adminTerrence Mapurisana Correspondent
Qatar-based musician, Lloyd ‘Papaa Lodza’ Madziya has lifted the country’s flag high by being the first Zimbabwean to take part in a World Cup project, one of the major highlights in his career.
The FIFA World Cup 2022 song titled “Alle Annabi Yalla”, features a number of artistes from all over the world.
The song was created and produced for the band called INMANETICA.
The idea behind the song is to encourage and engage a multinational community to support the Qatar National Football Team.
The song has three versions, English, Arabic, Spanish, and is also sung in French.
Other musicians on the project include Carlos Gomez, Paula Alejandra, and the lead female vocalist, Ceser Narvaez.
The “Hupenyu” hit-maker got this opportunity when he was invited to do the chorus by Carlos Gomez, which, according to him, was a “once in a lifetime” opportunity.
Hence, he could not think twice in taking part in this prestigious project, which includes video and audio versions.
“I am very excited to have joined a group of great musicians from across the world. Lifting Zimbabwe’s flag high gives me pleasure as well,” Papaa Lodza said.
“I am thankful to the producers who gave me the opportunity to shine beyond my country’s borders.” Working with artistes from around the globe, like Lorne MacDougali, one of the best musicians from Scotland, credited for a range of movies, including Disney Pixa’s “Brave” and DreamWork’s “How To Train Dragon” series, Ali Hussein, and Paula Alejandra, has given Papaa Lodza the dexterity to scale even higher heights.
The female lead singer, Alejandra, is a virtuoso opera singer from Colombia. She has performed with the opera of Colombia for the last two years. She also sings in other genres such as pop and jazz.
As if this project was not enough, Papaa Lodza was also invited to perform at the FIFA fan festival, attended by thousands of soccer and music lovers.
“To me, this was an experience that will take me very far as a Zimbabwean artiste. I am sure my forthcoming song, “Mukanya” will also be well-received in this part of the world.”
Artistes on the project are from Zimbabwe, Colombia, Scotland, India and Lebanon.
Born in Gumbutsa Village, Mutoko in 1984, Papaa Lodza first fell in love with music from an early age.
“As a country boy, I was exposed to a number of musical ceremonies where I could lead in singing, hence the desire to do music was born,” he said.
Inspired by the likes of Leornard Dembo, Oliver Mtukudzi and Thomas Mapfumo, his music has a distinct classic touch of some of these artistes, fused with “modern vibe”.
Because of his love for poetry, Papaa Lodza realised he could as well write music. That realisation led to the composition of his first single, “Hupenyu”, recorded in Qatar, which is currently doing well in the ZBC Classic 263 Top 20 Chart Show.
“After searching for a studio since 2014, I was approached by a producer from Colombia, Carlos Gomes, who runs SNS Studio, and that led to the creation of my record label, Afrochekta,” he said.
The genre is a fusion of Champeta from Colombia, house music, Afro pop and traditional Zimbabwean music, with Chimurenga being more influential.
This first but not last recording gave birth to the song, “Nacheka”, which features another Qatar-based Kenyan gospel musician, Ebby Kush.
Papaa Lodza also played an influential role in the creation of Head, Knees n Toes, a brand that dresses him, and ensures that he and other artistes are well-groomed.
Online Reporter