LOCAL music recording stable Million Dynasty in partnership with award-winning music producer Prince “Oskid” Tapfuma has set eyes on promoting potential musicians in the country’s prisons through a music talent show dubbed Inmate Affair Oskid Charity Challenge to be launched in Harare next month.
BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
Million Dynasty director Shepherd Tsandukwa told NewsDay Life & Style that working with prisoners through such a music talent show was a way of providing rehabilitation through music.
“With the Inmate Affair Oskid Charity Challenge we want to give prisoners an opportunity to showcase their talent, having discovered that there is a lot of untapped talent in prisons which is not been stimulated because of the kind of stigma that people have towards prisoners. We want to change that assumption that if someone goes into prison is only for putative measures,” he said.
Tsandukwa said the auditions for the talent search programme will be conducted in partnership with Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services.
“In the first round of the auditions scheduled for August, we are looking for 20 prisoners who will then be trimmed to half during the second round. The 10 finalist chosen by seasoned panel of judges and adjudicators from the music industry will then record a song each that will be on the 10-track compilation album title Inmate Affair,” he said.
“For the 10 finalists, we are going to nurture them, promote and market their music.”
Tsandukwa said after the recording of the 10-track compilation album, it will be launched at a live recording event at one of the prisons. After the album launch a braai party will be hosted to celebrate the life of the prisoners alongside artistes who have recorded their music with Oskid.
