Former Big Brother Africa Hot Shot Jerome Arab popularly known as JJ has just revealed he’s going to be a dad.
left; JJ and Namvula, right; Namvula Pic- Facebook
The singer and his girlfriend, Zambian songstress Namvula Rennie are expecting their first child around July this year.
Namvula Rennie is a singer-songwriter born in Zambia to a Zambian mother and Scottish father and her music consists of Zambian languages with English, Portuguese and French.
JJ revealed to Zimbuzz that he met the Zambian beauty at a video shoot in Mojo media and as the rest goes there was love in the air.
He has such great admiration for Namvula. He said of her: “She is caring and willing to help whoever is in need if it’s in her power.”
It’s been two years since JJ left Big Brother and he says he is now based in Zambia where he hopes to build his music career.
“I left Zimbabwe for quite a number of reasons, but let’s just say a prophet is not recognised in his hometown lol,” quipped JJ.
“I love music and entertainment and I just decided to go where I was appreciated more. Things are not easy out here, I am a foreigner and I feel it but my heart is still home and I carry our flag where ever I go.
“I hope to return once I have achieved all my life goals and built a system where I do not rely on others to produce work.”
He is currently touring his new EP “Learning Love” and will be performing in 5 different Southern African countries including Zimbabwe on the 31st of March at Alliance Francais.
In just 24 hours the MDC-T led Harare City Council seeks to demolish the creative hub Moto Republik a tech and arts co-working space that houses Bustop TV, Magamba Network, TV Yangu and Open Parly among others.
Pic by Privilege Musvanhiri
This follows claims by the city council that Moto Republik is an illegal structure and therefore should be demolished, this is despite the structure having an approved plan by the same council.
Moto Republik was given until March 16 to remove the shipping containers which are used as offices.
Below is a statement from the management regarding the progress to stop the demolition
In just over 4 days over 1,700 people have signed up to the petition to urge the Minister of Local Government Saviour Kasukuwere, Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni & The Acting Town Clerk, Josephine Ncube, to stop the demolition of Moto Republik, Zimbabwe’s first creative hub.
On Monday 13 March Saviour Kasukuwere responded to the online petition that has been trending in Zimbabwe over the last week to #SaveMotoRepublik and visited the popular are hub.
The Moto Republik Management shared their position on the issue with the Minister and showed him all the relevant documents for the structure approved by the City Council.
In his response the Minister promised to intervene and find an amicable resolution with council that would not involve demolition and would allow Mow Republik to continue operating.
We will continue to encourage our community online and offline to contact their elected officials to express their concern over the planned demolition of Moto Republik.
“All we ask for is for the demolition to be stopped, for the containers to remain in place and for us to be allowed to carry on with our important work of empowering young people and supporting new ideas; said Moto Republik co-founder Tangai Leslie Makawa AKA Outspoken.
We have engaged our lawyers to resolve the matter ahead of the March 16 deadline by sending a letter of demand to the city fathers, which has been followed up this afternoon by an urgent chamber application for an interdict against the illegal demolition should the council not respond to our request to stop the demolition.
We thank all of our supporters out there for raising their voices, taking action and standing with the positive space that is Moto Republik. Thousands of young voices cannot be ignored.
I’ve been sitting on this review because of two reasons, everybody was fawning at the Queen’s feet and talking a whole lot am not saying anything.
A scene from the video
I wanted to know the lyrics and choreography first, yes I am fan Sue me.
Anyone can see that this Video was Just VEE showing you that she is reigning this Pop game.
Her Top Hat Outfit is reminiscent of the Elizabethian Era, flowing Tail, frill neckline, gloves and that Top hat screams High-ranking society lady, Only Vee’s outfit has that sexy “Show you my long legs” factor.
She lies resplendent on a throne of Diverse HOT, men who not only worship her but are willing to have her on their backs, while she fans herself.
Like every other queen, she has everyone as her minions, two backup dancers mirroring her every move, and she has men following her whilst she walks these streets
The song is a catchy love song that will be stuck in your head for awhile so Go ahead and click the link
At one point she was every men’s drool, Zimbabwe’s poster woman for steamy choreography, her hips and her bottom could simply move on their on.
Sandra Ndebele could twerk just at the turn of the new millenium, long before the word found its way into our vocabulary
Sandra Ndebele at the National Arts And Merit Awards 2017 Picture by Dearluckie Aaroni
She made those famed music galas a must watch for every thirst brother as she contorted her body in all the sensual ways imaginable.
Then all of a sudden the Queen took a hiatus.
But she is back.
We are disappointed though as she seems to have lost all the extroverted, dance-centric moves, a sign perhaps that age and weight have caught up with her or it’s just a way to rebrand herself.
