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Showing posts from July, 2015

Video and Track Review : Take Fizzo - Zion

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When Take Fizzo announced that he's done with the life of drugs and is now dedicating his talents to praising God, it was received with mixed feeling with many skeptical of his move. Take Fizzo is a well respected iconic Producer, with a long list of hits starting from the Urban Grooves movement back in 1999 to now. His decision was understandable and that well he was just switching to from secular Hip Hop to Gospel rap meant success was not gonna be that hard. He just kept producing his legendary beats but now the theme has changed. He has released a couple of gospel tracks such as, Nifuan Kuvina, Hallelujah (Maoko Mudenga), Praise God (Watchu Gonna Do!) . But Zion took my interest more than the others mainly coz of the video. So you wonder how Take Fizzo is faring as a Christian Rapper!! Well lets see: Zion is a synonym used to mean Jerusalem, a holy place. So the song is about going to the Holy place. Although l knew Take Fizzo rapped, have never really heard him rap ...

Track Review : Ba Junior ft Tererai Mugwadi - Tiri Tese

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This is the first time hearing about Ba Junior, Terry tagara naye we all know she is one of the most talented female vocalists in Zimbabwe. So how does Ba Junior fare on his debut song?? The song was produced at Mt Zion Studios, they are definitely making a stand faced with massive competition from Kenako Studios. T-Man did a great job on the production, the beat is sounding rilly good. With such great beats, Mt Zion Records still have a big future in the Zim music scene. Ba Junior was responsible for the bars. He did quite well, his flow on the first verse reminded me of the yesteryear's Trinity hit Wadiwa . He sounds like the old Leonard Mapfumo in some instances. In overall for a first track he did a great job. He can not yet be compared to the big Shona rappers such as, Leo Mapfumo, Gze, Jnr Brown, Stunner..etc but he did well. Terry showed she still got it, despite her disappearing  and reappearing antics she is still massively talented. She laced the chorus with he...

Proud Zimbo : Top 5 Songs of July

1)   Russuniversal ft Courtney Antipas - Wierdos This is a superb song from the duo. The song challenges every christian to stand up for the true Gospel and not get carried away. 2)  Tinashe Makura & Ammara Brown - Roar Zim Roar Tinashe & Ammara did a splendid job on this track. They are motivating fellow Zimbos to Stand up and Make Positive change. Great Song. 3) Sanii Makhalima - Ndimbundire The iconic artist has released the first single from his upcoming album The Ark and what a jam this is. Sanii remains a force to reckon with. 4) Gze ft Jnr Brown - Chimoio Gze solidified his position at the top with this super tune. The ultimate summer slow drive Tune. 5)  Verseless ft Aura The Poet - Simba Enchanting song, Unique and refreshing to hear. Verseless and Aura combined to give us this great track.   Proud_Zimbo

Tinashe Makura & Ammara Brown - Roar Zim Roar

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With the economic hardships faced by the masses of Zimbabwe, and many are losing hope there is need for artists to rise up and motivate the people to unite and work to develop the nation. Tinashe Makura & Ammara Brown have teamed up to further such a cause.  Many will say the song is pointless and doesn't bring food to their table which is true but the song is here to motivate those who are proud of Zim to unite and work for a better tomorrow. Many are leaving Zim for "greener pastures" elsewhere, but if you leave who then will make Zim a better place???? Simuka and make a positive change . Proud_Zimbo

Track Review : Verseless ft Aura The Poet - Simba

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This is the first time  I've heard of Verseless, came across this track on my soundcloud profile after it was reposted by Reverb 7. Am now a fan of Aura the Poet since Zyon Black's Rudo Rwanhasi  released a couple of week back. Decided to give the track a listen and it blew me away. So ya after a couple of replays finally have a review: Firstly the track is quite unique and one will get that from the onset. The song has an enchanting atmosphere, its intriguing. Simba is hard to classify in terms of genre. It for most parts sounds like a deep house track, so ya will just settle for that. Great work on the instrumental Verseless. Aura adds to the enchanting feel of the song with her dreamy vocals on this gospel themed song. Take a look at the lyrics. Huya, huya ndikuratidze  Huya huya ndikudzidzise  Simba revanhu vangu  Simba raMwari wangu  Huya, huya, huya The song is sounding very good, its song l don't mind listening to a couple of...

Video & Track Review : Myke Pimp ft Mariachi - Harare Hairarwe.

