‘Urban grooves here to stay’

Dennis Chimanzi

ROCKFORD “Roki” Josphat and Trevor Dongo — two immensely popular musicians who rose to prominence during the urban grooves era — argue the genre that gave them fame is here to stay.

According to Roki, the fact that he commands a significant following on social media platforms means the genre is still relevant.

A boastful Roki explained why he believes the urban grooves genre still commands a large following.

“Look at my Facebook page. I have 160 000 followers. How many sungura or Zimdancehall artistes command such a huge figure? The urban grooves genre is still entrenched in the hearts and minds of many,” Roki said.

He said the fact that he made history by garnering over eight million views on YouTube for the song “Patati Patata” means he is still very much in the game.

On “Patati Patata”, Roki featured Koffi Olomide and Rayvanny.

Dongo, whose video for the song “Dima” attracted over 70 000 viewers on YouTube, reckons the urban grooves genre is still an integral part of the local music landscape.

“We can never speak about Zimbabwean music without mentioning urban grooves. In my view, this genre is alive and kicking, as opposed to what many people may think,” Dongo said.

The genre, according to Dongo, gave local music a new dimension and has a huge following, even outside the country’s borders.

“We have many fans throughout the world and this, in itself, means it is still the genre of choice.”

Meanwhile, an urban grooves concert has been set for August 26 in the United Kingdom.

Urban grooves artistes who are based in the country will share the stage with their counterparts scattered all over the world.

The event has been dubbed the “Urban Grooves Connect”, and will feature artistes like Dongo, Decibel, Maskiri, Extra Large and Ngoni Kambarami.