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Mbulelo Mpofu
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Music has always been a powerful medium for conveying messages, shaping cultural values, and influencing society. Among the most impactful people in this sphere are musicians, who have the ability to connect with their audience and inspire them in profound ways. However, many musicians use stage names rather than their real names when performing. How do they come up with these monikers, and what do they represent?
Take Bruno Mars, for example. The talented American singer, songwriter, and record producer was born Peter Gene Hernandez. But he adopted the name Bruno Mars as a tribute to his father’s favourite professional wrestler, the late Bruno Sammartino. As Mars explained in an interview with Audio Network Limited UK, “My dad nicknamed me Bruno after Bruno Sammartino, so growing up everyone in my family called me that. And Mars came up because a lot of girls would call me a little Martian, so I guess I just added it on.”
Another musician who derived his stage name from his birthplace is rapper Flo Rida. In an episode of MTV’s former series When I Was 17, Tramar Lacel Dillard explained how he came up with his moniker. “I sat up there for about an hour and finally, it hit me ‘Take Florida, break it in half and there you go: Flo Rida,” he said.
In Zimbabwe, Nathaniel Chipunza is a popular singer who goes by the name NateOktopus on stage. He explained to Saturday Leisure how he ended up with this moniker.
“It started as a nickname from homies I worked with Tunyce Shabz and Babongile Skhonjwa. I hated it at first. It is based on my abilities of playing multiple instruments. I hated every bit of it till one day, I noticed every gig I went to, people would address me as Oktopus. So, since my actual name is Nathaniel Chipunza, I just shortened my first name to ‘Nate.’ This is the very reason why I ended up being, ‘NateOktopus’ today,” he said.
In South Africa’s maskandi genre, the use of comical and diverse stage names is common. Some examples include Khwel’ebhasini (loosely translated as “Ride on a bus”), Phuzekhemisi (Drink at the chemistry), the late Mfaz’Omnyama (Dark-skinned woman), and Ntencane (Small thing).
Zimbabwean maskandi artiste Zinjaziyamluma (real name Sithembile Siqhoza) also has a memorable stage name. He was given this moniker by his late uncle Khanseli Nkomo after a series of dog attacks that he experienced as a child.
“He said I always had a date with dogs as they were perennially attacking me,” chuckled the Mama singer.
Rapper Luminous, whose true name is Tinashe Mtetwa, claimed that his stage name originated from his passion for learning.
“My stage name, contrary to popular belief, was not derived from the love of glory but rather, it was from a place of loving to learn new things. I had this tendency of reading the dictionary in search of new and random words that I didn’t know in order to find out their meaning and etymology.
“I would then try to write a story from there. One day, I was practicing my writing skills using the letter L and I stumbled upon ‘Luminous.’ I understood the meaning and made it a point to be a beam of light in other people’s lives and that’s how my name came about. I wanted to exude life everywhere I go,” said the Ungay’vusa hit maker.
While some musicians opt for memorable stage names, others prefer to use their real names. Either way, what matters most is the music they create and the impact it has on their listeners. As Nathaniel Chipunza aptly put it, “It’s not about the name; it’s about the music.”
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