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Sipepisiwe Moyo

Meet Nesbert Nzou famously known as Masotha, the man who dances to the rhythm of life. He is not just a dancer, but a choreographer who creates captivating moves for his group, Sungura Masters. Hailing from Entumbane, a suburb in Bulawayo, he has a passion for music and culture that shines through his performances. He and his group have recently adopted a new strategy to stand out from the crowd: they perform for longer durations, just like live bands, instead of having short slots. This way, they can showcase their talent and versatility, and attract bigger and better shows. 

“We have since come up with a new production strategy whereby we perform non-stop for one hour 30 minutes just like live bands unlike before where we would only have short slots. We are also preparing for our tour which we will have in South Africa this year,” said Masotha.

Masotha and his group have worked with various companies and artistes who hire them for shows and awareness campaigns. Some of their past clients include Choppies, Radio Dialogue, R. Chitrin, and the KFC Bulawayo branch.

“We have worked with many companies doing road shows and mostly they come through promoters. For instance, we are the ones who entertained people during the official opening of the KFC Bulawayo branch and we were hired through a promoter in Harare,” he said.

Masotha said he realised that he had to come up with a unique strategy to survive and earn in the industry. He decided to hold his own shows and move around different places, from Victoria Falls to Esigodini, Hwange, Gweru, and Gwanda. He also came up with the group name Sungura Masters, even though they are based in Bulawayo, to appeal to Sungura music fans.

Sungura Masters

“That was a good strategy as almost all Sungura musicians hire us to perform for them. That is the likes of Ndolwane Super Sounds. Last year we were backing Leonard Zhakata for a period of six months and when artistes like Alick Macheso come, we are their curtain raisers,” he said.

Masotha lamented the challenges he and his group face in the industry, such as lack of sponsors and the disunity among Bulawayo artistes.

“We have been in the industry for 15 years but without a sponsor. And I always take care of all problems faced by the group or any of the group members. At least if we get a sponsor that would make our job a lot easier,” he said.

He also said he wished Bulawayo artistes could unite and support each other, as well as share ideas and experiences.

“In Bulawayo, artistes only meet during shows unlike in Harare where you can see them together hanging around as artistes even if there is no show taking place. I wish we could hold workshops as Bulawayo artistes to share ideas on various issues we come across in our line of work. There is no city in Zimbabwe that can match the talent found in Bulawayo but we are not united,” he said.

Masotha said he managed to open a dance school in Bulawayo and in South Africa. However, he said the response was better in Hillbrow, South Africa than in his home country.

“We get a better number of clients in Hillbrow as compared to Bulawayo. One of the reasons is that some people are too proud to accept that I am the best Sungura dancer in Bulawayo, as I have won awards for best dancer in both Harare and Bulawayo in the past. It is my wish to train as many people so that when I am gone there will be people to continue with this. But the response from my own country is very low. Unlike in Hillbrow theatre where several bands hire me to train their dancers through my school,” he said.

Sungura Masters

Masotha also revealed that he has groomed some up-and-coming artistes who have made a name for themselves in the music industry. He mentioned Vivian Nkiwane, also known as Nomakanjani, who is now a singer and has released almost three albums, Thandeka Mabhena, who was a dancer from South Africa and has now opened her own company called the Expendables, and Priscilla, who was the leader of Girls La Musica group and is now being brought back to the industry through Sungura Masters.

Masotha also shared his excitement about working with some of the big names in the Sungura music scene, such as Martin from Ndolwane Super Sounds and Leonard Zhakata. He said these experiences made him realise how far he has come in his career.

“My first time sharing the stage with Martin from Ndolwane Super Sounds made me realise that I have walked a mile in the industry. It made me happy. I was also shocked last year when I received a call from Macheso’s drummer informing me that Leonard Zhakata needed my services and I performed in many galas and got a good pay from that. It showed me that I have really grown in my career,” he said.

Masotha had some words of advice for his fellow artistes and fans regarding gender-based violence and substance abuse. He urged them to control their temper, seek help, and avoid drugs. He also announced their upcoming live show in Victoria Falls and their possible participation in the NAMA event.