The beauty that lays within music is no matter how diverse we are as people, or wide scoped our identities are – it provides a platform, a safe space, for musicians to tell their story in a way that they feel best represents them.
Identity is a recurring theme in the life of Zimbabwean born, South African producer and songwriter ZIM$INATRA. Having moved to the UK aged 11, Zim has a multitude of cultures to draw from – but places a heavy emphasis on his South African roots:
“A lot of me growing up and finding out what music is was in South Africa. A lot of my identity is entrenched in SA, although half my family are Zimbabwean. They moved to South Africa and so we’re an even mix of Zim and SA.”
Upon arriving in the UK, Zim encountered a grime scene still in its infancy. In its rawest form. MC’ing, sets, clashing. A contrast to his musical experiences as a child in South Africa, which he heartily ponders on: “My love for music started when I was like, six or seven with a genre called Kwaito. The best way to describe Kwaito is that it’s the equivalent to grime in South Africa. It’s what young kids listened to. The genre of the hood.”
In similar fashion to the way drill has taken the crown from grime as the voice of youth culture in the UK, Kwaito doesn’t have the influence in South Africa that it once had in its heyday: “It’s kind of died down in recent years and a lot of the youth culture is centred around Amapiano. Amapinao has a lot of Kwaito influences.”
Zim’s musical interests prove to be as diverse as they come, with a love for R&B part of his wide-ranging pallet. Funnily, it was his affinity towards R&B that helped him realise his journey within music may not be what he hoped it would be. “Originally I was trying to be Trey Songz and J Holiday” he laughs. “It helped me realise I am a producer/songwriter. I know what to say and do but I’m not the best person to execute it.”
Realising he wasn’t destined for R&B stardom, Zim happened to stumble across a local open mic night in Hackney ran by Phil Ramacon, who had previously played the keys for the likes of the great Jimmy Cliff and the late Bob Marley.
“At the end of the night Phil gave a speech about the voice being important but so’s the drummer, the pianist. That’s the night I thought production is the direction I want to go in” he reflects.
Inspired by Phil Ramacon and the open mic night, Zim enrolled as a student of the Point Blank Music School in Hackney. Sometimes in life, there are clear, defining moments which help guide you towards your destiny. Zim soon came to the conclusion that his talents should be geared towards producing music, and he was tasked with meshing his identity and favourite genres into a coherent sound.
Another major turning point in the career of Zim was the 2020 lockdown in the UK, which saw the whole of Britain come to a standstill. However, Zim used this period to finally kickstart his career which led to the release of his first single ‘Sweety Lover’.
“The whole reason I got the kick to start putting music out was lockdown. I couldn’t go anywhere. I had nothing else’ he reflects.
Since then Zim has been on a creative streak, through the releases of ‘Last Dance’, ‘ZOLA’ and his latest single ‘No Title’. He has every reason to be proud of his achievements so far, with ‘Last Dance’ receiving radio play on Kiss FM and amassing over 60 thousand views on his YouTube channel. Whilst ‘ZOLA’ landed in the top 10 of the South African House charts in Cape Town.
Zim’s pride for ‘Last Dance’ goes beyond the success it has garnered through radio play, views and streams. The songs impact within the diaspora means far more to him: “I had people messaging me ‘I needed this’. There are people within the diaspora that don’t speak the native languages but love things about where they’re from. They really love ‘Last Dance’ because they hear the shakers, the log drums and because it’s in English they get it” he says proudly.
Zim’s producer inspirations are as wide ranging as his musical tastes. From Kabza De Small, who he titles as ‘the GOAT Amapinao producer’, Darkchild, for working alongside the likes of Micheal Jackson, Destiny’s Child and Quincey Jones due to Zim being a ‘Motown fanatic’. His hope is that his music is a reflection of those that lit the fire for his musical passion.
Looking towards the future, Zim has hopes that his music can elevate him to a position where he’s able to help give careers to aspiring, musicians: “My end goal is to be in a similar position that Berry Gordon was in when he was signing your Marvin’s (Marvin Gaye) and Micheal Jackson’s. Later in my life I want to be creating songs.I can hear someone’s voice and figure out what it can do. I’ve realised I should be this side of the microphone. I enjoy being in the background.”
Written by: Gerry Otim
Email: gerryotim@hotmail.co.uk
Instagram: @MidKnightGaz
