Ishan has blessed us with an early Christmas present and ironically it’s called December.
BY Lennon Mudzengerere
Some people were already labeling the Kure Hitmaker a one-hit-wonder, but basing on the string of Singles Ishan has been dropping, he is certainly going to shake off that one-hit-wonder tag.
The new single titled December which is off Ishan’s upcoming EP Bundu Pop brings out everything we tend to love about the NAMA award winners’ music.
The song is an intricate dedication to Ishan’s mother and you can feel that it was a rather personal dedication that hits all the right chords and anyone can easily relate.
The lyrics are perfect, and the vocals are laid seamlessly, which has become quite a trademark in his music.
Rayobeats did a splendid job on the production, which he has been doing on all the tracks he has worked on this year.
Adding a Gze verse on the track was a masterstroke, Gze went in hard on the smooth instrumental.
With his laid back flow, maced with hard-hitting lyrics, everything came together perfectly.
Overall the song is great and has great replay value. Another great thing is for the visuals they partnered Sendittoo.
It’s quite amazing how the corporate world is partnering local musicians.
18-year-old Zimbabwe-born Blessing Chitapa has been crowned as the winner of The Voice UK.
The singer was named as the winner during Saturday’s episode of the ITV talent competition following a fierce singing battle against three other competitors.
Chitapa, who lives in Dudley in the West Midlands, sang Robbie Williams’ Angels and James Bay’s Hold Back The River in the final.
The latter song was a duet with her mentor Olly Murs.
A tearful Chitapa said she is “so happy to have sung on this stage”
“It has been an honour and my privilege and it has been unforgettable,” she added.
After she sang Angels, Murs said: “You are just a phenomenal talent and even I’m getting emotional here after that performance.”
Earlier in the series, Murs became Chitapa’s mentor after he was the only judge to turn his chair during her audition.
Chitapa said winning the competition “is my biggest achievement yet”.
“I am so proud of how far I have come and I’m so intrigued to see what the future holds for me,” she added.
Blessing started the competition at the age of 17 years old.
Due to the coronavirus restrictions this year, it was the longest ever wait for a winner to be crowned and she turned 18 years old in March.
The singer hails from Dudley in the West Midlands, where she grew up after moving from Zimbabwe at the age of seven.
She comes from a family of gospel singers and lives with her mum, dad, brother and sister. Her mum, Sarita, works as an occupational therapist and her dad, Cleopas, is a pastor and reverend at a local church.
When she is not singing, Blessing has a keen passion for the sciences and dreams of becoming a doctor or surgeon if a music career doesn’t pan out.
In her garden, she has built a recording studio where she practices her craft with her sister. She also sings for her church congregation every week.
The 2020 POUGES ZIM HIP HOP AWARDS nominees are out!
The announcement was made Thursday afternoon in Bulawayo by the TV duo of Mbo Mahocs and Ben Chest.
This year Zim Hip Hop Awards will be held at the Rainbow Towers on the 12th of December.
Here are the nominees
Best Male R peels Asaph Holy ten Crooger Jungle loco Ti gonzi
Best Female Phreshy Kikky bad ass Natasha muz Sibo Tashamiswa Hanna
Best New Comer Boynino Holy ten Rockie doub Denim woods Kae chaps
Best Hip-Hop Duo/Group
Crisswiss and the dot Hitmusic empire Uchiha empire clan Cottage 47 Pathum place
Best Album Jungle loco – bata ma streets R peels – muchinjiko Kikky badass – bloodline Pro beats – Twenty five Crisswiss and the dot – room 328 bridge view
Song of the year Asaph ft msiz kay – asipheli moya Holy ten – ndaremerwa R peels – eke Crisswiss and the dot – bad vibes Crooger -ginde
Best Producer Afro zenda Jamal Jonn the producer Mars on the beat P2daoh
Best Collaboration Asaph ft msizkay – asipheli moya Crooger ft asaph and ti gonzi – ginde Crisswiss and the dot – bad vibes Boy nino ft emtee – no problems Rockie doub vic jita the dawg asaph – monate fela
Best Brand Supporting Local HipHop
Big bass Kingsville clothing Team legacy Hit music empire Rednation live
Best Promoter Big bass Preezo Cottage47 Chap moreno Rednation live
Best Diaspora Reck 442 Kap city Dimitri and the scarecrow Neville sigauke Mlue jay
Best Radio DJ Thorne laroq Lady k and Pd the ghost Mox Promethious Mic sprinter
Best Gospel Act Nta Caespedo Courtney antipas Drummer boy kenny
Best hip hop hustle. R peels Crooger Holy ten Kingsville clothing Cottage 47
Best hip hop verse (sweet 16 award) Soko matemai- level up Asaph – ginde Michael chiunda- hitlab cypher Holy ten – Ndaremerwa Ti gonzi – devils a liar
Peoples choice Holy ten R peels Ti gonzi Asaph Probeats Takura
Artists of the decade will be announced on the night
Socialite and businessman Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure (36) is no more. He died after a head-on collision in the Borrowdale area around 5:20 am Sunday morning.
