Bulawayo musician and philanthropist Tizzie has produced a song titled Themba Lami, dedicated to orphans housed at Zim Kids Orphanage based in Pumula, Bulawayo.
By Sindiso Dube
The house musician teamed up with renowned artistes in Mzoe 7, multi-award winning musician, producer and wheel spinner Skaiva, Exmile and Nina.
Tizzie revealed that the story of his own life motivated him to do a song for the children and try to inspire them through music.
Real name Tinashe Basa, Tizzie was dumped by his mother at the age of two and was raised by relatives in the rural areas. He got ill for a year, suffering from malnutrition.
He dropped out of school at the age of 15 and was sent to work in tobacco fields so that he could sustain the family. He enrolled back in school and paid for his own tuition until he pulled through.
“It is a dedication to the kids and everyone who supports the Zim Kids Orphanage Trust. The song was mostly inspired by my life story. I always share my story and others with the little ones at the centre,” he said.
“They love the song Themba Lami, which talks of hope and I always preach the gospel of hope and patience to the kids.” Tizzie said he had learnt a lot from spending time with the children.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“I have brought hope to the kids that they can do and be who ever they want to be even if they are not well-educated,” he said.
“Without an ‘O’ Level qualification, I managed to be part of the Mandela Washington fellowship where I managed to rub shoulders with educated people from across the world. All you need to do is believing in yourself and your potential.
“I started as a volunteer at Zim Kids at the age of 17 and became the director at 21; that means I am one of the youngest directors in the land.”
Tizzie, who runs a studio at his home, said the project would afford opportunities for children with singing talents.
“We have many talented kids in different arts fields and the studio has helped to unearth their skills,” he said.
“I will be teaching them to handle the state-of-the-art software to compose, produce and mix music.
“With gentle encouragement, they can also explore different musical instruments.”
