The Sunday Mail
THE music industry is a tough world that devours those that are not resilient, only those who are exceptionally gifted and hardworking survive.
In this industry, opportunities are hard to come by such that when they do, they should be exploited to the maximum.
This is exactly what Afro-soul artiste Bryan Kadengu has done.
The young artiste is one of the most promising acts in the industry at the moment, with a soulful sound that has captured many hearts.
Kadengu is a talented musician and guitarist who has the ability to cast musical spells over the audiences with his strong vocals and guitar chops.
Since his first shot at stardom in the 2012 edition of talent search show Starbrite, where he was the overall winner, Kadengu has not looked back and considering his recent exploits, the future is looking bright for the young man.
His talent on stage has seen him performing at big shows and festivals including Hifa, UNFPA Safeguarding Young People Campaign Launch in Johannesburg, the Bushfire Festival in Swaziland, Ngoma Nehosho Live Sessions with Oliver Mtukudzi, Malawi’s Lake of Stars, Anne Kansiime’s show and the recently held Micasa gig, among others.
The Sunday Mail Leisure had a chat with Kadengu and he revealed how he has grown from a young boy teaching himself to play the guitar to a promising artiste poised for stardom.
Born in 1992 in Chinhoyi, Kadengu obtained his education in the small town, attending Chiedza Primary School, Chinhoyi 2 High School for his “O” Level studies and then completing his “A” Level studies at Chinhoyi High School.
He grew up as a music lover and it came as no surprise when he decided to take music up as a profession later on in life.
“Growing up I used to listen to a lot of R&B and neo-soul and we would always sing at church so I was in love with music from a very early age. I would listen to artistes such as Andy Brown, Devera Ngwena Jazz Band, Isaac Chirwa, Leonard Dembo, Mateo, Fortune Muparutsa, Jonathan Butler, Stevie Wonder, Donnel Jones, Michael Jackson, Boys 2 Men, Brian McKnight and Musiq Soulchild, among others. These are the artistes that influenced my style.
“I first realised that I was a good singer when I was 11 years old and in 2007, I started teaching myself to play the guitar, that is when I decided to take up music professionally.”
Kadengu tried his luck at the 2007 edition of the CBZ A Academy but fate had other plans and he failed to proceed further than the second round.
“I once auditioned for the A Academy and I got through to the second round but failed to go any further than that. This was so discouraging and I was disappointed to the extent that I almost quit music.”
In the same year, Kadengu was hired to perform at Chinhoyi University of Technology Hotel, this sharpened his skills as a performer. He then auditioned for the Starbrite competition in 2012, which proved to be a stepping stone in his career.
“When I was in lower six I was told by my friends about Starbrite but I really didn’t take it seriously because I didn’t think that it could add value to me in any way.
“My friends kept on pressuring me so I ended up going to the auditions. They were being held during school hours so I had to sneak out,” he confessed.
He managed to fend off competition from other talented artistes who were also coveting the ultimate prize. After winning, he did not sit back but worked on his sound until he released his first album last year.
“After winning Starbrite, I started looking for the perfect sound that would suit me so during this period I went into a phase of self-discovery. This is the reason why it took a bit longer for me to release my first album “Nyaya Dzerudo”, which I launched in February last year.”
The album has been receiving airplay.
“The response I have been getting every time I perform has been overwhelming and I am just happy that many people are appreciating my music.”
The young lad, who has since relocated to Harare, said that the music industry is not a walk in the park.
“It is not easy being a full time artiste but if you put your heart, mind and soul into it, things can actually work out.
“I think that for me, I am doing okay at the moment.”
Kadengu is currently working on a new album that is set to be released before the end of the year.
