Not only has the broadcaster supported multiple local media and film initiatives in an effort to proactively build these sectors, but also brought the very best in world-class entertainment to Zimbabweans through community-oriented broadcast events.
One of the biggest highlights of the year was the launch of the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) for the southern region.
At its heart, the MTF wants to ignite Africa’s creative industries, transforming the film sector.
Recognising that skilled and experienced professionals in this industry are scarce, MTF aims to be part of the solution by growing the skills base while uniting the African film sector into one formalised, professional industry.
The initiative plans to identify the skills gaps, and address these through exposure to technical skills, workplace experience and the production of local content.
MTF also provides internship opportunities on local productions to production houses, saving on crew expenses, while industry players in hub countries benefit from masterclasses focused on key skills, including cinematography, audio and scriptwriting.
This will not only ensure a pool of highly trained and experienced young creatives is made available to the industry each year, but will also significantly enhance the quality of local content productions.
Seven southern African countries are participating in the initiative, including Zimbabwe, with MultiChoice Zimbabwe supporting two bright young stars for the next 12 months at the Lusaka-based MTF academy.
These include Nobert Mapfoche of Bulawayo and Rutendo Mahofa of Harare.
Over and above skills development in the film sector, MultiChoice Zimbabwe also worked hard this year to promote various platforms to showcase local talent and productions.
Among these were the Zimbabwe International Film Festival; the Women’s International Images Film Festival, which featured five films from Zimbabwean filmmakers; and Harare’s popular Shoko Festival, Zimbabwe’s fastest growing international festival hosting everything from live concerts and comedy nights to cutting-edge presentations on technology and new media.
Royal Wedding-Screening
Also on the media front, MultiChoice Zimbabwe sponsored the Photographer/ Visuals Journalist of the Year Award in the National Journalism and Media Awards (NJAMA) this year.
Media practitioners are required to undertake their work in an ethical and professional manner, and these important awards – organised by the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists – are held annually to honour journalists who have excelled in their reporting fields.
This year’s awards theme was ‘Supporting media for effective nation building’, and the winner in the MultiChoice-sponsored category was Business Times photographer, Tafadzwa Ofumeli.
MultiChoice Zimbabwe’s publicity and public relations manager, Liz Dziva, presented the award to Ofumeli at a colourful ceremony held in Harare.
MultiChoice’s sponsorship of these awards and its support for the programme’s ideals of nurturing an ethical media force, reflect the broadcaster’s broader objectives of building strong local communities, of shaping its business to respond to local communities’ needs, and in delivering greater value to the communities within which it operates.
To this end, MultiChoice Zimbabwe also held a number of customer-oriented events in 2018.
These included an activation around the greatest sporting spectacle on earth – the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
An event was held in Glen-Norah, where the community was treated to entertainment by one of Zimbabwe’s top flash mobs groups led by Basil Chirengedure and live music, followed by the live screening of a World Cup game.
The community also had the opportunity to interact with Zimbabwe’s top female sports anchor, StarFM’s Yvonne Mangunda, while some lucky sports fans walked away with giveaways courtesy of DStv.
Other popular screenings held in 2018 included the royal wedding, where customers had front-row seats to the wedding of the year between Britain’s Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle, and a pre-screening of the highly anticipated action-packed 3D movie, AQUAMAN.
DStv collaborated with StarFM again towards the end of the year to send one lucky listener to the DStv Delicious International Food and Music Festival in South Africa, which DStv has sponsored since 2013.
The winner, Forbes Mubaiwa of Mufakose, was treated to return flights as well as a VIP experience for him and a partner at one of the biggest and most popular food and music festivals in South Africa, which draws around 40 000 people each year.
MultiChoice Zimbabwe will continue to build on the success of 2018 next year, with further events and initiatives aimed at uplifting, engaging and igniting Zimbabwe’s communities and film industries.
This past Christmas,dozens of children received the gift that keeps on giving – the gift of a much-loved book.
Reading has long been revered as a powerful tool in building children’s minds and imaginations, and in helping them understand their world.
Books are also acknowledged as providing an escape for children, especially those who find themselves in of children.
It is with this in mind and the belief that books can change the lives of thousands of Zimbabwean children, that MultiChoice Zimbabwe has put its weight behind the ambitious #100Bhuku campaign.
The brainchild of the campaign, well-known writer, actor and blogger Larry Kwirirayi, aims to collect reading books for disadvantaged children in Zimbabwe.
The initial target was set at 100 books by 1 December, so these children would be able to enjoy the wonder and joy that comes with reading this Christmas.
MultiChoice supported the initiative by encouraging all its customers to donate books, and by providing collection points for these books at its Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare offices.
Liz Dziva, Publicity and public relations manager at MultiChoice Zimbabwe, said the company instantly recognised the opportunity to play a pivotal role in this worthy cause.
