Entertainment / Music
Afro-Jazz soul artiste lifting Zim flag high in SA
19 Apr 2016 at 02:25hrs | Views
A Zimbabwean Afro-Jazz soul artiste Xolani Ndlovu whose stage name "X-Mile" is lifting the flag of Zimbabwe high in the neighbouring South Africa where he has performed numerous live shows and has since produced Extended play (EP) track titled , "Bangaxabani" which is said to be thrilling crowds over the Limpopo.
In an interview X-Mile said he earned this name from his high school friends at Luveve High School in Bulawayo.
"I am originally from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. I grew up in Cowdray Park a township. I am currently based in Johannesburg, South Africa but its only for a couple of months while I am doing a couple of projects here," he said.
"I am into music. I am an artiste for Afro-Jazz/soul music and I do most of my music with live instruments and performs live. I have always loved music ever since I was an infant, before I even realised that music was a gift that God instilled in me. I already knew at a very tender age that I wanted to be a musician."
X-Mile said he started singing professionally in 2010 after he had staged his first concert at the Bulawayo Theatre which he did out of the passion that was burning in him to become a great musician.
"By then I was young and I knew nothing about the music industry but that was exactly my starting point of learning about the industry and being part and parcel of the Music industry," he said.
"To date I have not produced a full album but I have produced an E.P of my own. It consists of 3 tracks which are, Bangaxabani, Wozekhaya and True Love. The E.P is titled Bangaxani. The track Bangaxabani found its self on a number one spot on ZiFm for a couple of weeks and the track Wozekhaya was number five for a couple of weeks also on ZiFm Stereo."
He said the track True love also got fair airplay from local radio stations.
"The E.P was released in October 2013. Since then I have been releasing singles and songs that I have featured on with other artistes. I have done singles with the likes of Djembe Monks, Michael Kata, Pronix, Pro-Beatz (Harare ), Brian Kadengu (Harare ), Alaina and Dj 89, to mention but a few,"X-Mile said.
"I have also shared stage with local and international acts like Salif Keita (Mali ), Babba Maal (Senegal ), Cassper Nyovest (SA ), Liquideed (SA ), Oliver Mtukudzi (Zimbabwe ), Beatenburg (SA ), Jason Leroux (Electro dj ), Bongeziwe Mabandla (SA ), Victor Kunonga, Afrika Revenge, Dudu Manhenga, Cynthia Mare, Blessing Chimanga, Iyasa, Sandra Ndebele, Jeys Marabini and Calvin, the list is endless."
X-Mile said in 2012 he contested in a local talent search called Starbrite in Bulawayo and out of the 7000 people that were auditioned Nationwide, he came out as one of the best 3 voices in the country.
"I won a lot of prizes for the achievement. The show was being broadcast on National Television and it was quite a tough journey competing with such talented people from across Zimbabwe, but seeing myself passing all those stages and gaining the nation's confidence also boosted my esteem as a singer, songwriter and artiste for we had also passed a stage of performing own composed songs in the competition," he said.
"Well in my music, I do include a lot of people in it. I am a solo artiste as X-Mile but I can not produce a good product to my name all by myself, so is every artiste. There are a lot of things that have to be done behind the scenes for a product to come out as perfect as it would sound even though it will be titled to a single Artiste as the end product."
X-Mile said a lot of people are required on the production side when producing a good song.
"I write my own songs from the lyrics to the melody, then I work with a producer who will do my studio instrumentals, or find musicians (Band ) who will play live instruments while we are recording," he said.
"Then I will have to work with the producer when mixing and mastering the project to perfection, so its not the work that I can do on my own but requires extra hands and ears to listen to the final product before letting it out to the public."
He said producers that he has worked with are the likes of Ernie Smith, Daecolm Diego (Now Producing for Chris Brown ) Joe Maseko, Mr Face, Percy, Pardon Mutsago, Owen Maseko, Terry Banks to mention but a few.
"I compose and write my own music then there are sometimes when I have to co-compose and write with other artistes as well especially on a featuring project. I recently released my single track featuring Daecolm, an Artiste/Producer based in both U.S.A and U.K, Daecolm has produced for international artistes like Chris Brown, Labrinth and he has performed alongside Usher and a lot more big artistes," X-Mile said.
"So it was quite an honour for me to work with such a great producer on our single which we released in December called Sorry Mama. I am currently working on my new stuff with Daecolm and other artistes as well, and I promise it's gonna be something out of this world, and of course I will be performing a lot in and around Johannesburg for the next few months and also in Zimbabwe."
He said people have received his music with great appreciation and open loving hearts since day one.
"There is not a day that I have presented my work and got a lot of negative reviews and comments, of course there are some days that are not the best days but 99% of the times people have always appreciated my art and they have always supported whenever I host a show or perform at different occasions," X-Mile said.
"I cannot really say anybody inspired me to do music. I just loved music ever since I was young. When other kids were building their little houses to play in, I was busy building my little stage aside and would start singing and other kids would come and dance together with me," he said.