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Did not know much about Myke Pimp before this track, and what a first impression he made. He featured on of the finest MC's in the country Mariachi. This track is about the Hustling nature of Harare, the City that never sleeps. The track was produced by McClean, and he did a great job on the instrumental. Myke Pimp delivered some great lines, despite featuring a respected rapper he stood his ground. Mariachi on this track sounded exactly like Jay Z, played the video then changed tabs coz had to finish other stuff, when Yachi started rapping I rushed back to the YouTube tab, seriously thought it was Jay Z. However he gave quite a great verse, loved it. "...we wont sleep till Bev aenda kusvondo..." The video was directed by Chris Shoca and Ells Pics from Black Phantom Films. They did  and awesome job, the quality is standard and the directing is dope. They showed Harare in a beautiful way, some Zimbos would not even recognize it. The video compliments the song ...

Best Albums from Zimbabwe Part 2 : Urban Edition

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Many fantastic album have been released by Zimbo's and hopefully in time l'll cover them all 5 at a time (If possible). For this 2nd edition will be concentrating on album by the young urban artists. The 1st edition had albums from legendary artists but every artist has the potential to make a legendary album. It may be a one time wonder...yep, that doesn't matter because when an album is good its good, mention and praise must be given to that offering.  Here we go:  Trinity - Ini Iye Naye (2006) The group was made up of 3 guys : Andrew Musonza, Resilience Chikere & Kevie It carried more hits and classics than nearly all albums released in the same period. It was a 16 track Album and consisted songs such as : Smokey Chamhembe(Skit), Dashibige,  Chiyedza, Kusvika Zuva Radzima, Zvachose, Ndoda Iwe ft Roki, Rudo, Usatye ft Jnr Brown, Trubute Interlude, Wadiwa ft Tatenda Kwetemu, Ngeke Ngimswela ft Nesu, Jesa, Muskana Uye, Ndichakuwana, Nditore, Kusvik...

Track Review : Freeman - Mhofu

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Freeman is currently in the midst of in house fighting withing the Dangerzone fraternity but took time to give a couple of new songs. He has released new tracks this July; Mhofu & Mafans Vari Loyal . Listened to both the songs and Mhofu caught my attention and decided to do a review of the track. Produced by Cashlibs, Mhofu is about giving thanks to his fans for their support and stamping his authority in the Dancehall scene. This is going to be one of the tracks for August ( the dancehall holiday) . Freeman is definitely standing his ground in the face of stiff competition from the Mbare guys. He commands a legion of fans countrywide and his stake is growing much more with the current controversy including former dangerzone mates Jerry B & Princo Spice. Their war has dominated the dancehall circles in the past week, and with such attention it was a perfect time to release a great Mhofu. Cashlibs did well on the riddim and Freeman gave his signature style on the s...

Track Review : Maskiri ft Keisha White - Africa

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Maskiri is back, after making the masses dance with Rorenzi the Iconic Rapper is back with a new song this time featuring Kesiha White of the Weakness In Me fame. Despite now staying in UK Maskiri is keeping Zimbos dancing. Africa just as the name implies its about Africa. Its about showcasing Africa and all that Africa has to offer. Maskiri also addresses issues that have happened locally such as the Stunner Vs Mudiwa beef: "...mese munogona inga wani horaiti kupedza nyaya mese maita manumber 1 zvataiitwa first term kana tavhara tiri magrade one..." Maskiri showed why he is one of the best rappers to come out of Zim on this track, the words and stuff he raps about sometimes shock us.  "...ndane world biggest song muAfrica..." They will have nothing related to the song but adds that comic nature that has made him the one of the best. Keisha White delivered a great Chorus. The beat is uptempo and well sounds quite good...love the guitar wo...

Track Review : Varaidzo - Mutongi Wemoyo

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Varaidzo shocked the whole of Zim with her amazing Vocals on the track Ndoita Manyemwe then she went into hibernation. She was lauded as the Zim Version of Mariah Carey, despite her featuring on the track, and singing alongside an iconic artist Leonard Mapfumo her voice was the talking point, and much of the song's success was due to her voice. She is now back, and lets see if she can still live up to the hype she created with Ndoita Manyemwe . Mutongi Wemoyo was produced by Jonathan Hundah (J.Dot) and he did a great job on the instrumental. The classical elements used in the instrumental gives the track that magical feel. Job well done Mr J.Dot. Varaidzo showcased her amazing vocal abilities, and she did very very well. She was not extreme as on Ndoita Manyemwe but she was standard. Which is a great move for following up such a high performance, her fans won't be disappointed. She was a bit calmer on this one and its sounding pretty well. Mutongi Wemoyo means ...

