Chronicle Editor
Mbulelo Mpofu, Showbiz Reporter
AS wave after wave of new genres and sub-genres continue to emerge in the music circles, one wonders and marvels at the level of creativity that is being brandished.
Suddenly, one is gripped with yesteryear’s nostalgia where kwaito used to be the “in-thing”. That era saw one of the greatest duos to come out of Bulawayo emerge in the form of the Mpofu siblings, POZee and Skhu.
Together, POZee Younga97 (real name Mbekezeli Mpofu) and his sister Skhu (real name Skhululekile Mpofu) were the Jackson 5 of the 21st millennium with the difference being that they were just two.
Their hit song, Hamba Nobani ushered in a new wave of local kwaito where the pair went toe to toe with yesteryear kwaito outfits, GTI, Go Boyz and Achuzi. This was a special era that saw Bulawayo have its Urban Grooves equal, kwaito rising to the plate.
Such nostalgia is set to be a thing of the past as POZee moots a strong comeback to the music scene with his new song, Enhlizweni which was released earlier this month. Chronicle Showbiz tracked down the dread-locked artiste to get to grips with his current occupation, music, and business adventure with sister, Skhue.
Born on June 26, 1986, POZee Younga97 did his primary education in Hwange before proceeding to the resort city of Victoria Falls where he completed that phase of his childhood. As early as the seventh grade, he recognised that he could make a career out of music and has never looked back from that moment.
The soft-spoken singer said one way or the other, his destiny was going to see him being an artiste.
“Love for art has always been a part of me. As a child, I enjoyed listening to South African artistes Arthur Mafokate and Zola, and found myself mimicking them and replicating their song composition style. This was the Walkman Stereo Cassette Player era and I would smuggle one to school so that I listen to music with friends and also look cool.
“Riding on the wave of the aforesaid artistes, I then enlisted the help of my sister Skhu who was already into music and that’s how the journey began. Our first recorded track was Owami in 2003. The following year, I released my debut album titled Kasi Lami which featured Skhu and Vetso (deceased).
“Some of the songs included in that golden masterpiece include the famous Hamba Nobani, Kasi Lami, Ziwaya and Khilikithi. That is how it all started for me,” he said.
The pair enjoyed considerable success for a while, but their lofty ascent came to a screeching halt with new genres overtaking kwaito and the country facing economic challenges which made being an artiste not self-sustainable.
POZee Younga97 took a sabbatical from music but has been largely working behind the scenes to scout and groom fresh and up-to-the-minute talent. He started working with Links in 2019 who dropped an EP in 2020 titled SK World. Sadly, he passed away last year.
Skhu has never left the microphone as well. She has been pushing her career also with her latest offering being Dakona which was produced last year. Besides music, the pair share a passion for entrepreneurship as they own a bookstore which POZee Younga97 describes as a lifesaver.
“Over the course of our brief hiatus from music, times were hard as the deteriorating economic landscape tightened its grip, toughening livelihoods for masses. At this time, we found comfort in our book store for survival. Kangaroo Paw Trading has been in business for more than a decade and this has kept our heads above the water especially when push came to shove. It’s been a life-saver indeed,” said the Owami singer.
A wave of death struck again with him losing his mother, grandmother, and sibling within a space of two months. He has not had it easy since then. To deal with the depression, he undertook to resuscitate his musical career with a release of Top Notch, which paved way for an Amapiano-type rendition of Joeboy’s Alcohol. The track titled Enhlizweni, features Lesley Kampila, and was engineered by renowned producer p2daoh.
“Last year was the hardest for me as I lost a lot of my family members and almost fell into depression. To deal with that, I turned to what I know and know that’s music. Joeboy’s Alcohol is one of my favourite songs so I decided to give it an Amapiano feel laced with lyrics that touch the heartstrings. Enhlizweni is a song written to appreciate the important people in my life,” he said.
With just over two decades in the music industry, he was quick to note that Bulawayo is awash and very ripe with talent, but the impediment to reaching the rest of the country is largely influenced by the fact that most artistes have no knowledge of the business side of music.
“We have a lot of talent in Bulawayo, but ignorance of the business side of music is one of the roots of our struggles. We should know how to do things the legal way and know who is involved in this business for us to start reaping rewards from it.
“We need to be intellectually smart and know our way around the different personnel involved in music so that we have a vibrant and thriving music sector in Bulawayo,” he said.
In addition, POZee Younga97 lamented the lack agencies that invest in artiste grooming and management as a cause for concern. He said artistes do everything by themselves and that may have a negative bearing on the quality of content they make.
He concluded by advising young and up-and-coming artistes to do all that they can to be acquainted with the pros and cons of the music industry so that they don’t fall victim to theft and intellectual property infringements.
“The most important thing for up-and-coming artistes to understand is that being an artiste means you are a brand and you should behave like one. A lot of these newcomers think thriving on notoriety gives them artistic mileage, but that’s not the case.
“Music is about staying relevant and the best way to do so is to produce good music and people will appreciate it,” said Pozee Younga97. – @eMKlass_49
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