The Sunday News
Bruce Ndlovu
While some will be grappling with the woes of January, music star Jeys Marabini is one of those that are defying the prevailing mood and toasting to the New Year, as he was recently crowned the country’s top jazz act by Radio Zimbabwe.
While Rev Chivaviro came out tops in the popular Coca-Cola Radio Top 50 held at the end of every year, Marabini was given the honour of being named the top jazz musician, with Killer T also named dancehall’s best while Oliver Mtukudzi was handed an honorary award.
Although he has been a giant in the music scene for over 15 years, 2018 saw Marabini continue to press forward in his career with his last album, Ntunjambila recognised as one of his best efforts.
In an interview, Marabini said that he felt that the award had been a pleasant surprise, as it was an honour that was not decided by public vote but expert opinion.
“I’m really thankful to Radio Zimbabwe for recognising my work and giving me this honour when I least expected it. The award is also testament to the fact that people enjoyed my last album, which was Ntunjambila. This award is a big deal for me because no one was asked to vote for me but rather it was an award given to me based on merit,” he said.
Marabini said given the scope and reach of Radio Zimbabwe, the award would most likely boost his own standing in the music field.
“It’s a big deal to me because Radio Zimbabwe covers the whole country and I think it is the biggest radio station. Getting such an award together with artistes of the calibre of Oliver Mtukudzi and Killer T means a lot to me.
“I would love also to thank Coca-Cola because of the support that they’ve given the arts. We wish more in the corporate world would come on board and support artistes in a similar manner because it shows the value of our contribution to the country,” he said.
