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NewsDay

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Beatboxer on mission to popularise the art

Life & Style
In an interview with NewsDay Life & Style, Gudhlanga (24) said: “Beatboxing should be taken seriously to market Zimbabwean artistes on the global musical scenes through competitions and projects.

BY KIMBERLY KARIATI

YOUTHFUL beatboxer Dean Gudhlanga says he has embarked on an initiative to push the beatboxing movement through recruiting and empowering up-and-coming talents to realise their potential in the showbiz industry.

The art of beatboxing incorporates fusing of the mouth, lips, tongue and voice to create a unique sound.

In an interview with NewsDay Life & Style, Gudhlanga (24) said: “Beatboxing should be taken seriously to market Zimbabwean artistes on the global musical scenes through competitions and projects.

“Beatbox is the mother of music and if taken seriously it creates one of the greatest hits in rap and hip-hop music. When beatbox became popular, a lot of artistes followed the trend, where one beatboxes and the other raps.”

He said the art of beatboxing was unlimited and unique.

“Beatboxing is taken for granted in Zimbabwe as many have not yet grasped how it works. However, it can be both a way of entertaining and a profession, where one gets paid for performing,” he said.

“It is also a way to penetrate the international music market as it is popular internationally, with competitions being held annually. It gives Zimbabwean beatboxers a chance to showcase their talent worldwide.”

Gudhlanga said beatboxing could be very useful in the society as it could be used to advocate for peace, justice and also create employment for the youths.

“The value of beatboxing can only manifest if it is done in small communities so that society can experience its positive impact. It is a unique form of art and an effective way of self-expression that can drive one to come up with new ideas,” he said.

“Beatboxing unites people and can also be fused with other forms of art, especially dance. If youths are taught how to beat the box, they can move away from drug abuse as they keep themselves occupied by nurturing their talent.”

Gudhlanga said more musical movements should be established to ensure that the art is recognised and embraced in the country.

“The Zimbabwe beatbox community should work harder in ensuring that more members join the movement through workshops and projects that involve new talent. More hip-hop summits and festivals should also be held,” he said.

“Collaborative work should also be done so that beatboxers and musicians from other music genres can uplift each other while diversifying the music industry.”

Gudhlanga said he was working on a beatbox project which is a combination of videos, music features and workshops with Raheem the Beat Boxer with the aim to popularise the art.

  • Follow Kimberly on Twitter @lizellekimkari