Russo Says That It's All about The Passion

By Tawanda Ngena 

He is arguably one of the icons of his generation (and beyond that as well), he has made quite a name for himself as the 'go to guy' whenever any musician is in need of a hit, his remarkable prowess in the producer's chair is well-documented and respected, it cuts across genres. So whether it is urban grooves, dance-hall, gospel, hip-hop or otherwise, Russo seems to always be the man with that 'midas touch'.

He was there during the birth of the genre we all came to know as 'Urban Grooves', he was still there when a relative 'newcomer' to the fray called Zimdancehall was conceived and now as the music industry readies itself for yet another upheaval, this time in the form of hip-hop, Russo is still there and has quite a large role to play.

Thus far, no documentation of Zimbabwean music would suffice, without mentioning a man whom it has become evident that you can never really take out of the picture no matter how the game might change!

We caught up with the esteemed producer and one of the mainstays of our local music scene a couple of days ago and he took time from his busy schedule to answer a few of our questions. Here are a few of those and his responses;

It seems like you have been there from the start but what is more remarkable is that year in and year out, you always seem to be there making sure your presence is felt and staying afloat while the rest fall by the wayside, what do you owe all this to?

     Music has always been my passion, I love and enjoy what I do at the same time I treat it as business hence I adapt to the fluctuations of the industry.

What is your take on the local music scene right now and do you think its headed in the right direction?

    Yes, we are definitely heading in the right direction, back then a few people would listen to local music but now the percentage has overwhelmingly increased.

Over the years, quite a number of artists have come through your hands, is there another star in the making that we can look forward to hearing from your studio?

     I am working with an RnB artist called Elli-ot, hip hop artist/producer called chopar and an RnB gospel artist called Josh.

What have you been working on lately?

Lately I have been working on corporate jingles for Econet, Nicoz diamond, FBC bank, Zinara, Bakers Inn etc., on the other hand recording singles for different artists and also working on my stable artist's albums.

Where and when did this musical journey start for you?

     I started music in primary school as a pianist.

Having worked with quite a number of artists locally and international, who would you say you enjoyed working with the most, and why?

     I enjoy working with Shinso the most because he understands me and does not try to supersede my role as a producer.  

Besides the music, what else keeps you occupied nowadays?

     Farming or golf keeps me busy whenever I am not in the studio, I also read a lot during my spare time.  

You have obviously bagged a number of awards along the way, which one would you say was the most memorable to you and why?

     Since the return of the ZIMAs in 2014 I have been nominated twice, my greatest achievement was winning the UNWTO theme song competition for production and composition in 2013 which had over 40 entries from producers and artist all across Zimbabwe.

What are your immediate plans in as far as the music is concerned?

    Expansion of my company from just music production to a full media house i.e. advertising, events and marketing  managers, artist imaging  and grooming, visual studio etc.   

If you had never caught the music bug, what else do you think you could have been?

     A cricketer, I was on a cricket scholarship in high school.