BY DR TONY M. MONDA
The power, the voice, the drama, the movement and the dance. These words epitomise the artistry of Tamy Moyo. The Musician, actress, dancer and singer is one of Zimbabwe’s most consummate young artistes.
Whilst most Zimbabweans are familiar with her eye catching costumes and full-bodied vocalibilities, not many are aware of her versatile gifts or her early training.
The invention of music videos placed a creative demand on musicians to be as much actors and actresses as they are singers; originality, vision and creativity are now also demanded and expected of them. Additionally, current digital technology and virtual sites have made musical videos acceccable and have broadened the audiences of music.
Today, Thamsanqa ‘Tamy’ Moyo responds to these technological demands naturally. Her videos are imaginative, colourful and narrative, often set against creative backgrounds or scenic environments that lend weight to the articulation of her music.
Every video that Tamy produces is a well choreographed musical drama. Vocally, her syncopated heart-felt singing in Shona, English or Ndebele is delivered with an urgency and cadence that cannot be ignored. Her lyrics are delivered emotionally, from the cool jazzy “Taking Over”, to the emotionally infused lyrics of her early hit song in 2016, “Ndibereke”.
Tamy has often been compared to Sade Adu, Angelique Kidjo, and lately Beyonce. She made her stage appearance as a teenager of 13 years of age. Born on 5 January 1998, in Harare, she was raised by her mother and grandfather and attended Lusitania Primary School and Westridge High School.
She started her music career when she was 7 years old singing in the senior choir while she was in Grade Two at Lusitania Primary School. In 2011, at the age of thirteen, Tamy became the Child Ambassador for Childline Zimbabwe, in the same year she released her first album entitled “Yo Lyf”.
She completed her primary education at Lusitania primary school and later attended Westridge high school for her secondary education. At an age of 13 while she was in Form One, she joined with popular artists Joe Thomas, Oliver Mtukudzi, Stunner, BaShupi, and Alexio Kawara for a live performance at the Harare Sheraton, conference centre which sealed her youthful stardom.
She was born on 5 January 1998 in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Her father Richard Kohola is a presenter at Star FM Zimbabwe popularly known as RK. She was raised by her mother Doris Moyo and hergrandfather Makwara. In 2008, in her capacity as the Child Ambassador for Childline Zimbabwe, she spearheaded the formation of the Uganda African Choir, together with three other colleagues in a charity performance at the Madison Square Gardens in New York, USA, in acknowledgment of the Plight of the African Child.
During her short, but illustrious career, Tammy has performed at the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA), and the Shoko Festival, and has featured at the National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA), and the Miss Tourism Zimbabwe where she performed in November 2016. In mid 2021, she was appointed as brand ambassador by ZIMOCO an official distributor of Mercedes Benz.
In November 2021, she released a thirteen track album called Bvudzijena at a ZIMOCO live session and her act was equated to an award level performance by Black Entertainment Television (BET).
She was nominated for the best female artiste in Southern Africa under the prestigious All Africa Music Awards 2021 (AFRIMA). She competed with renowned regional artists, Makhadzi who achieved the award), ShaSha amongst other high profile female musicians from southern Africa.
Today, her eclectic hybrid Afro-soul music has touches of smooth jazz, jit, mbaqanga and soul.
Typical of her musical style are her high energy, syncopated love songs delivered with vim and vigour.
As a young burgeoning actress, Tamy was recently cast for the part of a girl named Chipo, by award-winning filmmaker, Sydney Taivanashe in his film “Gonarezhou”.
Tamy is also working on another short film entitled “Goredema,” which was due for release soon and will participate in a southern African musical concert with Mi Casa, and a band called The Muses.
Dr.Tony Michel Monda is an arts, culture and music critic for Gemnation News. He holds a PhD. in Art Theory and Philosophy and a DBA in Post-Colonial Heritage Studies. For Comments E-mail:
About Author
