The Guitar Sangoma, Sylent Nqo is Carrying Zimbabwe’s Rhythm Across the Continent

From Harare to the continent, Sylent Nqo channels Zimbabwean rhythm, collaborating with Africa’s finest artists to redefine modern Afro-Fusion.

Every erstwhile successful a while, an creator comes on who makes you halt and listen. There’s thing existent successful the music, thing that moves you. That’s what happens erstwhile you perceive Sylent Nqo’s music, the Zimbabwean-Mozambican guitarist, singer, and songwriter making waves crossed Africa.

Born to a Mozambican parent and raised successful Harare, Sylent grew up surrounded by music. His parents bought him his archetypal guitar and a marimba acceptable arsenic a child, unknowingly mounting him connected a way that would aboriginal instrumentality him crossed the world. Today, he’s known crossed the continent arsenic “The Guitar Sangoma”, a sanction that captures the healing, astir spiritual powerfulness of his performances.

“I gully connected a wide scope of influences,” Sylent says. “From accepted African rhythms to modern popular and physics sounds. But astatine the bosom of it all, I conscionable privation to marque thing honest, euphony that speaks to radical from each walks of life.”

That doctrine runs done everything helium does. His 2022 debut album, Sylent Treatment, introduced listeners to his distinctive premix of Afro-fusion, alternative, and electrical soul, euphony that moves betwixt solemnisation and introspection without losing its African soul.

Before the medium dropped, Sylent had already made his people internationally. In 2016, helium became the archetypal African ever to triumph “Senior Solo Instrumental Grand Champion of the World” astatine the World Championships of Performing Arts successful Hollywood, a milestone for Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Three years later, helium was named Best Alternative Musician astatine the Zimbabwe Music Awards, solidifying his spot arsenic 1 of the country’s astir breathtaking talents.

Sylent Nqo

His unrecorded performances are wherever the magic genuinely comes alive. With his band, The Noise Makers, Sylent has performed alongside UB40, Dr. Oliver Mtukudzi, Hugh Masekela, and Chiwoniso Maraire and played successful countries arsenic acold isolated arsenic Norway, Italy, Egypt, South Africa, and Australia. Reflecting connected those experiences, helium recalls, “Opening for UB40 and gathering Bra Hugh were moments I’ll ne'er forget. Bra Hugh spoke to maine astir African state and the relation of artists successful telling our stories. That speech inactive guides maine today.”

But contempt his travels, Sylent’s dependable remains profoundly grounded successful the continent. His collaborations diagnostic immoderate of Africa’s biggest stars: Davido and Mr Eazi from Nigeria, Jah Prayzah from Zimbabwe, Shatta Wale from Ghana, and DJ Cleo from South Africa. Each concern highlights his versatility arsenic a guitarist and composer, effortlessly blending styles portion staying existent to his roots.

“I don’t similar to beryllium boxed in,” helium says. “My euphony is African, but it borrows from everyplace from soul, rock, pop, adjacent physics music. I privation it to consciousness inclusive and alive.”

Earlier this year, Sylent Nqo signed with Bridgenorth Music, a Harare-based grounds label. His concern with Bridgenorth marks the adjacent section successful a vocation that continues to evolve, breaking caller ground. As the “Guitar Sangoma” readies his caller assemblage of work, fans tin look guardant to a dynamic assemblage of work, 1 that speaks to connection, healing, and the transformative powerfulness of art.

Now, arsenic helium prepares for his adjacent chapter, with a caller task successful the works and unrecorded shows planned crossed Africa, Sylent is stepping confidently into the continental spotlight. Those who’ve seen him execute picture the acquisition arsenic transformative. “My shows are a solemnisation of life,” helium says. “They’re abou...