‘I quit music on several occasions’
ZIMDANCEHALL artiste and talented vocalist Poptain has every reason to smile.
After years of perfecting and honing his skills and learning from the best, his time has finally come.
Poptain, who once got tempted to quit music, has become a big name locally and internationally as he keeps featuring on big screens such as Trace Africa.
The affable crooner, has a number of projects lined up for his fans and he is set to announce the release dates.
H-Metro Reporter TAONGA NYEMBA (TN) caught up with the dancehall chanter
POPTAIN (POP) who reflected on his musical journey. Read on…
TN: Hello Poptain!
POP: Hello brother, how are you?
TN: I’m doing good! It’s good to have a chat with you.
POP: Same here, it’s a pleasure, thanks for having me.
TN: Can you give us a brief background about yourself?
POP: My full name is Ameen Abdul Jaleel Matanga I was born in Gweru and moved to Harare in 2004.
TN: How long have you been doing music?
POP: I started doing music in 2012 in Kuwadzana where I did my first recordings. So, it is now nine years since I found love in music.
TN: How many albums do you have to date?
POP: So far I have no album, but I’ve got a six-track EP, which I released in 2016 and a 10-track mixtape I released last year in March.
TN: That’s great, how many awards do you have?
POP: So far I have no Award to my name yet, but I am hoping to bag some soon.
TN: Which schools did you attend?
POP: I did my primary education at various schools since I moved a lot. I remember going to Mpumelelo Primary School (Gweru), Temeria Primary (Masvingo), Gathsmine Primary (Masvingo), Chipembere Primary (Highfields) and I did my high school at Iqra Academy in Harare.
TN: Besides music, what else do you do? POP: I am yet to venture into other businesses. Right now, I am focused on growing my musical brand and pushing my music out there.
TN: Doing Music is a bit tough locally, have you ever thought of quitting?
POP: There was a point and situations I often thought of quitting music. I would even go outside the country just to be away from the musical world, but music kept calling me back and I am now here to stay.
TN: Last year you dropped a number of hits, what’s the secret behind?
POP: To be honest, God knows best how they became hits, but all I know is I tried my best to relate with the masses and I am very much convinced it worked.
TN: You recently got into a partnership with Black Label, how does it feel for you?
POP: It’s a step towards something meaningful in my music career. I believe it can do a lot for my brand, so I am very grateful for having got such an opportunity.
TN: Locally, a lot of people have been doing well especially upcoming artistes, which artiste do you think has been doing notably well?
POP: MC Kampton, Anita Jackson and Prosper Fi really have been doing it for me.
TN: If you couldn’t have been a musician, what could you have become?
POP: If I could have not been called to do music, I really wished to become a lawyer.
TN: Is Poptain taken?
POP: Well, I can say I am taken.
TN: Being a public figure has never been easy, how do you handle fame?
POP: I honestly don’t consider myself famous, but the people’s musician.
TN: Artistes were banned from doing live sessions recently, how are you managing to survive?
POP: We are puzzled really because we do not know what we will survive on, but at the same time the precautions are necessary because it’s better to get rid of the pandemic itself than us losing our loved ones.
TN: Any new projects yet?
POP: I’ve got a lot in the pipeline, I’m just still scheduling the release dates.
TN: All your collaborations have been getting fair play internationally, which international artiste would you like to work with?
POP: I think on an international level I would be happy to work with Tekno and Mavado.
TN: Thoughts on covid?
POP: I just want people to stay safe and take all the safety precautions.
TN: Any special shoutouts?
POP: I would like to thank my management for all the work put in and the producers that have worked with me both on audios and visuals.