Reports suggest the socialite died after a head-on collision with a Honda Fit that saw him being thrown out of the vehicle before it hit a tree and burst into flames.
He died together with three other people, Karim, Moana, and Alisha.
Moana, who starred in Jah Prayzah’s Munyaradzi video – had just celebrated her 26th birthday at Ginimbi’s Dreams Night Club in Harare.
Moana
Ginimbi’s manager Ms Shally confirmed in a tweet: “I feel like hell, I don’t even know which words to even use, Genius Kadungure has been called by God, he is no more. He was in a terrible accident around 5am, he died on the spot with 3 of his friends in the car, Karim, Elisha and Moana – Ms Shally.
As Shoko Festival’s week-long digital offering kicks off the festival’s team have announced their second batch of headline acts.
This year, Zimbabwe’s longest-running urban festival will run from 21 to 27 September 2020 where all sessions and performances will be screened live onto Shoko Festival’s Facebook page and their website.
This year’s iteration, dubbed “The Phoenix Edition” has announced that Zimbabwean BET Awards Winner, Sha Sha will be headlining the festival.
The South Africa based multi-platinum songstress and “Queen of Amapiano” will be supported by Zim Hip Hop star Ti Gonzi who will be launching his new album “Best Mero Volume 2” live at the festival.
Despite the change in execution, Shoko Festival will still be presenting its signature events such as the Shoko Comedy Night, Mash Ups Night and their headline event Peace In The Hood.
This year’s Peace in The Hood will be headlined by Zim Dancehall stars Jah Master and Poptain as well as Zim Hip Hop’s new generation of stars R Peels, BlacPerl and Holy Ten.
Poptain
The event will be hosted by the energy god, Dhadza D & the new kid on the block, Cody Rank Marshall.
Mash Up Nights will open with a set from Millz Million before hosting a Pungwe Sessions Live set with performances from Simba Tagz, Chengeto, Boss Pumacol, Sylent Nqo, ASAPH, and RayDizz.
As well a Women Faya Set featuring Anita Jaxson, Sibo and Natasha Muz. Mash Up Nights will then culminate in the performances from the headline acts Ti Gonzi and Sha Sha on Saturday the 26th of September.
Shoko’s Comedy Night will once again fall on a Friday and will be headlined by veteran comedian, Doc Vikela, and social media comedy star Ray Vines.
The night of laughs will be accentuated by The Bang Bang Comedy Show featuring Alfred Kainga (USA), Munya, Tinaye Wayne, King Kandoro, Mr Lorraine, Maritawana and Kadem.
As part of the festival’s digital transformation, this iteration will present an experimental live Sungura Tv show hosted by the Monkey Nuts titled Mvenge Mvenge 2.0.
The special offering will feature presentations by Probeatz, Dumi Right (USA), Synik,MotoMzhinji and Brother Matabele. Mvenge Mvenge 2.0 will be presented on the 23rd of September and will be hosted by Energydokta
A full program of the events slated for the festival is available on the Festival’s website. Other programming features will include the Battle of the Cities Poetry Slam (Monday 21 September) with special guest poet from Zambia Van Van and Simuka’s Top Comedian competition (22 September).
Shoko Festival will also offer a weeklong digital media conference titled The Hub Unconference that will host a number of diverse panels such as The Mayor’s Forum featuring Mayors from Kwekwe, Masvingo, Mutare and Chitungwiza,
The Video Indaba, the Africa Satire Convention, Zim Hip Hop Masterclasses, the second iteration of the Women Create Worlds panel and, many more panels that will be hosted by both local and international delegates.
