Youngest Zimbabwean musician to tour UK
LONDON – At 13, Ras Pompy will become the youngest Zimbabwean musician to tour the United Kingdom this coming weekend.
The dancehall chanter, real name Nyasha Reginald Mano, will be part of the Zvirikumbofamba Sei Tour alongside fellow Zimdancehall artists Jay C, Lady Bee, Dhadza D, Loud H Mbada and Lewaz Skattaw.
At 13 Ras Pompy is also now the main breadwinner in his family, earning a cool US$2 000 on a good month. Last month he told a local paper;
“On average I perform two shows per week but sometimes the demand can be more or less. This translates to about eight shows per month, sometimes they can be seven. My standard fee is US$250, which can also vary upwards or downwards depending on the type of the show.
“So on a really good month I take home about US$2 000 but it seldom goes below US$1 000 no matter how bad a month is. I give the money to my mother to buy groceries, pay my school fees and budget for my bus fare,” said Ras Pompy.
Recently Pompy from Mbare in Harare moved schools from Morgan High to Borrowdale Brooke after he won a scholarship that guarantees that his parents will not have to pay any school fees as long as he remains at the private school.
Pompy oozes raw talent. “I recorded my first song, ‘Mwari Baba’, when I was in Grade 3. From there I never stopped composing and recording, and by the time I was in Grade 6, it was almost common knowledge that I was a singer,” he said.
Pompy has a lot of support from his family, school and his management and mentors Fantan and Levels(Chillspot) and continues to keep a cool head. He has in the past performed with international artists like Turbulence and is set to keep growing in influence over the years.
Full list of tour dates and times
FRIDAY 25th JULY
IQBAL BANQUETING SUITE 136-138 VICTORIA ROAD B6 5HH BIRMINGHAM UNITED KINGDOM
21:00hrs till 04:00hrs
SATURDAY 26th JULY
DUNSTABLE LEISURE CENTRE
COURT DR,
DUNSTABLE, BEDFORDSHIRE LU5 4JD
22:00hrs till 04:00hrs
SUNDAY 27th JULY
FAMILY FUN DAY
VALLEY GOLF COURSE
SEWARDSTONE ROAD
LONDON
E4 7BF
12PM TILL 11PM
DJs ON THE NITE
REAL LINK SOUND feat (MAJEZY B n MARCUS IRIE)
INJECTION SOUND feat (FATHA ANSY)
SIMPLE DREAD (SOUTH END’S FINEST)
FATHER KING ALFREAD (NEW GENERATION SOUND)
RIDDIM KING
DJ SAAB
YOUNG MIKE
LADY JENNY & MANY MORE
FULL BAR & HOT FOOD AVAILABLE IN ALL VENUES.
FOR ADVANCED TICKETS BOOKINGS VISIT
