Nutty O | |
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| Born | Carrington Simbarashe Chiwadzwa June 22, 1992 |
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| Years active | 2014–present |
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Nutty O (born Carrington Simbarashe Chiwadzwa, 22 June 1992) is a Zimbabwean Zimdancehall singer and songwriter from Mbare, Harare. He is known for blending African rhythms with contemporary dancehall and reggae influences. He rose to national prominence with his hit single "Kwandabva Kure" and became the first Zimbabwean artist to be featured on DJ Edu's Destination Africa show on BBC Radio 1Xtra. [1] His debut album Mustard Seed (2021) recorded over two million streams on digital platforms and earned him three Zimbabwe Music Awards (ZIMA) and two National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA) in 2022. [2] [3]
Nutty O was born and raised in Edith Operman, Mbare, Harare. He developed a love for music at an early age, inspired by the reggae music of UB40, a passion he shared with his father. [4] During his high school years he began nurturing his musical talent, and in 2014 he committed to pursuing music professionally.
Nutty O's career began when he caught the attention of veteran music producer Funkydalic (also known as the Cashlibs City Producer), with whom he released several early tracks that gained attention on the streets of Harare. In 2015 he joined Kenako Muzik, a label that housed established producers including DJ Tamuka and Oskid. During this period he released the hit single "Kwandabva Kure," which reached number three on DJ Edu's BBC Radio 1Xtra Destination Africa DNA Show, making him the first Zimbabwean artist featured on the programme. [5]
In 2015 he also shared the stage with Jamaican dancehall artist Charly Black and was nominated as the Most Promising Artist at the Zimdancehall Awards. In 2016 he released "Do It Alone," produced by DJ Tamuka, which received airplay on Jamaica's Suncity Radio 104.9 FM, opening doors to a collaboration with Jamaican dancehall act Chilando on the track "Don't Be Rude."
Nutty O subsequently signed with Military Touch Movement (MTM), the record label owned by Jah Prayzah. The partnership produced the hit collaboration "Chekeche" and Nutty O's debut single with MTM, "Bugatti," which became a street anthem. The "Bugatti" music video premiered on Trace Africa and reached number five on the Norway iTunes reggae chart. [6] He won the Best Newcomer Award at the Zimdancehall Awards during this period.
His follow-up single "Boomshelele" also featured on Trace Africa and further raised his profile. Corporate organisations began seeking him for their flagship projects, and he crafted advertising jingles for Sasai Zimbabwe and the UNDP Sustainable Development Goals campaign. He became a brand ambassador for ZOL Fibronics, one of Zimbabwe's largest telecommunications companies.
In June 2020, amid growing tensions, Nutty O's manager Byron Kabaira released a statement announcing the artist's departure from MTM, citing "growth reasons." The departure was triggered in part by an incident in which Jah Prayzah's Facebook page livestreamed a rival artist's NashTV performance but declined to promote Nutty O's concurrent gig on ZiFM Stereo. Nutty O initially distanced himself from the departure statement, but Jah Prayzah responded by releasing a statement terminating contracts for all artists at MTM. The situation was later resolved amicably, with Nutty O continuing his career independently under the ABX brand. [7]
On 24 September 2021, Nutty O released his debut album, Mustard Seed, executively produced by himself and DJ Tamuka. The 14-track album featured international collaborations with Jamaican reggae star Demarco on "Ndiwe," Ghanaian Afrobeats star Stonebwoy on "Success," and local collaborations with ExQ on "Ready" and Kae Chaps on "Be My Girl." [8] The album was endorsed by Winky D and ExQ upon release, and recorded over two million streams on digital platforms. [9]
The album's lead single "Handipere Power" became a national anthem-like hit. At the 2022 Zimbabwe Music Awards (ZIMA), Nutty O was the biggest winner, taking home three awards: Best Album (Mustard Seed), Best Male Artist, and Song of the Year ("Handipere Power"). He had led the nominations with seven nods across different categories. [10] The following week, he won two more awards at the 2022 National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA): Outstanding Album and Outstanding Male Musician.
Nutty O's international profile has continued to grow. He performed alongside The Wailers at the Bob Marley Birthday Festival in Abu Dhabi and shared the stage with renowned producer Teddy Riley, who had worked extensively with Michael Jackson. [11] He was also featured on Etana's Grammy-nominated album.
Nigerian Afrobeats star Patoranking publicly praised Nutty O, stating that he was "the future of not just Zimbabwe but of Africa."
In 2024, Nutty O collaborated with Trinidadian artist Triniboi Joocie on the single "Substance" and was honoured with the Zimbabwe Achievers Awards (Z.A.A.) Chairman's Special Recognition Award for Services to Music at the UK edition ceremony in Birmingham. [12]
He also featured on the Bob Marley tribute album alongside Winky D, performing a rendition of "So Much Trouble in the World." He has toured internationally in Australia, Botswana, South Africa and various other countries.
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Mustard Seed | Debut album; 14 tracks; featuring Demarco, Stonebwoy, ExQ, Kae Chaps |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | "Kwandabva Kure" | First Zimbabwean track on BBC Radio 1Xtra |
| 2016 | "Do It Alone" | Airplay on Jamaica's Suncity Radio 104.9 FM |
| 2016 | "Don't Be Rude" | Featuring Chilando (Jamaica) |
| 2017 | "Bugatti" | Premiered on Trace Africa; No. 5 Norway iTunes reggae chart |
| 2018 | "Boomshelele" | Featured on Trace Africa |
| 2020 | "Safe" | Pre-release single; over 1 million YouTube views |
| 2020 | "Kokai" | Featuring Poptain |
| 2021 | "Handipere Power" | ZIMA Song of the Year 2022 |
| 2021 | "Ndiwe" | Featuring Demarco |
| 2021 | "Success" | Featuring Stonebwoy |
| 2024 | "Substance" | Featuring Triniboi Joocie (Trinidad and Tobago) |
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Zimdancehall Awards | Most Promising Artist | Nominated |
| 2017 | Zimdancehall Awards | Best Newcomer | Won |
| 2019 | Zimdancehall Awards | Best Male Artist | Won |
| 2019 | Star FM Awards | Best Zimdancehall Song | Won |
| 2022 | Zimbabwe Music Awards (ZIMA) | Best Album (Mustard Seed) | Won |
| 2022 | Zimbabwe Music Awards (ZIMA) | Best Male Artist | Won |
| 2022 | Zimbabwe Music Awards (ZIMA) | Song of the Year ("Handipere Power") | Won |
| 2022 | National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA) | Outstanding Album | Won |
| 2022 | National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA) | Outstanding Male Musician | Won |
| 2024 | Zimbabwe Achievers Awards UK | Chairman's Special Recognition Award | Won |