She told Zimbuzz Bulawayo correspondent Tapiwa Rubaya that she has been silent because of the need to take care of her children.
“I have been nursing the kids and now they have grown up,” she said.
“I am still singing and dancing although, there are changes that have been done.”
Her latest single Ingoma featuring hip hop star Mzoe 7, is a smashing hit that proves Sandra Ndebele has found the magic again.
The music video is reminiscent of the high-budget music videos that have been surfacing of late and it certainly is probably the best thus far.
There couple of male dancers who held their own and a cameo by Bathabile Dlamini but we would have loved to see more of her dance moves as well.
Directed by multi-award winning director Andy Cutta, check out the house track Ingoma below
Vokal real name Godfrey Bakasa belongs to the first generation of young Zimdancehall music managers that rose to become one of the hottest property in the genre.
He is Seh Calaz’s former manager where he cut his teeth as a witty manager at a time the country was experiencing the Zim Dancehall revolution.
Born in Mbare on 7 March 1991, he was celebrating his 26th birthday and he did so in style.
His influence has now stretched to Hip Hop a shock for many, the young executive is now managing arguably Zimbabwe’s most successful rapper, Stunner.
Whilst for the ordinary people a birthday involves a cake, a friend who can double up as a DJ, a few free drinks and a scoop of ice cream
It’s not the same for some Zim Celebrities who have adopted the plush club in the city of Harare amply named VOLT as the home of envious celebrity birthday celebrations
The parties involve top shelf liquors and champagne, themed cakes and a celebrity guest list.
Vokal’s birthday party which took place last Saturday 11 March 2017 had more than that, hot ladies in black cocktail dresses, expensive vehicles parked outside the Samora Machel avenue located club and some soccer players as guests.
His Celebrity guest list included former Warriors and Dynamos player Oscar Machapa, Harare City star William Manondo, Stunner, Dancehall superstars Seh Calaz, Killer T, Guspy Warrior, King Shady, Platinum Prince and SilentJudgement
Judgement Yard Family of Dj Flava, DJ 2bad, Abisha Palmer and Etherton B. Rapper Noble Stylz and Dj AshStyles.
These are just a few that we manged to notice in the packed VOLT.
The Eko Hotel in Lagos Nigeria was once again the centre of attention as Africa’s best and brightest talents gathered to celebrate the fifth edition of the prestigious Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards.
From left: Adesua Etomi, Daniel K Daniel, Stephanie Linus, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, Regional Director, Africa Magic, West Africa and Yolisa Phahle, CEO Mnet and Kemi Lala Akindoju after the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Award held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island Picture – http://thenationonlineng.net
The evening was lit up with performances by renowned musicians Timi Dakolo, Lira and Waje. Other performances included The Voice Nigeria winner Arese’s tribute to departed actors, and the stunning renditions by other Voice alumni Chike and DNA.
A special highlight of the evening was the performance by dancers from the stable of Bolanle Austen-Peters Productions.
At the end of the evening, some of Africa’s biggest titles took top honours whilst there were surprises in other categories.
And the winners are:
BEST SHORTFILM – OGO OKPUE – CAT FACE
BEST SOUND TRACK/ORIGINAL SCORE MOVIE/TV SERIES – MICHAEL ‘THE TRUTH’ OGUNLADE – THE ENCOUNTER
BEST SOUND EDITOR (MOVIE/TV SERIES) – GUY STEER – VAYA
BEST PICTURE EDITOR (MOVIE/TV SERIES) – NNODIM CHIGOZIE & PAULA PETERSON – OLOIBIRI
BEST COSTUME DESIGNER PAT EGWURUBE – 76
BEST MAKE UP ARTIST (MOVIE/TV SERIES) – HAKEEM ONILOGBO AJIBOLA/PEREKEME ODON – OLOIBIRI
BEST ART DIRECTOR (MOVIE/TV SERIES) – PAT NEBO – 76
BEST WRITER MOVIE/TV SERIES – CRAIG FREIMOND/ TSHABALIRA LEBAKENG/ ANTHONY MAFELA / DAVID MAJOKA / MADODA NTULI / HARRIET PERLMAN / ROBBIE THORPE – VAYA
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER (MOVIE/TV SERIES) – LANCE GEWER – HAPPINESS IS A FOUR LETTER WORD
BEST LIGHTING DESIGNER (MOVIE/TV SERIES) – ELLIOT SEWAPE – 93 DAYS
BEST DOCUMENTARY – UGA CARLINI – ALISON
BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA – DAVID JONES DAVID
BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA – MEG OTANWA
BEST DRAMA – TINSEL
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY – DEBORAH ANUNGWA
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY- SAMUEL AJIBOLA
BEST COMEDY – THE JOHNSONS
BEST MOVIE (SOUTH AFRICA) – ELVIS CHUKS – ALL ABOUT LOVE
BEST MOVIE (EAST AFRICA) – SARIKA HEMI LAKHANI – KATI KATI
BEST MOVIE (WEST AFRICA) – ROGERS OFIME – OLOIBIRI
BEST TELEVISION SERIES – FUNKE AKINDELE – JENIFAS DIARY
BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE MOVIE OR TV SERIES – SWAHILI – DAUDI OTIENO ANGUKA – ZILIZALA
BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE MOVIE OR TV SERIES – IGBO – CREY AHANONU – AMONYE-BU-ONYE
BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE MOVIE OR TV SERIES – HAUSA – TIJJANI SHEHU YAHAYA – YAKI DA ZUCIYA
BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE MOVIE OR TV SERIES – YORUBA – ABIODUN JIMOH, JUMOKE ODETOLA – SOMEWHERE IN THE DARK
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY MOVIE/TV SERIES – IMEH BISHOP UMOH – THE BOSS IS MINE
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY MOVIE/TV SERIES FUNKE AKINDELE – JENIFAS DIARY
BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA MOVIE/TV SERIES – SAMBASA NZERIBE – SLOW COUNTRY
BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA MOVIE/TV SERIES – RITA DOMINIC – 76
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DAMA MOVIE/TV SERIES – ROTIMI SALAMI – JUST NOT MARRIED
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DAMA MOVIE/TV SERIES – EBELE OKARO ONYUIKE – FOUR ONE LOVE
BEST DIRECTOR (MOVIE) – IZU OJUKWU – 76
BEST OVERALL MOVIE – ADONIJAH OWIRIWA / IZU OJUKWU – 76
The Queen of Urban Pop Music Cindy Munyavi just made a grand return with a scintillating double album that contains 26 tracks and a whole lot of African collaborations.
Titled Music Vocal Cindy (MVC) the name she says is derived from the fact that the Music and the Vocals are very experimental but still remain the Cindy Munyavi that people have fallen in love with over the years.
Wondering where to start? Zimbuzz gives you the top 5 songs that you need to quickly jump to.
1. Saturday
This happens to be track number one and it’s a great place to start. Here Cindy equates the love she is getting from her lover to a sunny Saturday.
“When you hold me in your arms it feels like a Saturday…” goes the lyrics.
The song is a slow ballad that you would like to play in your car when you are taking a picnic drive with your human next to you.
Saturday here represent a great day, where everything is just perfect in love world. Great song. We strongly recommend
2. Visa
For those in the dark VISA here means getting approval from your spouse so that you could go out to have a drink, party or have fun with your friends.
Laced on a dancehall feel Cindy paints a picture of a person who is about to have fun like it’s the last day of their existence.
“Kana homwe hako iri deep unekamunhu kari sweet uchirova drink riri neat” goes the catchy hook. This is guaranteed club banger and it’s definitely coming to a speaker near you.
3. Clap for My baby
Written by Cindy’s Manger and producer Elton Bryce who also features on the track.
This got to be one that got my attention, it’s interesting to note how Cindy sounds like she is totally immersed in love.
This one has that RnB trap feel, you get the feeling it’s was made specifically for the for the Snapchat generation.
Or made I should say this song provides more sexual healing than all of the songs you have heard in 2017. she gave a 5-star vocal gymnastics. Must Listen to.
4. Hondo
This album totally takes the listener on an emotional roller coaster, from a club banger to celebrating and clapping for your baby..she takes a detour and tackles the ‘war’ in her relationship.
It’s sort of directed at the rejection a wife faces from her in-laws.
Hondo is not one of those pretty pop songs music as she narrates how ugly an emotion jealous is.
Here she gets lets out the aggression she been suffering in her relationship in very strong Shona words
5. Setter Pace (Ghana Remix)
This happens to be the lead single off the album and as the name suggests it does set the pace. It features the husky and soulful voice of Sherifa Gunu from Ghana.
The song is a simple declaration to a lover “that the tables turned right now ini ndapanduka ndine zvandakuda zvekufadzawo inini ”
If you are too impatient we strongly recommend that you skip to this one (Track 11)
Urban music top producer Russo is on a whirlwind field trip that will see him visiting North America and the United States.
Russo with The owner, founder and President of G98.7 radio Mr FITZROY GORDON
Russo told Zimbuzz that the major purpose of this educational tour was to learn new trends in music production and bring the knowledge back home to improve his craft.
“The main reason for this trip is to go and learn as well as to create links with established recording labels from Canada and USA,” he said.
He also said they will be meeting a host of producers from that region as well as attending a few music workshops.
Already he has been to one of the top radio stations in Canada where he also met the staff and the founder
“I had an interview on one of the top radio stations in Toronto G89.7 where I had the privilege of meeting the founder and owner of the station.
