The Sunday News
Rumbidzai Mbewe Sunday News Correspondent
SHE is a vibrant young lady full of life and energy. The young lady is slowly blooming into a woman on a mission to make a difference in society as well as inspire young people to follow their dreams. Kudzai Violet Gwara popularly known as KVG is the youngest deejay (DJ) at StarFM and she is proving to other young people that age is nothing but just a number.
The young DJ was recently nominated at the Zimbabwe International Women’s Awards in the People’s Choice Category.
In an interview, she could not hide the joy she had for being recognised among big names that have made a their names in all spheres of the world. She said the nomination was a sign that she is no longer the young girl she was but was transforming into a woman.
“The first thing that came into my mind when I heard of the nominations was, I am now a woman. I have always been treated like a baby, the last born in the StarFM family so I was like ndakura manje,” she said.
At just 23 years of age, Kudzai has managed to touch lives of many people in the country together with her workmate Phathisani Sibanda. She said the secret to winning people’s hearts was giving them the real “you”, not pretend to be someone you are not.
“For me what you hear is what you get. I love to laugh. I am loud and into music. I always try to connect with people because I am the people’s choice. The secret is originality, don’t paint a picture of what you are not. Today’s radio is about realness,” said Kudzai.
She said being a DJ was something that she never thought of doing but she longed to be a television personality and a musician. Growing up, she loved music and her dream was to be one of the best musicians in the country.
“I loved singing when I was a child. I listened to a lot of music. I also wanted to be a TV personality and never really thought about radio but look at where it has taken me,” she said.
Kudzai said working at StarFM was a blessing as she gets to hang around amazing and beautiful people who she described as stars. She added that working with Phathisani was an added advantage for her because they understood each other and regards him as a brother.
“Working with Phathisani is lots of fun. He is my work partner and we have so much respect for one another and that vibe we have on radio is real. That’s how we talk off air and we are like brother and sister from different mothers or buddies,” she said.
“We do not rehearse at all on what we say on radio. I think doing that will take away the fun and excitement so we keep it real and on the edge,” Kudzai added.
Her love for life keeps her going and the young lady said she was grateful for a lot of things that have happened in her life. Her job is something that she does not take for granted and so during her three hours on radio, she makes sure that she touches a soul and inspires someone.
“I don’t take radio for granted so when I am working I must inspire someone, change someone’s life. I am simply there to give people hope or put a smile on their faces. I can only do that if my voice is smiling,” said Kudzai.
Kudzai is working on a number of projects which she said she would disclose in due course. She said people would be seeing her on more television programmes very soon.
“People can expect a lot. I have already started doing television shows and some other projects of which I will keep you posted. But yeah expect more exciting and crazy moments on radio as well,” said Kudzai.
She urged young people to take time to discover where their passion lies and take time to know themselves before they rush into making decisions. She said once you know what you want then every other thing will just fall into place.
“All I can say is the world is your stage, step up to the game and shine like a star. One day you will get paid to talk for three hours and inspire someone or sing a chorus that will heal the nation,” she said.
Kudzai is not married yet but would love to settle down with someone who understands her passion for radio and what she represents in society.
