10 Artists To Look Out For In 2017

Its the start of the year and its that time I give you the ten artists I feel you should watch out for in 2017. Made such a list for 2016 and some artists did well as I expected and some not as much, check out the list for 2016 (Artists To Look Out For In 2016).

This list does not contain those already established artists like Jah Prayzah, Winky D, Fungisai, Freeman, Cindy Munyavi...etc but it contains those artists that are yet to be household names. So judging from their performances in 2016 below are the ten artists I feel Zimbos should look out for in 2017.

1. Bryan Kadengu

Included him in the list for 2016 and he had quite a good year but he did not reach the level I felt he could have reached. His track Heavy Machine was a big hit last year and it was enough to keep him relevant for the whole year but I expected more tracks. Heavy Machine was a big departure from his usual Afro Soul kind of sound and i'm very anxious to know which route he will take from now going forward. He hinted that an album will be on the way in 2017 and boy am I waiting for that project. His potential and talent was noticed and appreciated by many in 2016 and a lot of expectations will be on his next project, so I see 2017 being a huge and decisive year in his career.

2. Tammy

She had one of my favourite albums of 2016; The 18th Roller Coaster. Come the awards seasons she will definitely be one of the nominees for the best female for 2016. She announced her arrival in a very strong way with tracks such as Ndibereke and Sango which are getting a lot of love from Zimbos and more tracks like that this year, she will be a household name. Given her young age it will be very interesting to see how she will change her sound as she matures.

3. Sharky

Sharky has a superb 2016, he gave us an awesome album which went on to win the Best Album at the Zim Hip Hop Awards 2016. He was also nominated for the best verse award. With such a successful year under his belt I feel this year he has to prove he was not a one year wonder and he is here to stay. Local hip hop needs new faces to take the helm and Sharky has the skill and talent to do that, so his new projects will show us if he is capable of taking Zim hip hop to the next stage.

4. Kevin Munetsi

The soul genre is largely overlooked in the country but regardless of that there are artists who are pushing that soulful sound. Kevin is one such guy, last year he released tracks such as Love 101, Let Me In, all which I enjoyed a lot. In the last few months on 2016 a number of Zimbos started taking notice of Kevin and it is down to him whether he wants to be the face of soul music in Zim or not. The good thing is he is not working under extreme pressure and unrealistic expectations so he can really show us his creativeness and talent in this year and at the same time pushing Soul music to more Zimbos

5. Takura

Takura took the music scene by storm last year, his tracks Zino Irema & Mungandidii were massive hits and are still getting a lot of love from Zimbos all over. His Stripped EP was a superb project, enjoyed it. He may not be the best or rappers out there but the lad knows how to make a hit song. This year he has to prove he is not a fluke or one year wonder. I see him releasing another project this year....probably an album and that will play a huge part in his career.

6. Dboi & Sparxx

This Mutare based group is slowly but surely making a name for themselves in the afro beat dance genre. Their track Energy was club anthem in the 2015 festive season, mostly in their hometown Mutare. Last year they started getting airplay on radio and in clubs and social scenes all over the country and that has expanded their reach. They released Ndiwayinire feat Tytan towards the end of the year 2016 and the track shows how much they have grown over time and I feel more is to come from the duo. For some time they were searching for their sound and now they seem to have found it and this year may become a big year for them.

7. Gary Tight

This lad is full of promise and nearly every track he touches becomes a big jam. He definitely has the talent, the mentor ship and all that remains is that one song that will endear him with the majority Zimbos.  He does not at the time have a specific genre but he switches between lot of genres. Regardless of consistently changing his sound he always delivers and that say a lot about Gary. He is one guy whom you feel his breakthrough is very near and this may probably be the year he finally flourishes.

8. Jam Signal

Another group that is making serious strides in the music game. This three guy band is growing with each track and its just a matter of time till they blow over the local scene. With how they grew last year, this year is looking very promising to them. I love their afro fusion kind of sound and the fact that they incorporate a lot of live instruments in their sound. I don't see them moving in any direction besides improving.

9. Hope Masike

This is the second year running whereby I mention Hope Masike on such a list. Honestly last year she kind of disappointed me, expected her to blow up and make every Zimbo know that the new Mbira Queen has arrived but that did not happen. She released a couple of tracks, Nduri, Kwira Gomo & Tingwarire (loved this one though) but none of the tracks really managed to get out of her niche fan base. I still have a lot of faith in her to become the Mbira queen the country needs because listening to her music you cannot deny how ridiculously talented she is. I dearly hope her upcoming album will manage to break out of her niche market and announce her arrival to all Zimbos....such a talent needs national recognition. 

10. Andy Muridzo

Of all the artists in this list Andy is the artist that really blew up last year. From being labelled a copycat to being a staple at many big shows in the capital. He is a testimony that no matter how people complain about you they cannot hate good music. Andy Muridzo's Ngarizhambe album won over many many Zimbos and may arguably win the best album of 2016 come the awards season. The lead single, Dherira was a big big track in 2016 and will be a contender for song of the year at the awards. However with such a successful year under his belt many fear he will fail to maintain the level and his next project will play a large part in his career. He probably will release a follow up album this year and I am very much waiting for it, if he manages to match the Ngarizhambe he will automatically be among the country's big 5 artists....what a rise that would be; copycat in 2015 and top 5 artist in 2017.

So ya those are the ten artists I believe you should watch out for in 2016. Before we finish the list there is one honourable mention....he could as well fit into the ten mentioned above.

• Asaph

Asaph is probably the best storyteller among all the English rappers in Zim hip hop. His two projects Kingsvilla1 & Kingsvilla2 (Kingsvilla2 Album Review) are both critically acclaimed. The way he structures his songs is just second to none and it gets you involved, he paints a clear and vivid image with his words. If you are real hip hop fan, this is one guy that you must follow. All that is missing is the national recognition and that seems to be very near. To fully appreciate the mastery Asaph has to offer you have to listen to the whole album...

What other artists do you feel deserve to be mentioned??

Proud_Zimbo