“Will also be visiting local studios to see how they record their music as well as the business side of it.”
“This side record labels basically control the industry and almost every artist is signed to a record label which guides and give direction to an artist..something which gives order in their industry,” he said passionately.
This trip comes at a time when local musicians are at a major turning point to compete for a stake in the African market which has seen South Africa, Nigeria and East Africa dominating for longer periods.
Very few Zimbabwean artists have gotten a continental breakthrough owing to the non-existent of an industry with functional systems.
From his experiences in Canada Russo says there is a gap in technology that we need to bridge if we are to catch up quickly.
“We need to keep up with technology and new technology will improve quality sound,” he said.
Another producer Oskid is supposed to join Russo on this trip where the two are hoping to have a meeting with Grammy Award winning producer Brian Soko.
Award winning personalities model Jackie Ngarande and Gospel Rapper Mudiwa have taken what could be probably their biggest tasks as public personalities — they have been mandated to spearhead a campaign to feed at least 2000 families.
Jackie Ngarande and Gospel Rapper Mudiwa
The two were last week appointed goodwill ambassadors for Simuka Africa Youth Association and they seek to use their influence to positively impact Zimbabwe and Africa as a whole.
Great is their mandate as they lead ‘Skip A Meal’ fundraising campaign, an annual mobilisation initiative of Simuka Africa that seeks to raise financial and material resources in response to challenges faced by vulnerable and marginalised people.
Skip a Meal campaign works in a such a way that a well-wisher is asked to skip a meal and donate the money/food to the hunger-stricken.
The total target for the organisation together with the ambassadors Jackie Ngarande and Mudiwa is 2000 families which are child, female and elderly headed.
They also include people living with HIV and AIDS and people living with a disability.
Speaking about her appointment Jackie welcomed the great task that she has been given.
“I’m humbled to have been appointed as one of your ambassadors to spearhead such a great commission, thank you for entrusting me with such a huge responsibility,” she said.
“As a public figure, i will use my influence to make sure that our goal of making sure no one person goes to bed hungry is achieved.
“I am willing to work under any condition whatsoever to make sure we eradicate poverty,” she added.
Gospel rapper Mudiwa said helping the needy was one of the things closer to his heart.
“True religion is when we as a church or people of God start taking care of the poor in our societies, yungI’m glad that we share the goals and visions with Simuka Africa,” he said.
Simuka Africa Youth Association is a voluntary charitable organisation whose mission is to provide services and programs that would enable young people to realsise their fullest potentials
“As I was getting ready to board an aeroplane heading to a good friend’s wedding, Sitting in the airport terminal I noticed an elderly couple”, explains Brian Nhira.
Brian Nhira
“The wife was in a wheelchair and it was evident that she couldn’t speak or move on her own. As drool dripped from her mouth, her husband wiped it away.
“In that moment, I was confronted with the reality that I was getting ready to witness the wedding of my good friend and his bride who are both young and full of life”, he continued.
“They would soon commit to loving each other for the rest of their lives without a clue as to the circumstances the future would bring.
“As I continued to observe the elderly couple, in that airport terminal, I began to think of how at one point in their lives they stood at the altar, both full of life, but somewhere along the line… something happened. It is that experience that birthed “Would you still love me?” he tells Zimbuzz.
Brian Nhira first wowed the world with his rendition of Pharrell’s hit single, “Happy” during last years’ blind auditions of the popular USA talent show The Voice.
Nhira (23) whose family has been travelling the world for sixteen years as part of his father’s ministering, was so good that Pharrell had to say this: “Clearly you sang that song much better than I do.”
Almost a year later the boy is back with what could possibly be the biggest song of his career.
Would you still love me is an intense love song that can evoke the right emotion at the right time before you say I do.
In the song he asks his bride to be if she still would love him even in the most challenging of times, sickness, hurt,pain…he even ask “What if I’m complicated, always leaving you frustrated Would You Love Me”
The strong emotion in the song is evident that it was coming from such a deep place, and one would think it is a personal story.
“It’s definitely a combination of both, the song was birthed out of the personal experience with the elderly couple the artistic/songwriting process took over after, and I began to put words to the feelings I was experiencing as a result,” he narrates to Zimbuzz.
Would You Still Love Me can possibly be his breakout song and Brian is already planning big moves.
“People can expect more music, in the next couple of months we will be rolling out more singles and videos, I am excited for the world to hear the songs I’ve been writing and see what my team and I are creating visually”, he said
“We also plan to tour very soon. For me, nothing is better than getting out in front of people and singing songs that I’ve written.”
If you have your make up on, this video is guaranteed to mess that up for you. And if you are a man make sure that you are not watching it in public as it sure will make you cry
