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Leonard Ncube, Online Reporter

VICTORIA Falls based Danica Studios has started upgrading its premises after receiving close to US$10 000 from the Culture Fund.

Danica Studios, founded by dancehall artist Ray Karipache, is one of the five projects that benefitted from the Culture Fund grant in Matabeleland North.

The grants are from the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust.

Karipache said they had managed to secure studio equipment and were now setting up and will, starting this Friday roll out an anti-drug abuse campaign around schools with police and health authorities, with the aim of raising awareness against use of dangerous drugs in the community especially targeting young people.

This comes as Victoria Falls is among communities with high rates of abuse of drugs and substances.

“Danica Studios is a music recording label based in Victoria Falls. We started as Key Empire Records and changed to Danica Studio in 2018 because we were now registered and no longer a backyard studio. Our vision is to groom young people through music.

“We applied for the grant in March and it was approved in April where our quotation amounted to US$9 941 which was paid to a supplier and we have since received the equipment that comprise acoustic drums, studio monitors, guitars, keyboards, computers, cameras, video and music mixers, PA system and others,” said Karipache.

Danica Studios team comprises Karipache the founder, Tariro Karipache who does administration and finance, Tony Witness Nkomazana, the manager and Leslie Ndlovu for marketing.

A number of artists that have come through the studio are spread across the country and region.

Karipache said the Culture Fund benefactors trained the beneficiaries on how to handle grants and how to market projects requirements by Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust.

One of the other beneficiaries is also from Victoria Falls and is into curio vending.

“We wanted to upgrade our studio. We knew our job very well but lack of equipment hampered our work. We want to take artists to greater heights and so we needed a PA system because hiring is expensive. The grant has come as a boost and we are now upgrading our studio into a proper recording label. We can now hold shows any time and we encourage artists and youth to come on board so we all benefit from this development,” said Karipache.

He said all is in place to carry awareness campaigns around the community.

“One of our programmes is to groom young people and now that we have equipment, we now want to reach out to everyone and say no to drug and substance abuse. Use of drugs is high in Victoria Falls and we want to teach children on the dangers of drugs.

“We will be rolling out this anti-drug abuse campaign this Friday 15 September going to all schools in the city. We are working with police and health officials and we want to finish all urban schools before the school examinations start and then take a break before we resume with rural schools after the examinations,” he said.

Karipache said Danica Studios now has the capacity to make young people spend time in the studio and not on the streets where they are influenced into drugs.

They are also planning a Culture Fund Riddim featuring all artists in Victoria Falls.