Actor Zenzo Nyathi ventures into music Zenzo Nyathi
Zenzo Nyathi

Zenzo Nyathi

Bruce Ndlovu
After years of mesmerising theatre lovers and viewers on the small screen, veteran actor and former Amakorokoza star, Zenzo “Mzambane” Nyathi is now exploring his musical side as he plans to begin work on his debut album.

The three-time Nama-winning theatre and film practitioner said he was venturing into music because of his desire to explore a side of himself that he had previously ignored.

He said music and acting were equally important parts of his career when he started out at  Amakhosi Cultural Centre, where artistes were taught a variety of disciplines.

“Music is something that I’ve always been passionate about but I’ve never thought of delving much into it until now. I just feel like it’s time to take the risk.

“I might not have been doing music all along, but at Amakhosi, we used to do it all. The only reason why I didn’t explore music is because as an artiste, you feel like your strength lies in other areas,” Nyathi said.

Encouragement from his peers who had heard him sing on some musical theatre productions convinced Nyathi to take the plunge into the dog eat dog world of music.

“Seeing guys like Noma and Nkululeko do it was a morale booster. Some of my fellow cast members had also asked me why I didn’t try my hand in music in the past,” he said.

Nyathi however said although he wanted to make a memorable debut album, he was still dedicated to his acting career where he earns a living.

“Acting is still my first love as I’m involved in a number of productions. But in between, I’ll make sure I find time to craft a quality album,” he said.

The 38-year-old said his album would be a fusion of different sounds, with jazz and maskandi dominating.

The past year seems to have spurred Bulawayo artistes to break out of their cocoons and explore all aspects of their creativity, as Nyathi now follows veteran arts practitioner Nkululeko “Khuliyo” Nkala and former Iyasa stalwart Noma Nkwali in venturing into music.

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