Rockford Josphats (born July 7, 1985), better known by his stage namesRoki or Rocqui, is a Zimbabwean contemporary musician, who has also tapped into acting. Born in Harare and raised in ParkTown Waterfalls Harare, Roki made his debut in 2001 after releasing hits such as "Seiko" which featured Leonard Mapfumo and Suzanna.
Proud holder of the "most Promising Artist for 2003" through the prestigious National Arts Merit Awards of Zimbabwe (NAMA), Roki has made a name for himself as a gifted songwriter and exceptional performer. His album which carried the undying hit "Chidzoka" won best video of the year and song of the year in 2007.
In 2012, Roki participated in the Big Brother Africa 7 show, he was tipped to win, but was disqualified after an altercation with fellow Zimbabwean house mate Maneta. Despite this, Roki rose to national and regional fame.[1] The urban grooves star has apparently fathered at least five children with different women, he dropped out of school at about age 15. Roki's songs centre on the themes of love, death, life and the clash of Western and African culture.
In 2021, Roki collaborated with legendary Congolese soukous singer and dancer star, Koffi Olomide and Tanzanian BET award winner on a song titled Patati Patata.[2]
Style and influences
His music style includes Urban Groove, Soca, Dancehall, Afro-pop and House music. In 1996, while on a bus singing with friends, Roki was heard by a local musician who invited him to provide backing vocals on the musician's song.
Some of his songs include Chidzoka, Ndokuda Gugu, Jordan, Zion, Ndoda, Mumwe, Suzanna and Nhliziyo.[3]
Zimbabwean music is heavily reliant on the use of instruments such as the mbira, Ngoma drums and hosho. Their music symbolizes much more than a simple rhythm, as the folk and pop style styled music was used as a symbol of hope for Zimbabweans looking to gain independence from Rhodesia. Music has played a significant role in the history of Zimbabwe, from a vital role in the traditional Bira ceremony used to call on ancestral spirits, to protest songs during the struggle for independence. The community in Zimbabwe used music to voice their resistance to their oppression, as one of the only weapons they had available to fight back with. In the eighties, the Music of Zimbabwe was at the center of the African Music scene thanks to genres such as Sungura and Jit. However, several performers were banned by state TV and radio leading to the closing of several music venues.
Soukous is a genre of dance music originating from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo. It derived from Congolese rumba in the 1960s, with faster dance rhythms and bright, intricate guitar improvisation, and gained popularity in the 1980s in France. Although often used by journalists as a synonym for Congolese rumba, both the music and dance associated with soukous differ from more traditional rumba, especially in its higher tempo, song structures and longer dance sequences.
Bongo Flava is a nickname for Tanzanian music. The genre developed in the 1990s, mainly as a derivative of American hip hop and traditional Tanzanian styles such as taarab and dansi, with additional influences from reggae, R&B, and afrobeats, to form a unique style of music. Lyrics are usually in Swahili or English, although increasingly from mid 2000s there has been limited use of words from Sub-Saharan African music traditions due to the influence of Afrobeats and Kwaito with their dynamics usage of West African Pidgin English, Nigerian Pidgin or other Creole language.
Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba, known professionally as Papa Wemba, was a Congolese singer and musician who played Congolese rumba, soukous, and ndombolo. Dubbed the "King of Rumba Rock", he was one of the most popular musicians of his time in Africa and played an important role in world music. He was also a fashion icon who popularized the Sape look and style through his musical group Viva la Musica, with whom he performed on stages throughout the world.
Antoine Christophe Agbepa Mumba, known professionally as Koffi Olomidé, is a Congolese singer-songwriter, dancer, producer, and founder of Quartier Latin International. Often referred to as the "King of Ndombolo", he is noted for his explosive high notes, deep baritone, and offbeat voice. Agbepa is considered one of the most significant figures in 20th-century Congolese and African popular music. His lyrics often explore themes of love, politics, technology, success, infidelity, religion, chicanery, and disillusionment. Through his music and stage performances, he introduced the slower style of soukous known as Tcha Tcho and popularized a flamboyant fashion subculture called La Sape, alongside Papa Wemba.
Ndombolo, also known as dombolo, is a genre of dance music originating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Derived from soukous in the 1990s, with fast-paced hip-swaying dance rhythms, often accompanied by upbeat, percussion-driven music, the style became widespread in the mid-1990s and the subsequent decade, dominating dancefloors in central, eastern, and western Africa. It inspired West African popular music, coupé-décalé, Kuduro, and East African dance music.
