The end result was the disappointment of failing to finish his studies due to lack of funds.
“I came from an average family that could not take me to the level I wanted to reach academically, so I had to drop out of college,” said the Harare-born Paradzai (29). “This made me think I should follow on my parents’ gift of being musicians because, despite my personal ambitions of being a journalist, I also loved music and knew that I could make it.”
As he grew up in Kadoma’s Rimuka suburb, Paradzai had no doubt that his father’s astounding acoustic guitar playing skills and his mother’s soothing voice as a gospel musician had somehow rubbed off on him. Yet he still took long to follow that “calling”.
“I do not know why I ever doubted that I could make a living out of music. When I finally decided to give it a go, everything opened up and success began to knock,” he explained.
Having worked for a year as an assistant fitter and turner for a paper manufacturer in Kadoma in 2005, the former Rimuka High school student cut his teeth in music when he was employed as a producer for Laag studios.
He left three years later and used the knowledge he had gained along the way to start his own company – Hit Factory Music – in his home town of Kadoma.
“I left Laag because they lacked the unity that was needed to make the company become a giant. I realised that I would not be able to turn a company into a viable entity by continuing to be on the sidelines, working under someone else, so I decided to start my own project.”
He had success with Red-lip, drove Alexio Kawara’s song “Ndiripo” to instant fame and directed Trevor Dongo’s video for the song “Mukoma”, voted fifth in the ZBC’s yearly Top100 show.
“I left Zimbabwe in 2011 to further my career in music down south. I have so far worked with five different studios, and have now started the South African branch of Hit Factory Music,” said Paradzai. “I left because there wasn’t enough room for musicians to better their productions and expand. There were no proper facilities for us to become international giants.”
Based in Arcadia, Pretoria, the studio is doing well recording and managing artists from different African countries, including Zimbabweans and locals.
“I am working with renowned artists like Fingerprints, Achuzi, Jaddy, Wessliey Sarchie and Hyper of the Bhokoboko fame. I am also learning new things in this country, which is one of the continental giants in the music industry.
The intention is to make that rub off on our own musicians so that they rise to international fame. At the moment, we are organising shows for Sarchie and SA’s Hambani, popular for the award-winning song, “Marry me”.”
“I have still not lost touch with my home country and when I have acquired enough knowledge and equipment to set up a giant music factory, I will definitely go back home. I have strong passion for music.”
Although happy with the airplay his products have received on the ZBC, he expressed a need for Zimbabwe to open the way for more radio and television stations that would give different artists a chance to be played.
Post published in: Music