Zimbabwean musician bounces back with AfricentiQ band

Zimbabwean Afro-soul music artist Shamie Mabvudzi will release his first video for 2014, Haruwe, on 13 August. He has established his own band, AfricentiQ, made up of five men and one woman. Mabvudzi is also launching a website this month, which will enable people to buy and listen to his music, see the latest news, interviews and tour information.

Haruwe started playing on air nationally in July, mainly on Metro under the jazz section.

Mabvudzi has moved from his comfort zone of playing for Zimbabweans only and ventured into the broader market. On 30 June, his band, AfricentiQ, performed a song Aripo Wangu for a City of Cape Town function in Langa.

He said, “I was humbled … playing for a crowd which does not understand your language, yet they dance to every tune. Music is a universal language.”

Haruwe is a video which depicts a township set up, with a young man who is deeply in love, as described by the lyrics: “You took my heart. Even if you are far, I still feel as if you are near, but then get hurt when I realise you are not physically around”. The video has Mabvudzi and Definate Kamoto as the lovers. It is Kamoto’s first time to be on camera. The video was produced by Afri Kalcha entertainment.

One might expect the video to be in line with the township’s way of living. However, the video takes a different perspective. The girl is in modern dress, sexy yet dignified. The video shows the lovebirds doing laundry together. A past generation might believe that if a man did house chores he was bewitched.

In his free time, Mabvudzi is in involved in marathons in support of charity work. On 26 January, he participated in a 21km Camps Bay marathon, on 29 March, the Tygerberg 30km marathon, and on 18 April, the Old Mutual marathon. He has twice run the 42km Two Oceans.

When asked how he managed to establish a band considering that he started small and in a foreign land, he said, “I maintain certain standards for my work … I make sure we produce quality. I am using digital online marketing and social media to network. I also moved away from using backing tracks (CDs) when performing; it is all live performance now. My target audience also changed to mature audience.”

Also see GroundUps article, Zimbabwean musician calls Cape Town home; it seems to be paying off for Mabvudzi.