Leonard Zhakata

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Leonard Karikoga Zhakata is a Zimbabwean musician very popular in his home country, though not as well known internationally. Zhakata writes and performs songs mainly in his native Shona tongue.

Zhakata is best known for his hits Hupenyu Mutoro and Batai Mazwi. However, it was his 1994 smash Mugove which propelled him to domestic stardom.

More about Leonard

Leonard Zhakata is a qualified Fitter and Turner and the only boy in a family of seven, Leonard Zhakata used to sneak from home and play music with his primary school mates. Then at Shiri Yedenga School in Glen Norah, Harare, at a tender age of thirteen he had his first music composition "Baba vaSamson". Pursuing school and later serving for an apprenticeship, it took Leonard sometime before he could record. After, the usual frustration of being turned down by recording companies, he had his luck break and recorded his first 12-inch entitled "Moyo muti" sometime in 1989, to be followed by any album "Yarira Mhere"in 1990. Leonard Zhakata's songwriting skills continue to rise with the releases of chart busting songs such as 'Tungidza Gwenya' and 'Shungu dzemwoyo'. He however seemed to remain in the mediocre periphery of "Who is Who" on the Zimbabwean music scene, until the release of his mega chartbusting album ' Maruva Enyika'with hit song 'Mugove' in 1994. Backed by a very tight musical outfit, The Zimbabwean All Stars Band and a well choreographed dance display, this album set Zimbabwe on fire during the festive season of the same year. No party was complete without 'Mugove' being played. Those who had doubted Leonard's music mastery had to think again. All albums that followed thereafter 'Nzombe Huru', Vagoni Vebasa' and three more others, established Leonard Zhakata within the Zimbabwean music household.

ZORA Music Maestro

Leonard Zhakata nicknamed himself Karikoga, a word that means "Loner." This nickname appears to stem from the poverty he endured as a lone child. In fact, many of his albums have included at least one song dedicated to the suffering masses as well as to people whose upbringing was full of mishaps. However, despite his distinctive playing style and mastery of lyrics, Zhakata's fame began to wane in the late 1990s due to the public's outrage at his continued lamenting when in fact he had become rich. Several people accused him of being monotonous in his beat and others considered his projects predictable. In order to boost his career and regain lost ground, in 2001 Leonard Zhakata re-introduced his music as ZORA (Zhakata in Original Rhythms of Africa). The initial response was far from pleasing since many saw ZORA music as "non-danceable" and truly radically different from anything Zhakata had played before. However, Zhakata remained true to his new offering and now ZORA music has becoming more popular and very refined. Indeed, Zhakata is the true maestro of ZORA music and so far no aspiring musicians can imitate his distinctive style.