The Sunday News
Mbongeni Msimanga Sunday Leisure Correspondent
GWERU based dancehall artiste, Lewaz Skattah has been nominated for two music categories under the Zimbabwe Music and Arts Awards (ZIMAA) set to be held in the United Kingdom on 29 November this year.The event is scheduled to be held in Buckinghamshire.
The Mkoba born artiste, real name Dennis Simbarashe Murerwa was nominated in the Best Touring Act and Best Video categories.
“I was nominated in two categories for the ZIMAA UK awards. The first category is the Best Touring Act, which features popular Zim dancehall artistes in Zimbabwe such as Shinsoman, Sir Calaz and Soul Jah Love. The other category features a UK artiste, Loud H. We want to take Zim dancehall to greater heights and we anticipate performing in more countries,” he said.
Although coming from a city that has produced few names in the Zim dancehall music genre, Skattah has managed to dominate the genre with some top of the drawer performances that have earned him a good fan base even beyond the country’s borders.
Skattah said he appreciated the support that he was getting from his UK fans, urging Zimbabweans to work towards marketing their music internationally.
“I appreciate the attention that I have been given by my UK fans and I thank them for the opportunity to be nominated in the ZIMAA awards. I come from a small town but I have managed to be selected for these awards and also perform in the UK. I never imagined it as my target market is mostly local Zimbabweans. However, with this recognition coming from UK I am beginning to realise the need to push my music internationally like what the South Africans and Nigerians are doing,” he said.
Although Zim dancehall is a genre that has been marred by controversy with a section of society believing it to be a catalyst in the erosion of the social morals, Skattah said the genre had taken the country by storm and people even critics were beginning to appreciate it as not all songs were associated with bad behaviour.
He, however, condemned opportunistic show promoters whom he said were interested in enriching themselves than promoting the music.
“There has been an outcry from the public that Zim dancehall erodes social morals but I still believe that there are some songs that are good and it should not be viewed in bad light. Some songs are actually inspirational and address societal issues. The industry has also been put in bad light by some promoters who are only driven by profit motive and enriching themselves at the expense of the industry as a whole,” he said.
Skattah has toured South Africa, Mozambique and Botswana since his entrance into the music industry.
He has contributed significantly to the growth of Zim dancehall, a new genre that have since its inception witnessed a phenomenal growth in the country with artistes such as Winky D, Shinsoman, Lady Squanda and Soul Jah Love taking their acts to the UK where they have established a market in the hope of marketing themselves internationally and promoting the Zim dancehall genre.