Best Love Songs of 2015 (Jan to June)

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Many local tracks have been released from the beginning of the year to now. Love songs constitute the highest percentage among all the songs that have been released but which ones can we say are above the rest???? Which ones can you dedicate to your loved one?? Maybe you looking for a wedding song?? or you want a song to sing for them, and wondering which songs you can sing?? These are the 5 best Love songs produced by Zimbos from the 1st of Jan to 30th of June. They are in no specific order, it gave me a headache trying to chose which is better than the other, will leave that to you. Exq ft Nesto & Roki - Pore Pore Been a fan of this song since Jan and it still serenades me and hits the right spots just like it did when it was released.  Roki killed the Chorus, Ezq and Nesto delivered the perfect Verses...chilled and awesome. The beat is on point, the whole production is on point. Brilliant Song. Courtney Antipas ft Prayersoul - Forever Girl...

Track Review : Mafriq ft Roki & Hope Masike - Ndozvireva

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Mafriq has released a new track. These guys played a big part in making urban music popular in Zimbabwe with classics such as Ndomuudza Sei, Chizevezeve, Shungu Dzemoyo ... The group however went quiet for some years. They are now back together and are making strides to regain their yesteryear reputation. On this track they featured Roki and the Mbira Queen Hope Masike. They went for a traditional type of beat, Hope's mbira gives the song the required richness. The vocals at the start sound as if they are in a hall. It however gets better and more audible as the song progresses. The song  talks about a child suffering the consequences of his/her parents/guardians. The child is fed up and is saying Ndozvireva (I will say it).  The child is fed up with the damage that was done to him, the consequences so he is gathering all the people to tell them, to get it off his chest. The song is deep and blends well with the traditional instrumental of the song. Was looking forw...

Track Review : ExQ ft Cal-Vin - Nzungu Ndamenya

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Exq is having quite a great year. He opened the year with two superb songs The Way ft Roki and Pore Pore ft Roki & Nesto. The tracks were received well by the public and received a lot of airplay on the various urban radio stations. He then teamed up with Roki again to release Alleluya and T.G.I.F . Alleluya perfomed very well, aided by the video which is in the run for  Video of the Year. This time Mr Musalala teamed up with fast rising Luveve Boy Cal-Vin. The track was produced by Dj Tamuka at Kenako Studios (these studios seem to be behind every song these days!!!). The song is on a Dj Mustard Kind of beat. Creativity levels are low even though it sounds nice. Exq changed his rapping style on this one, he didn't sound like what we used to, ( aitaura nemumhino )!! Some may like it, some will hate it. Personally I hated it at first but have now warmed up to it...its tolerable now. Cal-Vin is definitely one of the best rappers in the country and on this song he ...

AFRIMMA's 2015 : Lets Back Our Zimbos.........:ProudlyZimbo

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The African Music Magazine Awards nominees are out, and two Zimbos have been nominated, namely Stunner & Buffalo Souljah. The 2nd edition of the AFRIMMA's will also be held in Texas USA.  Stunner was nominated in the 1st edition which were held last year in the best Male Southern Africa Category, the award however  went to Khuli Chana from South Africa. This year he has been nominated again in the same category, and with our full backing he will bring the award back home. In order for Stunner to win we have to VOTE , we should put aside our views and feelings towards him, and just support another fellow Zimbo. Out there its not Stunner vs Mudiwa, Stunner vs Maskiri, Stunner vs Zim Hip Hop...its Zim vs Africa . So if you are proudly Zim and wants our arts to be recognized continental wide, your vote here is the first step. Buffalo Souljah has been nominated in the Best Dancehall Artist Category and AFRIMMA best Humanitarian Artist Category. Zvekuti Buffalo S...

Track Review : Cindy - Summer Time

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Cindy is definitely the Queen of Zim RnB, she has proven herself over the years releasing hit after hit. Some of her hit tracks include : Nerudo, Parere Moyo, Ndidzorere Moyo Wangu, Ndini Ndinaye (ft Roki & Jnr Brown), One Way  just to mention a few. Last year she was nominated for the Best Female Southern Africa for her song Parere Moyo and came back with the award. She was also Awarded Top Outstanding Woman in Music, Arts & Culture in March this year.  She continued the hit song trend with her two singles, Summer Time and Ndichiri Mupenyu which were released end of last year. Yes l know the review is very late but was still looking for this song, l finally found it and ya thought of sharing it with other Zimbos. Personally am a fan of the two singles, have been a fan since the first day l heard them. This song was produced by talented producer Shayzar from Mix Masters Studio. Summertime is s feel good song, and l definitely feel great listening to thi...

