JAZZ musician Josh Meck says his recent Zimbabwe Music Awards (Zima) gong is a testimony to the hard work and dedication of those behind the Josh Meck brand amid revelations that it is the first professional accolade that the jazz crooner has received since 2006 when he joined the mainstream music scene.
Meck has a career that stretches as far back as 2006 as a session musician and solo artiste.
He is a bass guru who has managed to fuse sounds and create his own hallmark in the regional and international music industry.
Last weekend he walked home with the Best Jazz Musician gong at Zima, an accolade he said was “long coming”.
“This is my first ever professional musical award,” Meck told Standard Style.
“As for me it has been long coming.
“There is resilience and hard work we are putting into the Josh Meck brand is paying-off at last.”
Meck said his colleagues in the industry have also paid tribute to his work and believe the award was long overdue.
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“I am really ecstatic about this award and my colleagues in the industry — Sandra Chidawanyika and Mono Mukundu among others, are happy about this award because they felt it was long coming,” he said.
“I feel honoured to receive this award and I would like to thank the Lord, the Almighty for this talent I have got.”
The jazz maestro said he was working on an album to be released this year.
“There is more to come this year and we are releasing a new album, which we hope would win us more awards,” he said.
Meck has worked with some of the country’s acclaimed artistes such as the late Chiwoniso Maraire, Comrade Fatso and Victor Kunonga.
His collaborations crossed Zimbabwean borders and have seen him work with renowned artistes such as Max Wild (United States), Mike Del Ferro (Netherlands), Nomsa Mazwai (South Africa), Steve Dyer (South Africa) and he is the current bassist for MAHUBE project, a Southern Africa collective of artistes from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
In September 2014 Josh collaborated with Europe-based HAJA (Madagascar), a thrilling multi-instrumentalist who said: “Working with a skilful musician and above all, very nice human being such as Josh Meck is an honour and a memorable experience”.
He has played at the Harare International Festival of Arts for a record 10 times.
In 2019 Meck entered into a collaboration with Swiss drummer Lukas Meier and the collaboration gave birth to some recorded songs that addressed issues of globalisation.
His discography includes six albums: Wanetsa, Time, Fruit Salad, Worship the Lord, Another Level and Nhaka Yemusha.
