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Nutty O opens up on music career

Life & Style
Zimdancehall chanter Carrington Chiwadzwa, popularly known as Nutty O, has collaborated with various international artistes, including recently sharing stage with the Wailers at the Bob Marley Birthday Festival. He was born on June 23, 1992 in Mbare, Harare.
Nutty O

Sneak Peek: Freeman Makopa

Zimdancehall chanter Carrington Chiwadzwa, popularly known as Nutty O, has collaborated with various international artistes, including recently sharing stage with the Wailers at the Bob Marley Birthday Festival. He was born on June 23, 1992 in Mbare, Harare. NewsDay (ND) Life & Style reporter, Freeman Makopa, caught up with Nutty O (NO) and below are excerpts from the interview

ND: How did you venture into music?

NO: I had a passion for music since childhood, but I started music professionally in 2014. I was introduced to the music scene by Cashlibs Funkidalik, who is a brother and producer.

ND: How many albums do you have under your belt?

NO: I have no album yet. I am still doing singles, creating a substantial base for my music to my followers and fans. An album is not an overnight thing. I can’t misuse that term, but I’d rather work hard to fulfil that term.

ND: What have been the best and worst moments in your music career?

NO: The worst moment in my career was when promoters failed to fulfil their end [of the bargain]. I have been robbed a lot of times locally and abroad. It’s sad that we do have quite a number of bogus promoters in Zimbabwe. My best moment is when I sing and people relate to my lyrics.

ND: What challenges are you facing as a musician?

NO: For me, there is no challenge because I understand challenges differently. I look at them as opportunities for growth.

ND: Who inspired you to take up music and why did you choose Zimdancehall?

NO: Music is inherent. For me, music is me, and I am not limited to the genre as I have also been specialising in reggae, afrobeats and dancehall. My inspiration is real life-driven. I don’t sing fallacies or gimmicks.

ND: You recently shared the stage with the renowned Jamaican outfit, The Wailers. Can you describe the experience.

NO: It was the greatest feeling any musician from this part of the world can ever have. I performed with Teddy Riley, shared the stage with Romain Virgo and the original Wailers.

ND: Tell us about the collaboration you had with Etana and what has been its impact?

NO: I felt motivated somehow because collaborating with Etana has always been a dream. I was featured in her Grammy-nominated album and that was more than a milestone.

ND: Which songs do you think gave you the breakthrough in the industry?

NO: Kwandabva Kure, produced by DJ Tamuka long back at Kenako Music.

ND: Do you have more international collaborations that you are looking forward to do?

NO: I look forward to doing collaborations with Pato Ranking and Teddy Riley.

ND: You also met Michael Jackson’s former producer. How was that like?

NO: Yes, he identified me at the sound and asked if I could do some freestyle on his set. It was such a humbling experience.

ND: What do you think needs to be done to ensure artistes do not fall victim to bogus promoters?

NO: We need to own our hustles. Artistes alone can get together and decide what should happen and what should not, and push it through.

ND: Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

NO: I see myself as a world icon from Africa and Zimbabwe through my music.

ND: Which artiste do you rate highly in Zimbabwe?

NO: Winky D.

ND: What do you have in store for your fans?

NO: Great music and more great things to unfold. There is a lot of good news coming.

ND: As an artiste, what do you do on a daily basis?

NO: I read good books, I plan ahead and I push other brands. I also find clients for some accounting software we have that caters for small to medium-scale enterprises and I have my clothing brand called ABX by Thembabi Mubochwa. And, obviously, everyday I write at least one song.

ND: So what advice would you give to upcoming artistes?

NO: Stay true to yourself. Push for your own. Anything is possible in life. Any dream is achievable. Just pay the price through hard work. Be persistent and maintain a positive mind because we become what we think about.