Online Reporter
Trust Khosa
Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
After years of scouting and nurturing artistic talent in Chitungwiza and the surrounding areas, Hard Mashona Arts and Culture Trust is now casting its nets wider.
Co-founded in 2012 by Lennox “Spitfire” Madzamba and Musoni, the organisation was established as a nurturing ground for talent across various art forms, including film, television, theatre, spoken word, fine art, painting and music.
However, a lack of sponsorship has been a significant setback, prompting the founders to dip into their personal resources to finance their activities.
Over the past 13 years, the duo has made a notable impact in nurturing new talent, particularly in music.
Some successful artists, who emerged from their programme, include Hwindi Prezident, Jah Master, Mega Jani, Sledger Fire, and Jah Lalo, among others.
Madzamba and Musoni are travelling as far as Chipinge, Lower Gweru and Mutoko in search of fresh talent, fulfilling their mandate to make a mark in the creative sector.
In an interview with Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub, Madzamba expressed his commitment to providing talented creatives with the exposure they need to reach greater heights.
“On behalf of Hard Mashona Arts & Culture Trust, I can confidently say that we are not just talkers; we are doers when it comes to identifying new talent,” he emphasised.
“Over the years, alongside my partner Musoni, we have worked extensively at the grassroots level, but we often lose talent to larger organisations with more financial backing.
“It’s quite sad that once we identify and nurture talent, some people come in and mislead our stars. Nevertheless, we are determined to continue scouting for new talent, and there’s a lot happening at our stable right now.”
Madzamba, known for his expertise in promoting music talent, while Musoni focuses on other genres, is set to achieve new milestones in their mission.
“In the past year, we have made significant progress in music, and I can proudly say we have discovered a promising rapper from Mutoko named Mr. Vardo (Alfred Mugwezi), who is only 27. We also found another talented producer and artist from Chipinge named Frebouy Mafanise (Benjamin Mlambo), who has been performing exceptionally well for us.”
“Our biggest discovery, and the next big thing, is Xiddo Chikandamina (Forward Maphosa) from Gweru, who has been making waves in the Midlands,” shared Madzamba.
After a rigorous search for talent, Madzamba revealed that they are determined to further develop their new stars.
“Most of the stars we discover every day are talented and rough diamonds, and therefore we need to nurture them. We have done the same with the likes of Jah Master, Sledger Fire, Master H, and Hwindi Prezident before they moved on to join other stables when it was the right time to do so.
“We won’t hinder their progress; what we want is to groom them before they break into mainstream media,” he said.
