Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter
WHEN he steps to the decks on Sunday, Bulawayo-born and bred music producer Nitefreak, real Bheki Mabhena, will do so as a superstar.
Four years after the first edition of Hindé, the Afro-house music event he founded to elevate Zimbabwean dance music, Nitefreak returns as perhaps one of the most sought-after musicians in the country.
It has been a rollercoaster year for Nitefreak, who has gone from a Spotify chart-topping artiste to a touring juggernaut.
Simply put, Nitefreak is living the Zimbabwean artiste’s dream. Paris, Girona, Barcelona, Ibiza, Los Angeles, New York, Denver, Copenhagen, and Miami are just a handful of the exotic destinations that have been blessed to hear the sounds of one of Africa’s great emerging afro house producers.
Legends like Black Coffee, Diplo, and Shimza regularly give nods to a self-taught DJ and producer who has reached heights many in his native country cannot even dare dream of.
While some artistes might claim popularity at home because people recognise them on the streets, Nitefreak has numbers to back his status as a superstar. His streaming figures alone put some of Zimbabwe’s so-called superstar artistes to shame, catapulting him to a level of success that very few home-grown Zimbabwean artistes have ever reached.
“Nite Who?” many asked last year when it was revealed that he was arguably Zimbabwe’s most successful active artiste. The hundreds that are likely to attend his signature event in Bulawayo today will likely have a ready answer for whoever might ask that question this afternoon.
Yet, for all his success, the return of Nitefreak to Zimbabwe this afternoon will bring a bittersweet feeling. For years, house fanatics touted the producer as a gem whose glimmer the rest of Bulawayo and Zimbabwe seemed worryingly comfortable ignoring. In a city where dance culture is entrenched, Nitefreak managed to cultivate an audience of die-hard listeners who wholeheartedly believed that his music was at par with what superstars around the world were releasing.
The popularity of the initial editions of Hindé was a ringing endorsement of a then-rising star and yet, most of Bulawayo and the rest of Zimbabwe just did not seem to believe that he was worth all the excitement.
It was only after he started making the headlines internationally that the country started to take proper notice of this freak of sound.
“It’s a global world, so you have to make sure that you’re always seen,” said local showbiz commentator Dalubuhle Sibanda of Umahlekisa Entertainment. “Always make sure you get better at what you do so that when the time comes and opportunity meets preparedness, things get explosive. This is exactly what has happened to him. He got his opportunity and he took his shot and I hope Sunday will be a great success for him. It is quite sad, however, that people do not appreciate you while you’re still in Zimbabwe. You have to blow up internationally before people show you that love. Bulawayo has a lot of talent and I hope that one day we will find a way of getting them out there.”
While Nitefreak is now being welcomed with open arms in both the capital and Bulawayo, it reinforces the idea that local stars need to be polished elsewhere before they can shine enough for their countrymen to notice them. This is an age-old song that has been sung by the likes of Lovemore Majaivana, seasoned artistes who retreated into exile while still yearning for local appreciation.
While the argument can be made that Bulawayo’s showbiz economy is not strong enough to support stars such as Nitefreak, the popularity of local afro house events suggests that Bulawayo and Harare can give a respectable measure of success to some of their own if they wish.
Many will no doubt wonder how many Nitefreaks Bulawayo carries in its creative womb. How many are just waiting to be born into a brave new world in which their talent is appreciated even by their next-door neighbours? What did Nite Freak get right in his ascent to fame?
“One thing that we always seem to forget is that the world is bigger than Zimbabwe and in a globalised village you need to put yourself out there and that’s one thing that he did very well,” said Sibanda of Nitefreak’s rise.
“He worked hard on his craft but we also need to remember that he is also exceptionally talented. Without mentioning everything else we have to remember that he is a very good producer. However, he did put himself out there and things worked out for him.
“Sometimes it all comes down to timing and luck but before that, you still need to put in the work. You need to dedicate hours to your craft. You have to grind. As said, you need to get good, get in, and get paid. You just need to be producing good content and make sure that you’re seen. From Nitefreak’s blueprint, we learn that you always have to put yourself and your work out there.”
In an article in Forbes Magazine last year, Nitefreak spoke of how Africans approached America’s Black History Month, using prominent figures as an example of how people of colour can reach for the stars.
“I think most of the accomplishments that you guys have had in the Americas . . . it’s kind of different because we still face some of the things that you guys are celebrating here on a daily basis. So, to us, I feel like we really do celebrate individuals who have really shown a light, whether it may be music, acting or whatever Black people excel in, especially Africans. For example, the likes of Black Coffee. To us, that’s what we would call Black excellence,” he said.
Black coffee
After a year of whirlwind touring, Nitefreak now stands as a shining example of the kind of excellence that he spoke of.
For Bulawayo, and Zimbabwe at large, his success also offers an opportunity for necessary introspection.