“Shoko 2020 is gonna be such a vibe!” says Festival Director, Comrade Fatso, “We have such an exciting lineup of cutting edge urban performances, hilarious comedy shows and unique curated events that will really push the boundaries of what’s possible in Zimbabwean entertainment! This week we will rise like the Phoenix with humour, creativity and positive energy!”
Zimbabwe’s longest-running urban culture festival – Shoko Festival has announced that its 10th edition running from the 21st to 27th September 2020 will feature some of its most innovative and unique programming to date.
This year’s edition, dubbed “The Phoenix Edition” will feature a completely digital implementation with live sets streamed from both Harare and Bulawayo for all 7 days.
Shoko 2020 will feature performances from popular urban acts including Poptain, Jah Master, Ray Vines, Natasha Muz, Anita Jaxson, Pro Beatz, and many more local acts. The festival will also release the name of its surprise international act soon.
This year’s edition of Shoko Festival will see a mixture of new and old formats as we optimise the experience for the streaming audience on Facebook and other online platforms.
Digital attendees can expect amazing live performances, Peace In The Hood, Mash Ups Night, The Bang Bang Comedy Show, a Digital Poetry Slam, a Top Comedian Battle, #DigitalMediaWeek hosted by The Hub Unconference, a #ZimbabweanLivesMatter cypher and the Voice2Rep competition amongst many other scheduled presentations.
“As Shoko Festival we’re all about pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and what can be performed.
“Because of Covid-19 we’ve had to pivot our programming and its challenged us to come up with a brand new virtual programme of cutting edge curated events, brand new musical collaborations, daring comedy game shows and an inspiring digital conference too!” says Shoko Festival Director Comrade Fatso.
Shoko Festival will continue to provide a platform for upcoming artists in different urban culture genres, and also collaborate with more established acts from different genres via our Peace in The Hood event and Mash-Ups Night.
In true Shoko tradition, the festival will be presenting never-seen-before collaborations including man-of-the-moment Poptain featuring rapper BlacPerl and seasoned poet Madzitateguru.
Another explosive collaboration the festival has curated will see popular new singer Anita Jaxson joining forces with rising rappers Natasha Muz and Sibo.
“We are proud that even in these trying times Shoko Festival is able to be one of the few cultural platforms where upcoming and talented poets can perform alongside the biggest acts in the country, and, the same festival can also host some of the best comedians and rappers while also running a cutting edge week-long conference that covers the state of the internet and engages our political leaders on critical issues,“ says Shoko Production Manager, Tongai Makawa AKA Outspoken.
Shoko’s main sponsors this year are the Prince Claus Fund, Norwegian People’s Aid, Accountability Lab & the Heinrich Boll Foundation.
The 2020 edition of the biggest event of the year, the Castle Lager National Braai Day, which is traditionally held at a public venue on the last Saturday of October, will be staged in a different format.
The idea was born from the strong association between braai activities in the country, beer consumption and listening to music.
Considering the current Covid-19 pandemic and the need to ensure adherence to the Covid-19 prevention guidelines, this year’s edition of the Castle Lager National Braai Day will be enjoyed from the comfort of our homes.
This time it is a festival dubbed Braai Paden. The campaign will kick off with a sales promotion called the Castle Lager National “Braai Paden” Promotion that starts on Friday 4th of September and ends on the 25th of October 2020.
To participate in the promotion and stand a chance to win one of many exciting prizes such as braai stands, braai packs and many more, one needs to buy any three Castle Lager packs of choice, fill in their details on the back of their till slip and deposit in entry boxes available at their nearest supermarket.
Castle lager as the flagship clear beer brand for Delta Beverages is giving all braai lovers an opportunity to enjoy their braai at home, enjoy their Castle Lager whilst listening to good music.
All of this, AT HOME! This year we have partnered with various online delivery platforms such as Colcom’s Home-2-U Service, Garfunkels, Fresh in a Box, Liquor Deliveries and Gateway Stream, to offer consumers the convenience of ordering their braai meat or Castle Lager and have these delivered to their homes.
Consumers can also go to their nearest supermarket and butchery to purchase their braai meat and Castle Lager.
During the campaign leading up to the main day on 31 October 2020, there will be extensive consumer engagement on the Castle Lager social media platforms where consumers also stand a chance to win several prizes.
