Zimdancehall is a subgenre of reggae/dancehall music from Zimbabwe. The traditional way of message delivery is through chanting. Zimdancehall became more popular after the fall of the Urban Grooves genre. Popular pioneers of Zimdancehall include Winky D, Sniper Storm, Daddie Distress, Ras Tavonga (Jah Bless), Freeman HKD, Lewaz Skattah to mention a few.
Zimdancehall is a genre of music that originated in Zimbabwe in the early 2000s. It is a fusion of traditional Zimbabwean music, reggae, and dancehall. It is characterized by its fast-paced beats, heavy bass lines, and melodic vocals. The lyrics often focus on social issues, such as poverty, corruption, and politics. Zimdancehall has become increasingly popular in Zimbabwe and other parts of Africa, and is now gaining recognition in the international music scene.
Musicians in the densely populated suburbs around Harare, Zimbabwe's capital, gave birth in the 1980s to the genre of Zim dancehall, an adaptation of Jamaican dancehall and reggae. Today, the music is burgeoning, drawing fans from among the middle classes and portraying the realities of urban life in lyrics often sung in Shona, the language of the country's largest ethnic group.
During the past two decades, Zim dancehall, as the genre of music is called locally, has become popular among Zimbabweans, especially those living in high-density suburbs outside the capital. Fans say the music, which is heavily influenced by the Jamaican dancehall genre, captures the realities of life in their communities.
Some fans and artists such as Ndlovu belong to various Zim-dancehall groups called clans. These groups are typically formed based on where members live, but others are formed to support local artists. Ndlovu, a member of the Gaza clan from Mabvuku, says that she regularly meets with members to compete in music battles, also called passa passas, with other clans.
To fill the void, broadcasters often favored Zimbabwean musicians whose work was closely derivative of foreign genres such as Jamaican dancehall, an offshoot of reggae. But over time, those local artists began to branch out, DJs grew more willing to distribute more experimental work and audiences grew keener to listen to it.
Arguably the most recent artist to successfully flirt with top tier status in the genre, Enzo has crafted his music along two broad lines: the dance anthems a la Kanjiva and Magate; and the often humorous yet insightful ghetto story garnished with a defining moral of the story, as, seen in Vanodheerera and Next Time.
Levelz is a Zimbabwean entrepreneur, music producer and one of the cofounders of the Chill Spot Records music label and stable. He is well known in the Zimdancehall genre for his music productions.
He attended Music Academy of the West in Califonia where he studied sound engineering.[3] It was at Sodbury where he formed a musical group called "The Chainsmokers" which however did not manage to record any songs.[1]
Levelz started his music career at Evangelical Fellowship of Believers Church where he used to sing a play the key board.[1] He began his career as a member of S.E.P.P Records and later found fame when he made his own Record Label, which popularized the Zimdancehall genre.[3]
Levelz's music production career rose to fame with Chill Spot Records which is located in the iconic township of Mbare in Harare. He is one of the three leaders of Chill Spot and he works together with DJ Fantan and DJ Rhibhe.[2]
They also believe they have been influenced their entire lives by producers from Jamaica. He is the figure behind the "lelelevelz production" musical chant at the beginning of most Zimdancehall tracks.
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