Zimbabwe musician joins Angolan record label

Founded in 2002 by DJ Satelite, Seres Producoes is among Angola’s leading production houses of kuduro music. Originally developed in Angola in the 1980s, kuduro is a type of music and dance that is characterised by a percussive fast tempo.

Real name Simbarashe Kodzai, KOD recorded and mastered Voices of the Drum in Luanda. Music In Africa caught up with KOD and asked how he managed to engage Seres Producoes management.

“I just took a chance, asked for an email where I sent my music and funny thing, they replied,” he said. “I had done the same thing with Aero Manyelo (Herbal 3 Records) in South Africa with whom I released two songs”

Asked why he chose the Luanda-based recording label, KOD said, “It’s one of the biggest and baddest record labels because it’s pushing even well-established artist in South Africa.”

KOD said his music had received airplay all over the world. Asked about how he knew his music was being played in other countries, he said some radio stations provided statistics about the music they played. “My music is being played as far as Australia, America and Portugal. I keep tabs. I talk to DJs and presenters.”

In another interview with Zimbabwe’s DailyNews, KOD said he preferred to record in Angola because the roots of his music were in that country.

“The reason why I moved to Angola is because the type of music I play was pioneered there,” he said. “South Africans get their beats and stuff from there, so instead of going down south, I chose to go to Angola.”

“There is a sharp difference between my music and the house music normally played in South Africa. South African house no longer has drums. They are concentrating on techno and Afro-soul. My music has a powerful fusion of drums.”

Seres Producoes will be marketing and distributing KOD’s EP, which has already received airplay on local radio stations such as Skyz Metro FM, Power FM and Star FM.

Not new to Zimbabwe’s music scene, KOD recorded Drum Worship in 2005. He later joined South Africa’s Herbal 3 Records through which he released ‘In the Name of Love’ and ‘Iculo Lothando’. KOD draws his inspiration from artists such as Oskido, Black Coffee, Euphonik, DJ Fresh, Ganyani and Black Motion.

Seres Producoes’ owner, DJ Satelite, is one of the producers behind Estado Maior Kuduro of Lambas, the first album to sell more than 10 000 copies in Angola, and Bruno M’s Batida Unika.