Castle Lager will also partner with leading radio stations where DJs from around the country will get to entertain consumers every Saturday during the month of October.
On this day, the aim is to host the largest virtual braai as our followers and consumers will be asked to post pictures and videos of them enjoying their” Braai Paden”.
The Junior Chamber International (JCI) Zimbabwe announced the 2020 Ten Outstanding Young Persons of Zimbabwe honorees.
JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons Program (18-40years) serves to formally recognise young people who excel in their chosen fields and create positive change.
Junior Chamber International (JCI) Zimbabwe is a part of a global organization called Junior Chamber International and is present in more than 115 countries, providing developmental opportunities that empower young people to create positive change.
By recognizing these young people, JCI Zimbabwe raises the status of socially responsible leaders in this nation.
The honorees motivate their peers to seek excellence and serve others. Their stories of discovery, determination and ingenuity inspire young people to be better leaders and create better societies.
Here are the 2020 honorees:
Audrey Chidawanyika, Namatai Kwekweza, Alistair Mukondiwa, Dorothy Pasipanodya, Gugulethu Siso, Christopher Mugaga, Juliana Makonise,Tendai Dara, Tadzi Madzima and Sicelo Dube.
Honorees selected in past years have represented the heights of progress in numerous human endeavors.
Many have gone on to even greater achievements. All have continued to serve humanity in a great variety of ways.
Past recipients of national awards include such well-known personalities as John F. Kennedy, Henry Kissinger, Elvis Presley, Jackie Chan, Wayne Gretzky.
In Zimbabwe, we have individuals that have gone on to be recognised at International level among them Charlene Ann Hewat, Sabelo Sibanda, Strive Masiyiwa, Betty Makoni, Tendai Wenyika.
Other young people made finalists on the international stage and these include Dalumuzi Mhlanga, Brian Hungwe, James Bayanai, Tawanda Mutyebere, and Elizabeth Vimbai Mhangami, and our very own JCI Zimbabwe member Sinqobile Ndlovu, all named before the age of 40 and before they had achieved national prominence.
Honorees selected in past years have represented the heights of progress in numerous human endeavors. Many have gone on to even greater achievements. All have continued to serve humanity in a great variety of ways.
As the world grapples to find solutions on how to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, with some of the most apt medical facilities being overwhelmed and economies globally shrinking, what could be the answer?
It appears that only God can save the world.
This is the reality that dawned on me while watching the internationally renowned Ugandan Prophet, Elvis Mbonye’s Power of Prophecy which now streams every Sunday on ZBC at 2 PM CAT.
In one of his startling prophecies, he spoke of a time coming when the nations will consult from God on what ought to be done, following a prophecy concerning army choppers in flames en-route to Somalia, that was publicized in Uganda’s mainstream media long before it unfolded.
The unique thing about this is that, this man of God even sent word to the Ugandan army top brass cautioning them against sending choppers to Mogadishu because of the seriousness of the matter.
Predictably, his words were dismissed and, in August of that year, the consequences were on all front pages of the nation’s media.
Since then, intelligence officials have been known to covertly attend his weekly Tuesday Fellowship gatherings.
Prophet Elvis Mbonye
A quick check of his website reveals a startling record of accurately foretold events that span nations and individuals, all of which are disclosed before thousands and continue to make national and international headlines.
You will all agree that such an authentic prophetic voice is critical in moments of personal and national crisis and would benefit Zimbabwe which has also featured on more than one occasion in his prophecies.
Yet this is only a sneak peek into the wonder of the man of God who recently spread his ministry to Zimbabwe.
During his weekly Sunday programs on ZBC, Prophet Mbonye takes time to delve into the scriptures, while giving phenomenal insight into the power of prophecy and the role it plays in an individual’s life.
In the recent show dubbed “They are not of this world,” the prophet teaches on the interesting subject of revelation knowledge, with the sermon which was based on Matthew 16 vs 7 in which Jesus says to his disciple, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”
“You have heard things and then all of a sudden you can see. Do you know that someday it might dawn on you that you are not born of flesh and blood?
But you are born of the spirit and transcend everything that is flesh and natural and your life will be set apart. Separated from the rest of the world,” said Prophet Mbonye.
The prophet challenges the viewer to be conscious of the move of God when he speaks into their lives. Prophet Elvis Mbonye Ministries is a fellowship of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
