By Sandra Maricho
AUSTRALIA-based Zimbabwean musician Cozzy Kozile (pictured) gave a splendid performance that caught the eye of arts promoters and businesspeople at the recently held Jambo Festival in Western Australia.
The Kwekwe-born musician, who is now a permanent resident in Australia, is raising the Zimbabwe flag high, showcasing the rich Zimbabwean culture through jiti music.
It was not surprising that after a five-star performance at the Jambo Festival, hordes of arts stakeholders in that country jostled for his signature.
The festival is Africa’s biggest event in Western Australia that puts to the fore diverse African cultural activities.
Speaking to Standard Style from his base in Perth, Australia, Kozile confirmed he was now one of the most sought-after artistes in Australia.
“We represented our country well and the jiti performance took the audience by storm, especially when we played some tracks from my forthcoming album Zimbabwe Ndokumba. The fans went wild,” he said.
“We also managed to introduce a new dress code for our performances which portrays our traditions as Zimbabweans.
- 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 wanted to show them our culture, what our ancestry used to wear.”
Kozile said after the festival he has been contacted by several businesspeople from Perth.
“I am now getting a lot of performances and I have a busy schedule every weekend,” he said.
Kozile has roped in Zimbabwean artistes Carlos Green on the track Matiregerera and Mucha Lauti on the song Mudiwa Wangu off his debut album Uchandifunga, released in 2019.
“This year l am planning a thanksgiving show in Kwekwe where l intend to meet my long-time friends and thank my ancestors for giving me such a talent,” he said.
He encouraged other artistes to continue working hard until they achieve what they want in life.
“The music industry is challenging, but if artistes produce good music, promoters and sponsors will definitely come on board to assist.
“Originality is key to the success of any artiste worldwide as was the case with successful artistes like the late Oliver Mtuudzi, Thomas Mapfumo and Mokoomba, among others.”
Kozile said he would love to see more talent coming from Kwekwe as they thrive to lift their hometown.
