Soko Matemai

Bio

Soko Matemai (formerly known as Sharky) was born Marshall Zivashe Muchenje on the 8th of June 1993. He is an emcee and songwriter who shares a positive social message through his music. He has preformed on international stages such as Shoko Festival (Harare, Zimbabwe) and Festa2H (Dakar, Senegal).

Soko Matemai was born and raised in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe. He is the last born child of three children. He began making music professionally in 2013. He has an Afrocentric rap style, rapping in both English and Shona. His music style is complemented by the traditional clothing he wears during performances.

As of 2017, Soko Matemai had released 20 singles, the most popular being 'Soko Matemai', 'Dzoka' (featuring Crimson Blu) and 'Killin’ which have all been played on local and regional radio stations. His music video for 'Soko Matemai' topped the Zim Top10 chart for three consecutive weeks on Zambezi Magic TV (DStv). Soko Matemai's music has been played on UJFM programme 16 Bars Reloaded and TransAfrica Radio where he was interviewed by DJ NK.

On 25 June 2016, he released his 21-track debut studio album 'Soko Matemai'. Within 24 hours of being released, the album topped the iTunes Zimbabwe chart. Soko Matemai was in the No 1 position for four days.

On 24 June 2017, Soko Matemai hosted a concert to celebrate the anniversary of his debut album where he announced a surprise sophomore album called 'Take Back the Land' which was then officially released the following day. The album carries a bold message inspired by the current socio-economic state of affairs in Zimbabwe.

Awards
- Best Song of the Year at the Chitungwiza Music, Entertainment & Lifestyle Awards 2016 for 'Soko Matemai'
- Best Album at the Zim Hip Hop Awards 2016 for 'Soko Matemai'

Nominations: Zimbabwe Hip-Hop Awards 2016
- Best Male Artist
- Best Album
- Best New Comer
- Best Verse

Notable performances
- Festa2H 2016, Dakar, Senegal, May 2016
- Mosaic Cultural Festival, (September and November 2016)
- Shoko Festival 2015 & 2016
- Toya Delazy – Rocking the City Tour, Harare Concert , October 2016
- Unplugged Zimbabwe, 29 October 2016
- ZimCare Trust Day Celebrations , 29 October 2016

Discography
- 'Soko Matemai' (25 June 2016)
- 'Take Back the Land' (25 June 2017)