malvernmugadzikwa
Kimberly Mhembere
ZEB TSIKIRA (pictured), a Canada-based influential music executive and entrepreneur, is on a mission to help empower both established and budding artistes.
A promoter and executive music producer, Tsikira is helping local musicians achieve their goals by offering them mentorship programmes and sponsoring some of their projects. The Bulawayo-born producer said his upbringing contributed towards his decision to help budding artistes.
“Growing up, my parents had a deep appreciation of music and they frequently hosted parties. This introduced me to the world of music when I was still a young boy,” he said.
In 2021, he embarked on his inaugural project titled “Millionaire”.
On this project, Tsikira featured Bazooker, a Zimdancehall artiste.
Over the years, he has worked with artistes such as Mr Moreni, KG Phenomenal and Boi Shona.
Among the Zimdancehall artistes that benefited from Tsikira’s benevolence are Poptain, Kinnah and Lispy.
As a result of the music producer’s input, Tsikira said the artistes’ global music streams surged from 100 to over 20 million.
An aspiring film producer, Tsikira said he gets satisfaction from helping those in need. The local music industry, he said, has the potential to become a major source of economic empowerment for upcoming artistes. The industry, he added, also provides employment opportunities for emerging creatives.
Speaking from his base in Canada, Tsikira also talked about his desire to market Zimbabwean music abroad.
“All I want is to showcase and market Zimbabwean music to the rest of the world.
A recording artiste himself, Tsikira is aware of the challenges faced by musicians. Now an established producer and promoter, Tsikira does not want budding artistes to go through such a difficult experience.
Bongani Ndlovu