Buffalo Souljah aims for history tonight
He left the country in the early millennium only a harbouring a dream to pursue music. Aboard a “chicken” bus he arrived in South Africa a nobody, with nothing but passion, determination and a zeal to succeed.
The struggle was real for the boy from the dusty streets of Mufakose, who only knew how to sing dancehall in a country that was only dominated by kwaito and a little bit of hip hop. At that time in South Africa, most of the music was sung in their native languages.
A born hustler, Buffalo Souljah (real name Thabani Ndlovu), had to sneak his way onto the country’s entertainment scene through emceeing and disc jockeying secular music.
This eventually won him an opportunity to “spit bars” on a few instrumentals, a golden chance that led to the building of a multi-award winning continentally recognised legend we know today.
Narrating his journey, Big Buff as he is affectionately known said, “I remember my early years in South Africa. It was not easy at all. I was trying to break into a market that was saturated with kwaito and a bit of hip hop that was sung in their local languages.
“Back in the day it wasn’t easy to get time in the studio worse for me who was in a foreign land.”
“I had to follow deejays and do emceeing and chanting at shows for me to show the talent I had in me.”
His big break came about when he met popular Nigerian and then Channel O DJ, Waxxy. Together they travelled the continent, performing at big stages and platforms including the popular reality television show, Big Brother Africa.
As his name grew, so was appreciation from music lovers earning him first two award nominations in 2006 and 2007. He finally scooped his first accolade in 2008.
Today he boasts of 11 awards won in South Africa, Nigeria, Angola and Zimbabwe. He also has 50 nominations to his name.
Now one of the highly rated reggae dancehall acts on the continent, Buffalo Souljah will tonight aim to further live his dream, this time by filling a 5 000 capacity venue, Newtown Music Factory formerly known as Baseline Newtown as he hosts his first ever his “One Man Band” show.
“The show means a lot to me, it’s the first show I am holding myself.
“I have been doing several club performances so this really means a lot to me.
“I now have enough content to do the concert and this is the time,” he said.
Even if he fails to fill up the venue —a highly unlikely scenario — the Rugare singer makes history by being the first Zimbabwean artiste in South Africa and first foreign dancehall artiste in South Africa to hold a one man band show.
This will be following the traits of late reggae legend Lucky Dube who is the only popular reggae artiste to hold shows as a solo act in the land.
Already the gig has been endorsed by several top South African artistes including popular rapper Kwesta, and local flamboyant businessman Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure.
To be hosted by popular television personality Boity Thulo, the show will also have a mouth-watering line-up of guest performers including Zimbabwe’s own local dancehall stars Winky D and Kinnah, Gemini Major, Nadia Nakai, D A L.E.S and Metro FM’s DJ Speedsta. The show is expected to “blow up” Johannesburg, while breaking the spell of local artistes performing in South Africa only in front of Zimbabwean fans as it is expected to attract different nationalities, who over the years have fallen in love
with Big Buff.