The rise and rise of BaShupi

WHEN he teamed up with talented rapper Stunner on the hit song “Godo” last year, many people were left asking who this new kid on the music block was?

He repeated the same feat when he collaborated with another top rapper, ExQ, on the song “Tezvara Varamba”, that is currently causing a stir on the local music charts.

His name is BaShupi, the man who has stamped his authority as one of the country’s hottest music finds. Talk of urban grooves and his name figures among the country’s finest. He recently proved that he is on top of the game when he thrilled fans at the Miss Zimbabwe national finals held in Harare last month.

“It was a big achievement for me because people are now understanding my music. “I was shocked by the reception I got from the crowd when I took to the stage. It was something else,” BaShupi recalls. From then on, doors seem to be opening up for him as he is getting more high profile performances.

He was part of the contingent of local artistes who performed at the just ended Harare International Festival of the Arts. But who is BaShupi? Born Peace Ndlovu on June 6, 1979 in Masvingo, BaShupi started off as an actor at Chikato and Burombo primary schools. He then took drama seriously in 1996, running Karanga Arts Promotions in Masvingo.

“It was during those days that the name BaShupi stuck after the role I played in a drama called ‘Sounds of Silence’ which I wrote. The play was later staged at Hifa in 2003,” he recalls. BaShupi’s acting skills later saw him touring Sweden and Russia.On the music front, the artiste has worked with the pair of BKay and Kazz before deciding to pursue his fortunes in Harare in 2010, after moving from Masvingo to form the outfit Rhymez together with his cousin Dizzy Dawn, real name Donald Maphosa.

“Stunner later discovered my talent during a performance I did at the Book Café in 2010. Stunner also featured one of my songs ‘Chamupupuri’ on my debut album ‘Tunonaka’ released in 2010,” he said. Apart from the arts, BaShupi is a professional accountant and worked in Malawi for two years.

“I left Zimbabwe during that time when the Zimbabwean economy was going through a rough patch. I had to go and try to balance life before deciding to come back and continue with the arts,” said BaShupi. He is currently working on a new play, which he said would be launched at the Book Café in Harare next month. BaShupi says he’s single. Herald