Mic Inity creates the mid-week weekend

Last week over two hundred people crammed into the Fife Avenue club and partied away as if the weekend had arrived. And it wasnt a once off flash in the pan kinda thing. Nope. Week after week they come in their numbers to rock with the young talent who is fast becoming Zimbabwes prince of cultural, lovers rock, conscious, dance hall reggae. Week after week they fill the Mannenberg. He has also started regular weekend shows at the Spillway Pub and Restaurant near Lake Chivero which are fast gaining popularity. This is no fluke. Theres something special about this kid. Something truly and uniquely special

Known to his parents as Mike Madamombe, Mic Inity (short for Microphone Unity) landed in Harare in 2006 from the small town of Marondera (where he was born on 23rd January 1983) with the aim of following his musical dream. He performed with a number of groups and it wasnt long before his talent got him noticed by legendary reggae outfit, Transit Crew. He soon signed up with them and became their lead vocalist.

(Pictured: Mic Inity performs at the Harare International Conference Centre, February 28, 2010, as one of the opening acts for Sizzla’s show)

During this time he performed with reggae icons like Luciano, Mikey General and the Late Lucky Dube and became a recognisable face among Zimbabwean reggae fans. In August 2008, when he decided to leave Transit crew there were murmurs among critics that his head had grown too big for his own good, but Inity held firm to his mic and started performing solo, backed by his newly formed band, Hotta Fire. The legion of fans he had built up over his two years with Transit Crew followed him and a little reggae revolution began in Harare.

Mic experimented with different styles and with cover versions of some of the great reggae tunes of our time. His strong vocals and incredible stage charisma won him more fans and he was soon drawing a large crowd wherever he performed, shocking critics, some who still doubted he was a true star.

As late as January this year, an article in The Herald labelled him a mere copycat. But while the naysayers have been naying, Mic Inity has been making bigger and bigger crowds irie with his unmistakable talent. As he has grown he has continued to share the stage with music greats. In 2008 he performed alongside King Butilero from Jamaica. The following year, in March, he was the closing act at the Nguva Yedu – Thuba Lethu – Our Time Festival at The Book Caf in Harare, where he welcomed Gang of Instrumentals Bongo Riot Zungu and Ugandan Jose Chameleone Manyanja to his stage for a phenomenal jam, an explosion of energy and riddims. The three became known as the Three African Tenors.

2009 was a busy year for him and also saw him share the stage with Jah Seed of South Africas Bongo Muffin. In late July of that year, he welcomed another South African-based Zimbabwean artist Buffalo Souljah.Then in September he brought the roof down at one of Johannesburgs most popular live performance venues- Bassline. He was also the opening act for the Tevin Campbell and Horace Brown show in December 2009 and most recently, was one of the curtain raisers for the high energy Sizzla show held at the HICC in Harare on February 28th. Whatever the critics think, Mic Inity is blazing one of the hottest trails of live performances in Zimbabwe today. After all, this is the man who has moved our weekend smack bang into the middle of the week. What more could we ask for?