"But I can say by that time, I admired Lundi every time I saw his videos on TV and also Rebecca Malope, so they played quite a little inspirational role for me to fall in love with music, and when I got to met them recently I told them how I used to be inspired by them when I was a little child and now we chill together."
In an interview X-Mile said he earned this name from his high school friends at Luveve High School in Bulawayo.
"I am originally from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. I grew up in Cowdray Park a township. I am currently based in Johannesburg, South Africa but its only for a couple of months while I am doing a couple of projects here," he said.
"I am into music. I am an artiste for Afro-Jazz/soul music and I do most of my music with live instruments and performs live. I have always loved music ever since I was an infant, before I even realised that music was a gift that God instilled in me. I already knew at a very tender age that I wanted to be a musician."
X-Mile said he started singing professionally in 2010 after he had staged his first concert at the Bulawayo Theatre which he did out of the passion that was burning in him to become a great musician.
"By then I was young and I knew nothing about the music industry but that was exactly my starting point of learning about the industry and being part and parcel of the Music industry," he said.
"To date I have not produced a full album but I have produced an E.P of my own. It consists of 3 tracks which are, Bangaxabani, Wozekhaya and True Love. The E.P is titled Bangaxani. The track Bangaxabani found its self on a number one spot on ZiFm for a couple of weeks and the track Wozekhaya was number five for a couple of weeks also on ZiFm Stereo."
He said the track True love also got fair airplay from local radio stations.
"The E.P was released in October 2013. Since then I have been releasing singles and songs that I have featured on with other artistes. I have done singles with the likes of Djembe Monks, Michael Kata, Pronix, Pro-Beatz (Harare ), Brian Kadengu (Harare ), Alaina and Dj 89, to mention but a few,"X-Mile said.
"I have also shared stage with local and international acts like Salif Keita (Mali ), Babba Maal (Senegal ), Cassper Nyovest (SA ), Liquideed (SA ), Oliver Mtukudzi (Zimbabwe ), Beatenburg (SA ), Jason Leroux (Electro dj ), Bongeziwe Mabandla (SA ), Victor Kunonga, Afrika Revenge, Dudu Manhenga, Cynthia Mare, Blessing Chimanga, Iyasa, Sandra Ndebele, Jeys Marabini and Calvin, the list is endless."
X-Mile said in 2012 he contested in a local talent search called Starbrite in Bulawayo and out of the 7000 people that were auditioned Nationwide, he came out as one of the best 3 voices in the country.
"I won a lot of prizes for the achievement. The show was being broadcast on National Television and it was quite a tough journey competing with such talented people from across Zimbabwe, but seeing myself passing all those stages and gaining the nation's confidence also boosted my esteem as a singer, songwriter and artiste for we had also passed a stage of performing own composed songs in the competition," he said.
"Well in my music, I do include a lot of people in it. I am a solo artiste as X-Mile but I can not produce a good product to my name all by myself, so is every artiste. There are a lot of things that have to be done behind the scenes for a product to come out as perfect as it would sound even though it will be titled to a single Artiste as the end product."
X-Mile said a lot of people are required on the production side when producing a good song.
"I write my own songs from the lyrics to the melody, then I work with a producer who will do my studio instrumentals, or find musicians (Band ) who will play live instruments while we are recording," he said.
"Then I will have to work with the producer when mixing and mastering the project to perfection, so its not the work that I can do on my own but requires extra hands and ears to listen to the final product before letting it out to the public."
He said producers that he has worked with are the likes of Ernie Smith, Daecolm Diego (Now Producing for Chris Brown ) Joe Maseko, Mr Face, Percy, Pardon Mutsago, Owen Maseko, Terry Banks to mention but a few.
"I compose and write my own music then there are sometimes when I have to co-compose and write with other artistes as well especially on a featuring project. I recently released my single track featuring Daecolm, an Artiste/Producer based in both U.S.A and U.K, Daecolm has produced for international artistes like Chris Brown, Labrinth and he has performed alongside Usher and a lot more big artistes," X-Mile said.
"So it was quite an honour for me to work with such a great producer on our single which we released in December called Sorry Mama. I am currently working on my new stuff with Daecolm and other artistes as well, and I promise it's gonna be something out of this world, and of course I will be performing a lot in and around Johannesburg for the next few months and also in Zimbabwe."
He said people have received his music with great appreciation and open loving hearts since day one.
"There is not a day that I have presented my work and got a lot of negative reviews and comments, of course there are some days that are not the best days but 99% of the times people have always appreciated my art and they have always supported whenever I host a show or perform at different occasions," X-Mile said.
"I cannot really say anybody inspired me to do music. I just loved music ever since I was young. When other kids were building their little houses to play in, I was busy building my little stage aside and would start singing and other kids would come and dance together with me," he said.
"But I can say by that time, I admired Lundi every time I saw his videos on TV and also Rebecca Malope, so they played quite a little inspirational role for me to fall in love with music, and when I got to met them recently I told them how I used to be inspired by them when I was a little child and now we chill together."
Source - Byo24News
