ZIM MUSIC WILL EXPLODE SOON, SAYS AWA KHIWE

Laura Maposa

HIP HOP artist Awakhiwe Sibanda, better known as Awa Khiwe, says the local musical industry is on the verge of a massive boom.

She is set to release her new single titled Rap Gandaganda.

She is also dropping the music video for the song.

“The music industry in Zimbabwe is growing every day.

“Zimbabwean creatives are working very hard, we are going in the right direction and very soon it will be difficult to leave Zimbabwe out of international platforms because we have everything we need to reach that level.

“We need to support each other and go back to our roots and celebrate the things that make us unique.

“We have beautiful languages, history and cultures that the world still needs to see.

“We need financial investment for our entertainment industry to thrive.

“Creatives need to work hand in hand with corporates and the entertainment industry needs consistent government support.”

Awa Khiwe said the main concept of the music video was to celebrate African royalty.

She said as Africans, our struggles are amplified more than our beautiful culture and royalty

“The song is available on all major digital platforms. We will release another single from the album soon and announce the exact date of the album release.

“The song will be released on 7 November 2024 (tomorrow). The song has a beautiful music video that will be available on my YouTube channel on the same date.

“The music video was shot in Nkayi, Dolahali, at the village where I was raised. This is where I started my rap music journey so it meant a lot to me to shoot the video at a place I have a deep connection with.

“The main concept of the music video was to celebrate African royalty because as Africans our struggles are amplified more than our beautiful culture and royalty.

“This is why I worked with A Tribe Called Zimbabwe, which is a brand that celebrates Zimbabwean culture and heritage through fashion.

“The cowhide costumes are very royal and beautiful. I also worked with Sharon Ntuta, a designer.”

Awa Khiwe is nicknamed “The Village Girl” because she is the first hip-hop artist from her village.

“The costumes made the video look stunning. I included some Venda and Tonga inspired costumes on the video because cultural representation matters, l wanted to celebrate other Zimbabwean cultures as well.

“The video is a must watch, we will release a behind the scenes video on November 7 as well so that people can watch the whole journey and be a part of the whole experience.

“I have an album coming out very soon. I also worked with Mokoomba on the production of some of the songs and the backing vocals.”

She also spoke about her life outside music.

“I was forced to take a break from music for almost two years to focus on my health and my workload piled up while I was away so some projects were never released properly because of my absence.

“Besides making music, I do a lot of work behind the scenes, I write scripts for music videos, films, documentaries, musicals and many other film projects.

“I am currently working under Treasure Africa Productions as a Scriptwriter and Film Producer. I am also writing a book which will be published next year,” she added.

The post ZIM MUSIC WILL EXPLODE SOON, SAYS AWA KHIWE appeared first on H-Metro.