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Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
RAPPER Cal Vin yesterday released a track called uBulawayo that features GTi and dub poet Albert Nyathi that speaks of their love for the City of Kings.

The sing-along track on an Afro Pop beat fuses hip hop and poetry and is easy on the ear. In the song, Bulawayo is likened to a woman with Cal Vin, GTi and Nyathi showering her with praises for her beauty.

Albert Nyathi

Cal Vin sings most of the parts while GTi (an artiste from Cal Vin’s Kontrol Tribe stable) lays the second verse with Nyathi adding his praise poetry at the end to complete the song.

Cal Vin said the song’s beat was produced by Cape Town-based Sotsha Fire. He said the song was just an appreciation of the beauty of Bulawayo and certainly one to make those in the Diaspora home-sick.

“It’s a song where I express my appreciation of Bulawayo. I sang of Bulawayo as a woman, narrating how beautiful and clean she is, also emphasising about how people from all over the country talk about her.

“We’re at a point where we aren’t appreciating our city and I just wanted to make people realise the beauty of it. Also, people in the Diaspora, I wanted them to miss the city and I can safely say that people from around the world have been calling and sending me messages saying the song reminded them of the city,” said Cal Vin.

The artiste who is nominated twice at the Roil Bulawayo Arts Awards (RoilBAAs) said the song was a trial as he had never done one on an Afro pop beat.

“The song was just an experiment. I wanted to see how I’d do with an Afro pop beat. Sotsha Fire sent me a beat at the beginning of the week and I loved it and decided to do a verse and chorus. Then GTi laid another verse. But, after the song was done, we thought something was missing.

“I then thought of Albert Nyathi who I contacted. Unfortunately, he’s overseas, so I couldn’t get him into studio. But he sent me a voice note which completed the song perfectly,” said Cal Vin.

He said a music video is on the cards as he is frantically looking for a producer.

“I’ve reached out to music video producers such as Rasquisity Kaitse. My wish is to have it ready by the time the RoilBAAs are held next week Saturday. This is because I want people to see and hear the music we make.”