BY CECELIA CAMPBELL-LIVINGSTON

Observer staff reporter

livingstonc@jamaicaobserver.com

ZIMBABWE has always been a reggae-loving country, going back to the 1970s when Bob Marley’s music inspired freedom fighters in the country then known as Rhodesia.

It is no surprise that singer Buffalo Souljah embraced the music early in life.

“My father was also a musician who was so much into Bob Marley, we grew up listening to reggae,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Born Thabani Ndlovu in the city of Bulawayo, Buffalo Souljah grew up in the capital Harare where he honed his reggae skills through sound clashes in his community.

“My neighbourhood Mufakose had a lot of sound (systems) and youth would come and showcase their skills on the mic,” he said.

Although his first exposure to reggae was Marley, it was the dancehall sounds of Shabba Ranks, Bounty Killer and Beenie Man that inspired him most. Later, Mavado and Vybz Kartel joined the list.

Based in neighbouring South Africa since 1999, Buffalo Souljah says the reggae scene is far different from Zimbabwe’s.

“In Zimbabwe reggae is the preference, but in South Africa it’s got a long way to go. Only one reggae and dancehall show on the local radio station which only showcases for 30 minutes once a week,” he said.

Buffalo Souljah, who is in his early 30s, grew up around music. His father, a jazz saxophonist, worked with the famous Zimbabwean protest singer Thomas Mapfumo in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

He followed in the old man’s footsteps, composing his first song, Zuva Randisingakanganwe (The Day I Will Never Forget), when he was eight years old.

After working with a number of South African artistes on their albums, he collaborated with Ghanaian artiste Kweku (also known as Instinct) in 2002. He was also a member of the Street Disciples with whom he recorded the album, The Chosen Ones.

Buffalo Souljah has also produced an Afro Jazz album called Indlovu Yangena (Enter the Elephant).

He is currently working on a 16-track album titled Da Chosen One, which he describes as a mix of Zimbabwean melodies, reggae and dancehall.