Will Zim ever go international?

By Fred Zindi | 1h ago

The closest to reach that goal at the moment is Jah Prayzah who is just about to complete his Ndini Mukudzei World Tour, which has already taken place in countries such as the UK, Germany, Canada and South Africa.

By going international I mean moving from one’s country to another: that is from one nation to another.

We have seen many Zimbabwean musicians travelling from to other countries like Zambia, Malawi, the UK and South Africa. But do we call these musicians international artistes?

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Only last week I received an email from a rather irate former — Zimbabewan radio DJ who is now based in the United Kingdom asking me, and I will quote him verbatim: “Hey Fred, you have been in the music business for a long time. Isn’t there any thing you can do to elevate Zimbabwean music internationally? The reason I am saying this is because African music has gained so much momentum over here, especially Nigerian, South African and Ghanaian. Extra Capital Radio for instance is dominated by African music from these three countries. How has Zimbabwe lost its lustre on the international scene? Why has Zimbabwe remained stagnant? Why are artistes in Zimbabwe busy copying and emulating music from the DRC, which they call Sungura, Dancehall from Jamaica which they call Zimdancehall or Afro-beats from West Africa and Amapiano from South Africa?

Don’t they see that these genres are only patronised by the small markets of poverty-stricken Mbare and Mufakose? Is it not time now these very good musicians went international?

Many radio stations in the UK and USA platforms are now playing Afrobeats and Amapiano. Zimbabwe is missing from these stations and when Afrobeats musicians like Davido, Wizkid or Burna Boy come to the O2 arena in London, they have sold out concerts filled with all nationalities. When Zimbabwean artistes come to the UK, the majority of their patrons are Zimbabweans and a few Rhodies. Why cant they attract international audiences? When will our Zimbabwean musicians become the same?”

The above questions are loaded and I do not think that I am equipped to answer most of them. The only thing I can say is our artistes need robust promoters with international experience a lot of contacts and enough charisma in order to achieve this.

Thomas Mapfumo, who lives in the US has not made an international name there. His last concert in Bimingham, UK in August attracted mostly Zimbabweans who are based there.

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These three Afrobeats artistes I have mentioned above are instant millionnaires through their music.

To answer some of the above questions, the first thing we need to sort out is one of identity. What is it that we call Zimbabwean music. Is it Hip Hop, Zimdancehall, Reggae, Sungura, ,Jazz, Chimurenga, Tuku Music, Amapiano, Afro-beats or Rumba? It is none of these because these genres are already taken. We need to find a name which will market Zimbabwean music. At the moment, each artist is bent on just promoting the genre they use.

This year, the BET AWARDS nominations included a handful of African artistes. Zimbabwe had zero. The same goes for the GRAMMY Awards. No Zimbabwean musician featured there this year. This is not surprising. We explore a few things prerequisite for us to become a country with artistes who can breakout on these globally celebrated music forums.

One can contentiously state that Zimbabwe’s music scene, although it has no specific genre, is thriving, with a new wave of artistes on the scene. However, most of them are mere copycats.

Music that resonates with a global audience is typically characterized by universal themes, catchy melodies, high production quality, and cultural fusion. The language barriers do not matter much. People do not have to understand Shona or Ndebele to appreciate Zimbabwean music. Zimbabwean artistes like Gemma Griffiths, Winky D, Jah Prayzah, and Sha Sha are already making waves across Africa. With their unique blend of traditional and modern styles, they have the potential to break into the international scene and bring home a BET Award or a GRAMMY.

However, it’s important to note that international recognition is not the only measure of success. Zimbabwe’s top artistes have been doing exceptionally well locally and, with many selling out shows and topping local charts. Artistes like Alick Macheso, Sulumani Chimbetu, and Janet Manyowa have built legendary careers without necessarily needing international validation. Their impact on the local music industry and cultural landscape is undeniable, and their success serves as a testament to the power of Zimbabwean music.

By creating music that appeals to a broader audience, collaborating with international artistes such as what Freeman HKD and Winky D did with Jamaican artistes, Chris Martin and Busy Signal, who recently came to perform in Zimbabwe in October this year, leveraging social media, and networking within the industry, Zimbabwean musicians can increase their chances of global recognition.

It’s crucial to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of our local artistes the likes of Feli Nandi, Tocky Vybes and many more who have been making significant contributions to the music industry and cultural heritage of Zimbabwe.

It is up to Zimbabwean artistes to get their acts on the international platform and just like the Nigerians Ghanaians and South Africans have done,

Yet until we have a name of our type of music, these Zimbabwean artistes will soon come and go. It is vital for everyone of us to rally behind our artistes, to vibe to their music on our social media platforms and make the world know we’re a proud people. Until then, going international for Zimbabwean musicians maybe just a pipeline dream!