BY SINDISO DUBE
GIFTED Bulawayo-based poet, Mukudzei “Kudsy Valor” Mazorodze, has revealed that her unpleasant social upbringing has been the inspiration behind her artistry, which revolves around tragic themes.
In an interview with NewsDay Weekender, Kudsy Valor said her her artistry is greatly defined by her experiances as a child .
“I grew up a depressed child both at school and home. My mom was a tough parent, while my father was never around. My mom was strict with me on everything. That pushed me away from her and growing up, I thought she hated me. But now I appreciate her efforts that made me the strong and hardworking woman I now am,” she said.
“At school and among friends, I was a victim of bullying; it was so hard that I lost self-esteem among other kids. I would write about all the emotions. Now I write about sickness, poverty, heartbreaks, death and many other things.”
A holder of a Sociology and Gender Studies degree, Kudsy Valor has stopped performing live, describing herself as more of a writer than performer.
“I see myself more as an intellectual than an artist; more of a writer than a performer although I have left many impressed on the stage. My live acts have been compromised by the themes that I have been tackling,” she said.
“I used to spit love issues when my passion is on sad issues with a little bit of hope, so I have given myself time off the stage, but continue writing every emotion and situation that I encounter.”
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But how did the name Kudsy Valor come about? The poet had this to say: “I just played around with my real name, Mukudzei Mazorodze. At home, they always shortened Mukudzei for Kudzie, so I played around with that.”
Kudsy Valor said she was a spiritual woman and grew up in church where they called her a “woman of valor”, which she inherited.