“We realised that with a number of collection points at our disposal, and encouraging communications to our customer base, we could help Larry grow this initiative beyond just 100 books, and have a greater impact in the lives of many more children this Christmas.
This is an initiative that is very close to our hearts, and one we are delighted to be a part of,” says Dziva.
The first batch of books was handed over to the children of Tichakunda Children’s Home in Hatcliffe .
MultiChoice in partnership with Zimbabwe Women In Music and Lions Club prepared Christmas lunch for the children and spent the day with them. This is the first of many handovers, with the others planned for 2019.
This is not the first time this year MultiChoice Zimbabwe has reached out to Zimbabwe’s disadvantaged children.
In June, the company made dreams come true for the young boys at the St Joseph’s Home for Boys in Harare when it transformed the home’s dining hall into a sports lounge complete with a new DStv decoder (and satellite dish and full DStv subscription).
Not only were the boys treated to a soccer-filled afternoon, but they were able to catch every game of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, broadcast live on DStv from Russia.
This donation was particularly special because beyond the World Cup, the boys have been able to access information and educational programming to help them broaden their knowledge of the world.
These two initiatives followed several other outreach programmes facilitated by MultiChoice Zimbabwe this year.
These included the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards campaign, where MultiChoice Zimbabwe staff along with several influential personalities visited local schools and mentored more than 4000 high school children on various topics related to positive personal growth and development
MultiChoice staff Collecting Old Decoders For Recycling January 2018
The mentors included award-winning choreographer and dancer, John Cole; Star Awards head judge and The Saturday Herald editor, Robert Mukondiwa; Star Awards judge and Hellenic Academy teacher, Dr Vimbai Mafirakurehwa and Star Awards Judge and Electronic Engineer Nigel Muritinyu
MultiChoice Zimbabwe also took a firm stance on the environment this year, spearheading two ‘green’ projects, namely a decoder recycling initiative where customers and staff were encouraged to bring their old decoders to MultiChoice branches and dispose of them in special bins for recycling,
And a community-based clean-up initiative, where staff led by example and cleaned up the areas around the Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare branches in the hope of inspiring others to keep their own environments clean.
MultiChoice Zimbabwe will build on all these community initiatives in 2019 as it seeks to continue enriching lives in the country in 2019.
Ninja Lipsy’s health is said to have deteriorated as the dancehall star spent the Christmas in hospital.
According to sources close to her, Lipsy was taken to hospital after her epilepsy condition got worse.
The source could however not reveal much detail and by the time of publishing, we were not able to ascertain which hospital she was admitted to.
In July on 2018 she for the first time revealed her struggle with Epilepsy.
In a lengthy Instagram post, she told of how society had shunned her and how she had lost friends because of the disease.
“Yes I have epilepsy and I have been hiding it for a very long time because I thought it as embarrassing,” she said back then.
“I have had people who left me because they too thought it was a shame to associate with someone in my condition but I have forgiven them because they don’t have knowledge or understanding of what epilepsy is, they don’t know what to do when one is having a seizure.”
Ninja Lipsy
“Let’s not discriminate epileptic patients, instead let’s learn more about the disease so that we can know how to help them, and to those who are suffering fro it, speak out so that you can be assisted,” she said in July.
Produced by Zambia’s own Dj Dro and Elton Bryce, ‘Wabata Moyo’ is characterised by the intercourse of sophisticated Rhythm and Blues compositional structures with groovy African pop-music motifs.
Award winning director Andy Cutter has added his magic touch to the sensual song to give a whole new vibe.
The video features models who sailed through from the Strut ‘N” Pose competition, a model talent scouting platform for both male and female models within the Zimbabwe fashion and commercial industry.
In the video Cindy goes through the motions with different male models at a masquerade party until she finds the one who ‘touches her heart’
Again the long-serving Queen of Zimbabwean RnB goes fashion all out with every outfit showing out both her beauty and that of the song.
Top African pop star Diamond Platnumz has been barred from performing in Tanzania after he played a song which the authorities had banned for being sexually suggestive.
The song Mwanza contains the Swahili word for “horny”, and dancers are seen in a video simulating sex.
Diamond Platnumz had treated the ban with “disdain” by singing the lyrics at a concert, the arts regulator said.
The popular Tanzanian singer has been dogged by controversy in recent years.
In April he was questioned by police after posting on Instagram a video clip of himself playfully kissing a woman.
The authorities accused him of behaving indecently.
Tanzania’s arts regulator, Basata, said Diamond Platnumz would also be banned from performing abroad, but it is unclear how it would enforce this.
The ban also applied to Rayvanny, another local musician who features in Mwanza.
“We have reached the decision because the two musicians have treated our directive with disdain,” Basata said in a statement.