Fally Ipupa N'simba, known professionally as Fally Ipupa, is a Congolese singer-songwriter, dancer, philanthropist, guitarist, and producer. Often referred to as the "Prince of Rumba", he is noted for his tenor vocals as well as his blend of contemporary and traditional Congolese music genres, including Congolese rumba, soukous, and ndombolo. His lyrics often cover themes of romance, suffering, and joy.
Leonard Mapfumo is an urban grooves/hip-hop artist from Harare, Zimbabwe. Active on the national hip-hop scene since 2000, he has gained recognition as one of the fathers of Zimbabwean urban sounds, with four number one hits on the national charts.
Naseeb Abdul Juma Issack, professionally known as Diamond Platnumz, is a Tanzanian bongo flava recording artist, dancer, philanthropist and businessman. He is the founder and CEO of WCB Wasafi Record Label, Wasafi Bet and Wasafi Media. Diamond has gained a massive following in East and Central Africa. He became the first Africa-based artist to reach 900 million views on YouTube.
Tendai Ryan Nguni, is a Zimbabwean rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor from Harare, Zimbabwe. Nguni goes by the stage name Tehn Diamond or Tehn. He is a member of the hip-hop collective Few Kings, with whom he has released one album. On January 1, 2017, Tehn Diamond debuted in the music industry with the release of his debut album 'a few good poems' and later that year, released the sequel to 'The Feeling Aint Fair' titled 'The Feeling Aint Fear' or #TFAF2 with Jnr Brown & Take Fizzo. He stars in the movie Cook Off, Zimbabwe's first feature film to be released on Netflix.
Innocent Didace Balume, known professionally as Innoss'B, is a Congolese singer-songwriter, rapper, percussionist, dancer, and philanthropist. Often referred to as the "Jeune Leader," he is renowned for pioneering the AfroCongo music genre, an eclectic fusion of Congolese rumba, indigenous folklore, and ndombolo.
Mukudzeyi Mukombe, better known as Jah Prayzah, is a Zimbabwean contemporary musician and lead member of the band Third Generation. Regarded as the most prolific musician of his generation in the country, he was popularly referred to by fans and media as "Masoja", the Shona word for "soldier", a name he earned mostly because of his signature band uniform of military regalia. The name "Jah Prayzah" comes from his name, "Mukudzeyi", which means "Praise Him".
Candy Nkunku, known professionally as Cindy Le Coeur, is a Congolese recording artist, singer, and dancer. She is a member of the Congolese band Quartier Latin International, formed and led by prolific musician Koffi Olomide.
Raymond Shaban, better known by his stage name Rayvanny, is a Tanzanian musician, songwriter and recording artist who was signed under WCB Wasafi record label until July 2022. He was born and raised in Nzovwe ward of Mbeya city, located in Mbeya Region. He is the most successful bongo flava musician in Tanzania from Mbeya region. His songs are mainly in Swahili. He is the founder and CEO of Next Level Music. Rayvanny is best known by his song "Kwetu", which introduced him to the world. Rayvanny was mentioned by MTV Base among "Acts To Look Out For" in 2017.
Martin Chikomba who goes by the stage name Solyd The Plug, is a Zimbabwean-American businessman, record producer and Amapiano artist. He is the founder of Oak Media Group which is a record label. He is one of the co-founders of Mashroom Media. Solyd The Plug is well known for his single Bella Ciao which is a remix of the popular song off the Netflix series Money Heist.
Nox Guni alias Nox, is a Zimbabwean musician, performing artist, songwriter and producer based in South Africa. He is renowned for the musical movement in Zimbabwe of the early 2000s dubbed Urban Grooves.
Passion Java is a Zimbabwean, Christian preacher, socialite, entrepreneur, music promoter and author. He is also an associate of the Zimbabwean president, Emerson Mnangagwa.
Kenned David Sanga, also known by his pseudonym "Director Kenny", Tanzanian music video director, cinematographer and film director from Dar es salaam, Tanzania.
McDonald Sheldon, known professionally as Qounfuzed is a Zimbabwean singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence in 2011 when he released Chimbovarega single which became a radio hit.
Wamba Kuegou Sabrina Ruth, is a Cameroonian Afropop Afrobeat singer and songwriter. She is an Afrobit Productions signed artist since 2019. On November 16, 2021, she released her debut Album Love Aganda. Her hit song Abele is the result of her collaboration with Koffi Olomide which will allow the young singer to reach a wider audience. This track is now ranked among the top ten collaborations of the Congolese artist.
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