The Sunday News
Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter
AFTER years of complaints that artistes from Bulawayo and other regions did not have their music on major digital platforms, Ndebeles Connect, a social media cultural movement, has created a playlist on Spotify that is meant to make it easier to access music from Matabeleland.
While the world has gone digital, a lot of artistes in the region have been left behind, with fans left stranded, as they are forced to seek music from unofficial sources.
Spotify is a Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is the world’s largest music streaming service provider, with over 365 million monthly active users, including 165 million paying subscribers, as of June 2021.
“Mat’land artists have been working incredibly hard for years and most not getting credit or respect they deserve. Ndebeles Connect is a platform where artists can showcase their talent and by having a playlist will make it easier for the listeners to find good music coming from Mat’land,” said Ndebeles Connect founder, Evans Khumalo.
He said artistes were smitten with the idea as it would also bring their music to international markets.
“Artists were very supportive of the idea as it unites everyone to pull the same direction. This can grow the artists fan base not only locally but internationally. Mat’land has one of the best talents in the country and it’s just a matter of time until the world tunes in as long as we keep coming with different ideas to market their music and work together,” he said.
