Zimdancehall songstress searches for love

What a difference a few months can make!

In February this year, Zimdancehall songstress Tendazvaitwa Chitimbe, popularly known as Ninja Lipsy, ruled out marriage, arguing that tying the knot would jeopardise her music career.

She added that though she was in a very steady relationship at the time, she was not contemplating marriage because "being someone's wife is not an achievement."

"People should expect new and big musical projects from me this year, not wedding bells. I am in a steady relationship with a guy that I am not at liberty to reveal. He is not a public figure munhu anongozvitsvagirawo mari yake.

"Although my man is supportive I, however, know a number of female artistes who were finished when they got married," she told this paper.

But seven months on, the sultry songstress has sensationally changed her mind.

For some reason - possibly her age - she is now in a hurry to settle down but the bae she boasted of in February is no longer there.

She has gone all out to look for a committed bae ready to put a wedding ring on her itching finger.

"No boyfriend at the moment, ndiri pakutsvaga. No pakutsvagwa. I am not yet desperate hangu," the 30-year-old-songstress told the Daily News on Sunday.

Her burning desire to be hitched will not stand in the way of her career though.

While chasing after the elusive bae, she will also pursue her first collaboration with a foreign artiste.

"I am working on a collaboration song with a Ghanaian female artiste called Petrah.  On this one, I have changed my sound from Zimdancehall to an Afro-fusion groove but this should not be misconstrued for leaving dancehall forever.

"I have managed to carve my own brand over the years. My music goes a long way in fighting social injustice and this is a major achievement on my part. I have championed the fight against gender-based violence through my songs and I am happy that even male counterparts in recording studios now respect me for that," Lipsy told the Daily News on Sunday.

Lipsy first attracted national attention when she collaborated with Ninja President Winky D on the hit Taitirana.

A couple of years ago, she told the Daily News that she was grateful to Winky D for offering her a platform to showcase her talent on a bigger platform.

"The collaboration I did with Winky D surely ushered me to another level in the showbiz industry and I feel very honoured to be the first female artiste to collaborate with him.

"Winky D took me from nowhere and put me on a golden chair that is why I salute him big time. He has always been readily available to mentor me. In short, I can say I am what I am because of Winky D," she said then.

She also attributes her break into acting to her performance on the Winky D collaboration.

"Due to the Winky D video, many local film directors called me to be part of their casts," she said.

She acted in Manje So directed by Tawanda Gundamupengo, Gupuro directed by Shupai Kamunyaru and  Delete where she acted as Thembi, the main actress.

"I also took part in a Zimbabwe Broadcasting Cooperation ( ZBC) film called The Visit where I played the character of Miriam and currently am acting in another television soapie called Revelation as Tino," she said.

Lipsy, who was born in a family of music lovers, is a niece of prominent reggae promoter Nhamo Chitimbe. She started her musical journey in 2002 as part of a musical group called Sunset before joining the Slam Militants where she was the only female member.

The group released an album titled Camouflage in 2008. On the album she contributed the song called Tell Me.