Ngqwele Dube, Sunday Life Correspondent
MANY know him for his vocals on the Achuzi songs and energetic dance moves that introduced them onto the music scene in the early 2000s but Unity “MaUzah” Moyo’s music career has taken a twist as he has moved into disc jockeying.
MaUzah’s last conspicuous release was the gqom single “Phez’ Kwe Gqom” in 2017 and although he has done some tracks in the studio, including an ‘‘amapiano’’ tune he has put little effort in pushing his songs.
The South Africa-based Muso said he decided to jump over to being a DJ, after struggling to penetrate the South African music industry and losing then partner, Mduduzi ‘‘Go Boyz’’ Tshabalala, who passed away in 2012.
“The two are interchangeable (singing and deejaying), particularly in South Africa while it has not caught up in Zimbabwe. Here you find a musician becoming a DJ and vice-versa, so it’s not something new. After struggling to make a break into the mainstream music industry in South Africa I embarked on a tour with several kwaito artistes among them the late Brown Dash — who encouraged me to do deejaying. Since then I have been slowly getting into deejaying from small gigs such as university functions, weddings and also playing at nightclubs,” he said.
The former Achuzi frontman said it took him years to fully immerse himself into deejaying as he still felt he had it in him to conquer the South African music industry but it has proved impenetrable. He said he has managed to secure weekly deejaying slots, becoming a resident deejay at a pub in Yeoville frequented by Zimbabweans and at a top hotel.
“The places are frequented by three distinct crowds and I have learnt to ensure that I master each crowd and dish out what would make them ditch their seats. I have been to different cities in South Africa playing to different crowds in places such as Cape Town, Nelspruit, East London, Rusternburg and Kimberly and it has been a worthy experience.
“The response has been massive and the music experience from the Achuzi days has made it easy for me to easily win over crowds. I would love to also come and play at home so people can see the other MaUzah who is deft at the turntable,” he said, in an interview from his base.
“However, I have not stopped singing and intend releasing three singles this year.”
The Entumbane-born Muso said he dreams of owning a sound hire company and recording studio, having started accumulating sound equipment. He also has a clothing line that runs by the tag line MaUzah, which has seen him producing t-shirts, golf shirts, track suits, caps, trendy bucket hats and hoodies, among other clothing items that he sells online and at gigs.
MaUzah teamed up with Masawuso Ngodzo and Norman Ngodzo to form Achuzi in 1998 at a time when a wave of young local musicians were emerging on the scene buoyed by the 75 percent local content policy that had been introduced at the time. Despite registering some success with various songs they released and hogging the limelight, the going got tough and the group died a natural death but MaUzah clung to music while his colleagues moved on to other trades.
He has released two albums, Ebusuku and Survivor and released singles Gogogoyi Tasvika, Mastanda and Phez’kwe Gqom. After acquiring his own studio equipment, MaUzah has produced songs for several South African musicians among them Durban Nyts, Chester, Smalls Moneymaker and Bhiza, among others.
@rasmthembo