Come April, it will be 45 years since Bob Marley’s historic performance in Zimbabwe. The reggae superstar thrilled a full house at Rufaro Stadium in Harare to celebrate the country’s transition from racist Rhodesia.

Although he was not born then, VaChikepe has heard about that riveting set by Marley and his Wailers countless times. It was one of the things that introduced him to reggae and Jamaican culture.

A poet and ordained minister of religion, VaChikepe lives in North Carolina where he attended Duke University. Last July, he was one of the guests at Jamaican poet Richie Innocent’s ‘Friends’ at VP Records in Queens, New York.

The Harare-born artiste is strongly inspired by Marley, Burning Spear and Mutabaruka. He was excited about performing for the first time in front of a Jamaican audience.

“It was Mdara Richie Innocent who introduced me to Jamaican communities when I met him at the Bridgewater International Poetry Festival in 2019. I was amazed by his dub poetry, and he was equally amazed by how I write and perform my poetry. We instantly became friends,” VaChikepe recalled. “He is my big brother and a very good friend. I believe we will collaborate on many projects between the Jamaican and Caribbean families and the Zimbabwean and African families.”

He considers winning the 2021 International Reggae And World Music Awards’ (IRAWMA) Mutabaruka Award for Best Poet as the highlight of his career.

“When I won, I was both shocked and extremely happy. But my spirit wasn’t surprised—it felt like a prophecy fulfilled,” said VaChikepe, who has been writing poems for 18 years.

His work is influenced by the Shona language, the native tongue of over 10 million Zimbabweans. Like the music of his heroes, Marley, Burning Spear and Mutabaruka, his writing is largely based on social issues.

His latest song is ‘Hunting And Gathering’, released in November. It was preceded by the poem, ‘The Spiritual Quantum Teleportation of The Heart’.

“My approach to writing is deeply rooted in intentionality and a desire to connect with both the spiritual and the everyday realities of life. I strive to craft poems that resonate with the human soul and spirit, offering reflections and meditations that are theological, poetic, musical, and relevant to the 21st Century,” VaChikepe said.

(Photo contributed)