Track Review : Soul Afrika - Kanhamba

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Was looking for this song since the release of Kenako Compilation Album Volume 1 a couple of weeks back. Soul Afrika are signed to the Kenako Music Label.  This is a love song obviously, these brothers want to get all the ladies with their love ballads. The song was produced by Dj Tamuka. He borrowed some Dj Mustard elements in making this beat. Nonetheless the beat sounds nice and fitting to the song. The song is about a guy telling a girl to leave her guy who doesn't treat her well and do not appreciate her. This theme has been done a lot, internationally and locally but regardless its still a relevant issue because such situation are always existent in our everyday social lives. Soul Afrika did quite well on this track though, its not as huge as Zvinhu but its a great track, its one of those good songs you wouldn't mind listening to again and again. Am a big fan of these guys and, so far they haven't disappointed me. Hope they make more videos and my fi...

Track Review : Peekay & Winky D - Spakwa Wega

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The Ma1 Hit-maker Peekay is back with another song, this time he collaborated with the Iconic Ninja President Winky D...quite an intriguing combination. The artists combination definitely caught my attention, couldn't wait to see what these two has cooked up for us??? Is the track Dancehall or Afro-beat??!!  Finally listened to the track and the now the review: Firstly the song is on a House and Afro-beat tip. This is a party song. Its about enjoying KuSapkwa. The main theme of the song is that enjoy life regardless of the fact that you may be broke.  Hanzi " Smile haibhadharwe ", enjoy, don't let economic conditions stop you from living life. The instrumental is quite good, it sounded like an Uhuru beat at the beginning. The combination between these two different artists worked better than I thought it would. Expected a disaster but they gave a great song!!!  different territory for the Bigman but he did well, matching Peekay who is in his home genre. ...

Ziyon Black ft Aura the Poet - Rudo Rwanhasi (Preview)

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Zyon Black has finally released an new track, well a 2 min preview of the track. This is the Guy who gave us the hits   Nyoka Musango Dubstep Remix , Rova Ngoma and Vadzimu ft Prince Qwela. Zyon Black is responsible for making locals love dubsteb. This latest offering Rudo Rwanhasi is on a Drum & Bass tip with yep l hear some Dubsteb elements in there too. The track features Aura The Poet, and from the preview it's sounding superb, cant wait for the full song release. Zyon Black is the best EDM producer in Zimbabwe no doubt, and with the way this song is sounding, he will be the King of Zim EDM for some time to come. Will make full review when the song is officially released. Proud_Zimbo

African Entertainment Awards : Lets Vote For Our Guys.......#ProudlyZimbo

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Several Zimbos have been nominated for the 4th edition of the African Entertainment Awards 2015, which will be held on October 31st in the USA. Still learning more about the awards, their origins and other important aspects but in the meantime we need to back our Fellow Zimbos. What is only required is your vote and its free to vote. All you need to do is to click the link : africanentertainmentawards  and vote. With the cheaper bundles our telecoms companies are giving us am sure we can all vote and make sure our guys win. The following artists and media personalities were nominated and their respective categories: Tinashe - 2-On : -  Hottest Female Single of The Year Tehn Diamond - Happy :  - Best Hip Hop Artist and Song Joyous Celebration (Perfomance by Minister Takesure Zama) : - Best Gospel Group Comrade Fatso : - Best Comedian Brian Soko - Drunk In Love : - Best Producer of The Year Tongayi Chirisa - Crusoe : - Best Actor in a Film or Ser...

ZiJudgement Yard Volume Vol 23, 24 & Zimdancehall Vol 2

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Judgement Yard has released 3 new of Mixes, it has been some time till the last offering. These guys have dominated the dancehall scene for the past years, putting up memorable shows all over the country. Their  Radio Show on ZiFm Stereo every Thursday from 9 -12 is the most popular and listened to Reggae/Dancehall show on Local Radio. Their Compilation mixes are widely popular  and are religiously followed by many in the country. These new mixes are inevitably going to follow suit. They are as follows: : 1) ZiJudgement Yard Vol 23 (Reggae Non-Stop) This mix includes some super reggae vibes. Am a big fan of reggae music and this is going straight on my playlist both in the car and phone. .... Cease and settle..... Alternate Download link:  Judgement Yard Vol 23 (Reggea Non Stop). (131mb) 2) ZiJudgement Yard Vol 24 (Dancehall Queng Queng) This mix features all the best and most happening dancehall tunes from Jamaica and around the world. Thi...

