By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
Zambian R&B star and former Big Brother Stargame housemate Mampi says she could have easily avoided a brawl between Zimbabwean urban groover Roki and his counterpart Maneta Mazanhi had she stayed in the house for long.
Mampi, who jetted into Harare on Wednesday to record a song with Roki, said she was closer to both Roki and Maneta than anybody else in the house. In an exclusive interview last week, the Zambian star said the fight could have been avoided if she “was still in the house when the argument started because I am close to both Roki and Maneta”.
She added: “Our relationship goes back to how Zambians relate to Zimbabweans and if asked who was closer to me between Roki and Maneta I would say both.” Nicknamed “Thunder Thighs” during her stay in the house because of her revealing shorts and dances, the 25-year-old singer said Roki and Maneta’s disqualification broke her heart.
Mampi, who was in Zimbabwe for the first time despite her mother being Zimbabwean, said she enjoyed recording the single with Roki. She expressed hope that the single would appeal to a wider crossover audience.
“I am excited to be in Zimbabwe and I think it is for the love of music even though my mother is Zimbabwean I have never been here. This is my first time to collaborate with a Zimbabwean artiste and I wish I had stayed longer because it feels like home,” she said.
She said while she was known as an entertainer on stage she was a different person while in the house. “Mampi the artiste is different from the one you saw in Big Brother because when I go on stage that is an act or performance but on the reality show I wanted to be myself,” she said.
Roki and Mampi spent the greater part of Thursday working in the studio before the “Chidzoka” star hosted a dinner for Mampi at a restaurant in Highlands. Roki said his collaboration with Mampi would enhance his breakthrough in the Zambian market.
“It was a 50-50 arrangement where she wrote half of the song and I did the other half to avoid an ownership wrangle,” he jokingly said.“The purpose of this collaboration was to try and break into other markets. So we are hoping that she will build a fan base here and I will do the same when I go to Zambia,” he said.
Plans are already afoot for joint shows in Zambia and Zimbabwe. Roki has so far performed two sellout shows, one at Oliver Mtukudzi’s farewell gig and another in Kwekwe, where he thrilled fans. The urban groover has released some of his new videos where he features Lovedale “Discord” Makalanga and MC Chita since being booted out of the Stargame. The Herald
