Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Richmore Tera
27 June 2009
Harare — UNITED STATES-based Zimbabwean hip hop artiste, Cee Jay - real name Kudakwashe Besa - says his 10-year stay in the States has not severed his ties with home.
Cee Jay, in the country to promote his latest album One Ariega Reloaded, says he has always wanted to stay connected with home through his music.
"Although I am seas away from home, my mission through my music is always to try to stay connected with the Zimbabwean people, speaking about Zimbabwean issues.
"For example, there are over 800 Zimbabweans staying in Toronto and these need something to remind them of home, and I've done that through my music," says the artiste, as he devours his favourite dish -- sadza and chicken.
Unlike the majority of his Zimbabwean contemporaries who have stayed in the US for close to a decade -- Cee Jay is still proud of his roots, and still composes most of his songs in the mother tongue.
During our wide-ranging interview, he explains how he finds the language as an effective tool of communicating issues affecting Zimbabweans through music.
"English is our second language, and that is why I used Shona on the latest album I am promoting here because I wanted to stay connected with home, and communicate the joys, sorrows and challenges that Zimbabweans as a people face."
But why did he decide to come back home and launch the album in Zimbabwe, instead of the US, where everything is bigger and more abundant?
"I didn't feel like I was complete if the album didn't reach my place of origin.
"My late mentor Edwin Hama always told me to ensure that I should start at home everything I want to do," he said. "I thought bringing the album home would paint my true picture, after staying in the Diaspora for close to 10 years.
"Through it, I also try to inform people that life in the Diaspora is not always as rosy as they think. Yes, there are certain comforts in the Diaspora, but none of them can surpass those at home."
Cee Jay said he would never make up for all the years "I've lost by not being in Zimbabwe".
His deep feeling for his African roots comes out strongly in Tell Me Why, featured on the compilation album Konzeresa Riddim, by Zimbabwean artistes in the Diaspora, and also on his latest album.
"I wrote and recorded Tell Me Why on the same day that Lucky Dube was killed. It pained me that someone could do such a horrible thing to an icon of peace who gave so much to African liberation."
But Cee Jay believes staying in the US has opened up new and enriching vistas to him as an African artiste.
He speaks with particular passion of the abundant opportunities at one's disposal in the US, from education, employment to music.
"There is the good and bad. For example, when I was a student I realised the tuition fees were higher than here. Also, the Zimbabwean education system is harder. For example, here you go for O-Levels for four tough years, whereas in the US they grade you as you go.
"In education it is easier for us Zimbabweans to achieve degrees," he said.
Growing up in Mbare, Cee Jay says the ghetto exposure has helped him to adapt to the fast life in the US.
While studying for his two-year degree in computer science, Cee Jay did his music, studied and worked in the customer service sector of the banks, to make a living.
He attributes this tenacity to his upbringing in one of Zimbabwe's toughest high-density areas - Mbare.
"The most important thing that I learnt staying in Mbare was how to deal with hardships at an early age," he said. "Life in the ghetto teaches you to be agile and to communicate at all levels.
"I put this to good use when I eventually went to the States where life is fast. Although I stay in Texas, there are cities like Dallas where life in the ghetto is tough and rough, although slightly different from Mbare, in a way."
After working in the city banks, and upon completing his degree, during which he joined over 5 000 students -- local and foreign who rely on such employment to bankroll their education -- CJ established his own studio, Rudeboy Records, in 2000.
"Back home, I'd always been a musician," he said, "but not at a professional level. Things, however, started happening when I started the studio that grew and I ended up producing local acts in the States, a development that saw the birth of the Rudeboy All Stars compilation album."
The album performed beyond his expectations, selling over 9 000 copies.
"The exposure was good and the album was selling well, although I didn't realise it at time. My song, The Quarter Back, released in 2005, with an accompanying video, went on to become a hit on radio stations such as K104."
"Most of the songs were Zimbabwe-American songs, although when I first did it I had wanted it to be American, but people bought it because of its Zimbabwean element. I marketed it more on the streets of Texas and around it."
Cee Jay singles out its cross-cultural aspect as another reason for the album's success. "The Rudeboy All Stars album was a mixture of cultures and races from the States and Africa, black and white MCs and it was enlightening in that we realised that we had a lot in common as people, in spite of our backgrounds and levels of civilisation," he said.
But that was just the beginning: he went on to link up with the Zimbabwe Dancehall Crew, led by Slaggy Yut, based in England.
Cee Jay said his quest for music with a positive message and bearing on African people and roots, linked him to the crew, and saw him shifting, for a while from his hip hop and embracing reggae/ ragga.
"In the States, you are sort of cut off from the rest of the world, but what linked me to them was the positivity in their message -- unity, peace and harmony. I wanted to emulate that in my music, since I was still learning and evolving from my former self," he says.
The result gave birth to Desperate Measures, featuring Malvin Cee, Jusa and DJ Tinah, who supplied the rest of the tracks that made up the album.
The album saw Cee Jay embarking on a whirlwind tour of the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, in 2007.
Cee Jay timed the release and launch of all his three albums to coincide with Zimbabwe's Independence Day on April 18 because "Zimbabweans living in the Diaspora celebrate our country's independence big time".
Cee Jay arrived home in mid-May and will return to the US next month.
He said he had great respect for leading artistes such as Oliver Mtukudzi and son Sam, Alexio Kawara, Ex Q and Xtra Large.
"With Tuku, we were neighbours in Kwakwe and we also met and did shows with him in the States. One of my first stops is always Tuku because of his words of wisdom.
"I also have respect for Sam (Mtukudzi), he is like a brother to me," he says.
Cee Jay is a bit evasive when it comes to his personal and private life.
"I was born in Bindura. Zve age hazvitengese music yangu (my age doesn't market my music), and also my marital status has nothing to do with music," he says.
Meanwhile, today, the artiste will be signing autographs, together with Alexio Kawara at Spinalong at Spar in Letombo Park in Msasa.
On July 4, he hosts a CD release party at the Mannenberg backed by Huggies Entertainment and Spinalong.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 The Herald. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