Track Review : Sanii Makhalima - Ndimbundire

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The Godfather of RnB/Lovesongs in Zimbabwe is back with a new love song. Its been quite some time since he gave us something new, early last year he gave us the hit track Ndipe Rudo which dominated the charts for much of the year, the song was among the top ten tracks of 2014. This year he is working on a double album titled The Ark and Ndimbundire is the first single released from the upcoming album. Sanii besides being one of the best songwriter and vocalist in the country he is also a great music producer, and this song is also one of his works. The big question now is : Will this song emulate Ndipe Rudo ??. Lets review it and see. Sanii kept his original signature instrumentals; his beats always have a great bassline, they consists of an element of reggae/dancehall and reggaeton. Listening to this song and most of Sanii's songs one cannot help it but do the side to side slow dance. In terms of production Sanii's has not joined the wagon of many artists who no...

The Best Albums from Zimbabwe Part 1

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Zimbabwe is a beautiful country with an amazing array of talent. Despite not being largely celebrated on the Continental or International scene Zimbabwe is rich in music and arts. From the  colonial rule era to this current day we  have witnessed many genres of music, some borrowed, some original and some which is a mixture. This article is for all those who are interested in Zim music, those who want to taste the sweet sound originating from this amazing country. The following albums are some of the best albums and songs my ears have listened to. The albums are in no specific order : Chiwoniso Maraire : Ancient Voices Released in 1998, Ancient Voices was Sister Chi's Debut album. The album was nominated for the Best Female Vocals for Africa at the Kora All Africa Music Awards in 1999 and she was honored by Radio France for the Album. This album is a masterpiece, frankly there are really no words to express how amazing this album is. The album was used as a sound...

Track Review : Gze ft Jnr Brown - Chimoio

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Gze is back with another super track, this time he features talented rapper Junior Brown. After their super joint Yzia (Vroom Vroom)  I have been waiting for another collaboration between the two  for some time now!!!! The two best Shona rappers in the whole of Zim on one track................its been ages since we heard from Breezy. FTR produced this one and ya he proves why he one of the most respected Hip Hop producers. The instrumental is standard, Play the track on some standard speakers and Ohhhh Yeaaah, it'll blow you away. Respect to you Mr FTR Just like Yzia this track is also a perfect slow driving tune, its full of Zwagg!! The song is about being the best in the industry,  town and country. This song will be a hit with all the Hustlers patonaz. Gze as expected delivered splendid verses and breezy gives the chorus the much needed Zwagg. These two rappers have great chemistry and its now guaranteed that every-time they collaborate, we get a supe...

Track Review : Gze ft Alkanemo & Young Red - John Bhuru

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Gze is one talented rapper, he has featured in a couple of songs from the beginning of the year and he has killed it every-time he spits on the mic. Came across this song a couple of days back. I realized its causing some damage on the Hip Hop charts and dance-floors all over the country. Am a big fan of Gze and i'm disappointed that this track escaped me for two months. The track is touted as the biggest Hip Hop tune of 2015. Cuttybeats and Gze are forming a formidable combination, every song they drop seems to be a hit. This song is no exception. Cutyybeats showed his talents on this super instrumental. Cuttybeats is doing superb stuff in 2015, he began the year with the instant classic Mushikashika ft partner in crime Gze.  He is a strong contender for Producer of the year. Gze is one beast of a rapper, currently l can say he is the best Shona rapper in the country, he is good at rapping in Shona just as much as Tehn is at rapping in English. On this track Gze is talk...

Track Review : Rusuniversal ft Courtney "Ill Ceey" Antipas - Wierdos

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Courtney "Ill Ceey" Antipas continues to fight for the Gospel through music. This time he features on a song by Russuniversal. The track is oddly titled for a Gospel song, but that just adds to the curiosity. On Ill Ceeys website ( COURTNEYANTIAPS.COM ) the track is described as : Weirdo's is a track that features two passionate artists who are embarking on a journey to address the elephants in the rooms of the Church. It is a ground breaking track that introduces a new movement which serves to open the eyes of believers through the leadership of The Holy Spirit. Will be reviewing the track, and find out if its truly groundbreaking and how best does it address the issues faced by the Church. The heavy instrumental is the first thing anyone will notice. The beat is dope, and has this thuggish rebellious feel to it which perfectly fits the theme of the song. The track is about standing up to the true word and not go with the flow. Most people today are followin...