BY OWN CORRESPONDENT
Award winning Bulawayo-based singer and songwriter, Vuyo Brown, has done it again!
Taking away the Roil BAA Outstanding Female Artiste of the Year award for the second time running in 2021, she has had a busy year releasing her own music and doing four collaborations including one with Speedy of Bongo Maffin, Hwabaraty and recently Rayo Beats (a new single ‘Smile’).
Just a year ago, Vuyo teamed up with Vusa Mangena and Snowy Ncube and recorded a video for their single titled ‘Silwele’, inspired by their recognition of the need for divine intervention in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The song is a prayer to God to protect the people.
The internationally produced video is still available on Vusa’s YouTube account.
January 2021 saw the release of the ‘Masiyephambili’ video where Vuyo featured with Vusa Mkhaya and other artists, followed in May by ‘Mvelinqangi’ with Hwarabaty,’Mayeh’ which reached the SkyzMetro Top 10 chart for several months, and her ‘Imvana’ video in July which reached the first five of the ZiFM Top 40 where it stayed for some time.
The young and wholesome star, born Nokufeza Vuyolethu Ngwenya, started singing early with her public début at the age of 14 when she became part of the church music team and her Dominican Convent High School where she sang in the Vernacular Choir and ‘Rocappella’.
Between 2014 and 2016 Vuyo was breaking into the music business professionally and released her first single ‘NdiJesu’ in July 2016 as a tribute to her mother and anyone going through pain.
It was a song of encouragement, using mbira and bass guitar fusion in an Afro sound, to pray and hold on.
Her second single ‘Tichatamba’ followed in 2017 and was worlds apart from her first one, just to demonstrate her versatility.
It had been on rotation in two United Kingdom radio stations, Premier Gospel and Salt FM.
‘Grace Fulfilled’ became the multi-genre artist’s début album on June 30, 2018.
She makes music because she believes it should bring joy and healing and enjoys exploring the idea and reality of God through art– even throwing in a touch of jazz along her journey.
“Thula Wazi” was released on September 20, 2019, as a single, rocking radio stations around the country; sitting in the TOP 10 on the ZiFM Top 40 Chart for five weeks, reigning at No 1 on the Skyzmetro FM Gospel Chart for 5 weeks, and 4 weeks at No1 on Khulumani FM’s Gospel Chart.
Because of its message this song of hope and encouragement became an anthem in and outside Zimbabwe, on rotation on platforms such as One Gospel and Trace.
On the recent Outstanding Female Artiste award from the Roil Bulawayo Arts Awards 2021, Vuyo said “What a surprise! I did not expect to win.
“I was overwhelmed .I am grateful to the Roil BAAs and to the Vuyo Brown family. A big thank you to my team.
“God is so good to me. I dedicate this one to my mother’s name, a deserving queen, my biggest fan. Thank you.”