- Superstar urges fellow older artistes to mentor youths
- Moots on setting up youth empowerment centre
Report by Christina De Klerk
URBAN grooves godfather Rockford ‘Roki’ Josphat has expressed utmost displeasure in the lyrical content of the young crop of artistes.
This reporter had a wide ranging interview with the talented artiste at his Seke home Tuesday, and he acknowledged the talent that is pregnant in local showbiz, but he had reservations on the dirty lyrics that has reigned supreme.
“ Why is it that when someone opens their mouth to sing they start talking about private parts?
Is this what our music and arts culture has been reduced to?” questioned Roki.
The Chidzoka hitmaker and former Big Brother contestant called upon artistes of his generation to mentor the new crop and give them guidance and inspiration.
“Considering where I have come from and my age, I’m no longer a ‘boy’, but a man now and I have to act as such.
“I have an obligation to mentor young people and show them the right path to follow,” he said.
In a move to give back to the community, and an attempt to keep the young people off the streets, Roki is at rudimentary stages of a project to empower the lives of young people in Chitsvatsva village and ultimately on a national level.
“There is a lot of untapped potential in the idle minds of the youth in our nation and it is a known fact that an idle mind is very dangerous to the society therefore I’m burdened to give them something to do,” he said.
Roki is a versatile musician, song writer, and dancer who among other artistes popularised the urban Grooves genre in the new millennium. Fondly known as Roki, the talented artiste made a name when he featured on Leonard Mapfumo’s hit song ‘Seiko’ which topped the charts in the early 2000s.
