Outside of the bustle and hustle of Zimbabwe’s two big cities, Harare and Bulawayo are some of the country’s musical talents fighting for a piece of the showbiz pie.

It has become hard for a local musician to break onto the national mainstream without having to establish their careers in Harare or Bulawayo.

The landscape has presented little odds for upcoming artists to be heard whilst residing in small towns and outskirts.

We recently embarked on a case study of two contemporary recording artists from Manicaland, Nyanga, and Rusape and the article captures their career progression and challenges.

Cleopas Lamont Nzerombairi (23) aka DroCole aspires to make waves within hip hop whilst Fresh The Charmer is a versatile afro-fusion artist.

The hip hop culture is on an impressive widespread growth. Recently got in touch with an upcoming talented trapper from Juliasdale resort in Nyanga.

DroCole is a young emcee who has been hitting the booth for quite some time and has the bars which can fly him to the promised land.

“I have been making music since 2013, doing primarily Hip-hop/Rap and a bit of Trap. Recently I ventured into new sounds, trying out some Afro vibes, as well as R&B, infused Rap,” he said.

“I’ve worked with guys like Fun. F, Splits Loui, Quarzor, C. Bleech from Mutare and I’m currently working with London based Independent Record Label, Corp Music Group.”

He has recently added Energy as his latest track to a list of good performing projects in the past – “This song “The Energy” was inspired by my experiences centered on my teenage years,” explained Drocole.

The DroCole story is that of a young man going through depression and betrayal. A smooth transition between rap and melodic rhymes is displayed in the song. The song was recorded in Mutare at C. Bleech Music Studios.

Production was done by Atlanta producer, JNT Hitz Productions. DroCole is one of the youths determined to put the small towns on the map. He has cited funding as one of the major challenges in the industry and even finding a studio was a challenge at one point.

Check out DroCole music on his Youtube Channel here.

Contact Details:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/drocole99 (@drocole99)

Instagram: https://instagram.com/drocole99 (@drocole99)

Facebook: https://facebook.com/drocole

Fresh The Charmer

The 24-year-old is an afro-pop artist who is burning to break onto mainstream despite career-threatening challenges he outlined below.

In 2020 FTC dropped his debut album Love Or Portion which was distributed by RevampSA a stable he is signed to. Rure Rure which features Vicky Blues is a top upbeat track rightfully for the dancefloor.

The album’s theme song Love Or Portion again features a female voice in the name Helen and they have managed to produce a video. Mama, Around the world and Like I Do are some of the tracks on the maiden project.

FTC revealed, “basically my music is more about real life and true love. What l portray in my songs what couples expect in relationships versus reality and how to embrace it.

Rure Rure is a childhood love game which is relatable to most Zimbabweans.

“In this song i bring to you a couple who started as friends from a young age and eventually became inseparable,” he explains.

The singer’s fondness towards love stories is apparent in almost all the tracks.

FTC was quick to highlight challenges he is facing and it’s not a unique case but a reality amongst upcoming artists yet coming from outside of Harare.

His growth into becoming an afro-pop artist wasn’t well-received within his own community questioning his morality and family who were used to his voice leading choruses in church.

The whole transition became more difficult with financial hardships which emanate from the costs of recording music and marketing it.

But a defiant FTC would not give up, “I fund my career in many areas including booking recordings, videos, and transport despite getting support from Revamp.

The common challenge in most upcoming artists in the outskirts of Zimbabwe is that of lack of professional recording studios.

The two artists emphasized that Splits Loui is a reliable professional producer who can meet quality standards in Rusape.

Recently FTC traveled all the way to Bulawayo for a recording session and he said Bulawayo is his second home having established a relationship with Troy Larmain and Larrynx, producers in the City of Kings.

Stream the new album on the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLChi4OPXu_a23aMsj91kgwB-kyQcbmkWT

Watch the video for Love or Portion on the following link

FRESH: https://youtu.be/4T5QNNe61F4