happiness Chikwanha
Leroy Dzenga Arts Reporter
There are many local neo-soul followers, but the genre is not growing in the country because singers are not keen to pursue the style, young musician Kevin Munetsi has said.
The 23-year-old vocalist said if his genre had more figures to complement him and acts like Prayer-soul, then it will be on the same pedestal with sounds like hip-hop and dancehall in the country. He said locals love neo-soul, judging by the way they vote for the likes of John Legend and Frank Ocean on local radio shows.
In an interview with The Herald, Munetsi said a precondition for a genre’s blossoming is a great number of artistes pushing towards a common goal. The artiste who recently released a new song titled “Rush” said he believes his latest offering will change the perceptions upcoming musicians have on neo soul.
“The song is a minimalist combination of RnB and Trap music which has a medium tempo which represents neo-soul while staying abreast with trends,” he said.
The song becomes his fifth career single adding to a discography which includes the hit “Let Me Part Two”, in which he featured Depth of hip-hop duo, The Soular Rayze.
Neo-soul in Zimbabwe has not been growing for years with just a few acts including Fungayi Nengare, Simmz 27, Prayersoul and Munetsi trying to steer the sub-genre ahead.
In neighbouring country South Africa, artistes in a similar category like Vusi Nova, Kyle Deutsche and Lloyd Cele are celebrated in their locality making their trade a viable way of survival.
Online Reporter