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Oskido to be honoured at Channel O awards

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MULTI-TALENTED South Africa-based Zimbabwe artist Oskido (real name Oscar Mdlongwa) has been named as this year’s Special Recognition award recipient for the 2012 Channel O Music Video Awards.

MULTI-TALENTED South Africa-based Zimbabwe artist Oskido (real name Oscar Mdlongwa) has been named as this year’s Special Recognition award recipient for the 2012 Channel O Music Video Awards. Report by Melissa Mpofu Entertainment Reporter

Oskido will receive the award at a ceremony scheduled for November 17 at Walter Sisulu Square in Soweto, South Africa. A statement released by Channel O said the producer, music industry entrepreneur, DJ and songwriter, was being recognised for his unparalleled contribution to African music since the early ‘90s.

Fondly known as Oscar “Warona” (meaning “ours”), “The Big O” and “Godzilla”, Oskido rose from selling boerewors rolls outside Club Razzmatazz in Hillbrow to international status including several appearances at the famed Miami Winter Music Conference.

“Oskido’s biggest impact has been in helping usher in distinct music sound of the newly democratic South Africa. The main vehicle for this has been Kalawa Jazmee Records which Oskido formed with Don Laka and Christos Katsaitis (the name is a fusion of the first syllables of their surnames. Oskido was using Warona at the time) in the 90s,” read part of the statement. Kalawa Jazmee’s first act was Boom Shaka, which gave birth to the Kwaito revolution. The label has been home to influential artists and groups including Bongo Maffin, Mafikizolo, Trompies, Thebe, DJ Vetkuk, Spikiri, and Alaska.

Although the partners in the business have changed, Oskido has retained the faith, turning Kalawa Jazmee into an African music success story.

Oskido’s creative music hand has been witnessed over the past two decades as he worked with the prolific Dangerous Combination Crew. He has had a hand in many of South Africa’s biggest hits and his work with Bruce “Dope” Sebitlo as a duo called Brothers of Peace was another great achievement.

As producer, Oskido stands above most of his contemporaries and is seen as having kick-started the current trend of remixing classic South African pop hits when he and Sebitlo reworked Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens’ Melodi into Meropa.

He has also been pivotal in discovering new talent in the form of the likes of DJ Zinhle and Black Motion. Besides his colourful profile in recording and producing music, Oskido pursues a career as radio deejay on Metro FM.

Oskido’s recognition by Channel O follows in the footsteps of Africa’s celebrated artists like Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi (2007), Nigeria’s D’Banj (2011), K’Naan (2010) and the late Brenda Fassie (2009).