Zimpapers Logo

Mbulelo Mpofu, Showbiz Reporter
Today, creatives will be locking horns in the battle of the finest at the Large City Hall in Bulawayo where the Roil Bulawayo Arts Awards (BAA) ceremony is taking place.

For the past weeks, creatives have been asking for the public to lend a hand to enhance their chances of winning at the grand finale.

One such artiste has been rapper Luminous (real name Tinashe Mtetwa). After releasing visuals for his new single Ungay’vusa, Luminous knows how to drumroll an event indeed and the Outstanding Hip Hop artist/act nominee is raring to go.

When it was time to meet Luminous, a pandora’s box was about to be opened. His vision is to be luminous enough such that he becomes a force to conjure with when it comes to rap music.

The artiste is finally 25 and for the past 14 years, he has been composing songs.

“My musical journey began in 2007 when, inspired by T-bone and Lecrae, I began to put pen to paper. Their stories were relatable and that was the ignition to jumpstart my career. This was the same time that I saw the late Luveve boy, Cal-Vin perform and this was all I needed to live my dream,” said the rapper.

Under the watchful eye of fellow rapper, T1nda, Luminous learnt all the pecks that come with being an artiste and grew from strength to strength.

Luminous is an “extroverted introvert” and this means that in your eyes, he seems bubbly and outgoing while in actual fact, he enjoys his solitude.

“I love playing with words. It’s like second nature right now because of the time I put into perfecting the craft. Some songs I write as I record because they’re feeling-based (mostly excitement), some are emotion plus logic so after living life, I process my feelings (good and bad) and thoughts and I write based on my practise level,” is how he would explain his creative process.

Remember, this is the same guy who sang, “Murambadoro with the energy” a sign of his punch line prowess on his hit song Ungay’vusa.

This has been the modus operandi for one who has performed in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana and has worked with T1nda, Sinj X, Dr MTK, MG, Juan Nemo Hozee just to name a few.

On his nomination for a RoilBAA, Luminous said: “I’m happy for my CV, the credibility the nomination brings! I honestly didn’t expect it. It shows that my work doesn’t go unnoticed, because there have been times where I felt my city didn’t care, but this says otherwise.

“To potential fans this helps them decide whether or not to give my art a chance so I’m grateful to be listed among the city’s elites. For me, the nomination is the win. Accolades add credibility to the craft but so does recognition. My career has won already and my CV has been dealt a major boost.”