BORN TO CREATE UNIQUE SOUNDS

When it comes to entertainment he is a package and half. Tinashe Makura is a multi-talented artist who clearly knows how to blend his talents in a great artistry way. The Zvekupenga featuring Chashe hitmaker travels with us in his journey as an artist.

"I am a Zimbabwean born Afro pop artist, singer/songwriter and producer based in the United States of America. My music career took off in 2012 with the release of my debut single Hello. I went on to release classics such as Zvekupenga (featuring Chashe) and Love and Laughter, to name a few. As a multi-disciplined instrumentalist, my journey toward music production was an inevitable one as I have co-produced some of my latest singles in collaboration with the seasoned, multi award winning music producer, mentor, and friend Anton Morgan.

A producer’s job is to take the artist’s vision for a song from concept to reality. The producer is a collaborator who helps artists achieve their dream of expressing and sharing their art with the world in the most compelling way. My passion, zeal, and hunger to create a unique sound made me want to be a producer. A consistent pursuit toward excellence drives me to find innovative ways to stretch myself as a music producer. That means I engage other professional music producers, through collaborations, to add value to the production to lending their skills and expertise to my projects. In my case, I have worked with my good friend and producer Anton Morgan, who is the creative director at Twoam studios, in London. The vision is to give people the music they want and our goal is to serve people well by ensuring it’s of the highest possible standard and quality.

Music production is tailored to an artist’s unique voice and style, regardless of genre. It is therefore, my job as a producer to listen, identify, and guide/collaborate with the artist to accentuate those qualities, which in turn distinguishes my own projects from other musicians that l have produced for.

I am relatively well known for my singing, but I enjoy the creating process which includes both producing and singing. I have collaborated with a number of fellow Zimbabwean artists and Zvekupenga is my most successful collaborative project to date. I can accredit its success to the balance of elements that make for any successful music project, which are: timing; innovation; collaboration; creativity; great lyrics; catchy hook; music business acumen; airplay; and divine favour.

The song was written, produced and released in 2014. Chashe, Anton and I were in 3 different continents at the time (U.S.A, New Zealand and Zimbabwe, respectively). We exchanged ideas and large files over the internet (which was uncommon at the time). I had never met Chashe in person and neither had Anton. The song was an instant success upon release, spending 25 weeks at the top of the charts. It is a classic until the end of time.

We all eventually met in person for the very first time in Zimbabwe when we were invited to perform on the global stage at one of the biggest International arts festival in the country in 2015.

I am also a traveller and a braai master and my music has always been inspired by my life experiences. Travelling broadens my worldview as it gives me insight into other people’s stories and realities as I openly experience and listen to them. Braai is my way of processing my thoughts and coming with new song hooks and melodies. It’s a different artist window that I look through to find inspiration. Being a braai master, just like producing or writing music, is a creative process, an artist form. I believe my music stands out because it has a unique sound that is compelling and relatable. It has influences of traditional and modern sounds: captivating melodies, dissonant harmony chants and compelling lyrics that define the music’s identity. I also believe there are still more great songs in me as I continue experiencing more of life. The dream is to live out my purpose of creating music that the world wants to hear.

My new single, Clearwater is a song inspired by the love story of two distant souls that unexpectedly found in each other, what they didn’t know they needed.

They are soul mates. On the same song between 02:33 - 02:42 minutes are what l call signature harmony chants, which are part of the DNA of my sound. If you listen closely to most of the music I have put out, you’ll hear a consistent dose of those types of chants. They are like tongues, open to the translation of the listener.

Still on Clearwater, the lyrics, "water flowing through my veins", I used a simile to emphasize and describe the purity of a woman’s love in a more tangible and practical way. The painting created is a mental picture since LOVE can sometimes feel intangible.

I have always been sensitive to what my audience wants and stayed on the course of the vision, hence the singles. However, having put out singles all these years, 2023 is the year I hope to release a full album and I am excited about that. I will release singles that will be part of that album before the end of the year, so that’s something for people to look forward to.

To my music fans, you can rest assured that I’m here for the long haul and will continue to create music as long as you continue to listen.

To meat lovers, never underestimate what grilling a good steak on the braai can do for your mind and soul."

Interview by DrThembieTanya

madziwathembie@gmail.com +263719675521