Mannex
| Mannex | |
|---|---|
| Born | Emmanuel Motsi April 17, 1980 |
| Nationality | Zimbabwean |
| Citizenship | Zimbabwean |
| Organization | ZimReggaestra |
Mannex, whose real name is, Emmanuel Chamunorwa Motsi, is an African reggae musician from Zimbabwe who burst into the limelight as an urban grooves artist in the early 2000s.[1]
Background
Manex was born in Mbare, Harare on 17 April 1980 and grew up in the Warren Park neighborhood.
He started singing black-conscious music to other children at a young age in class while the Primary School teacher was absent.[2]
Education
No information was found on his Junior or High School, or any tertiary education.
Music Career
He was part of Bootkin Klan in the early 2000s following the groups' formation in 2002.
Bootkin Klan released their first hit song “Tsamba” which featured on Zimbabwe’s top 100 as number 2 in 2003.
The group was formed by five guys from Warren Park namely Lozy Fresh, Sammy Tee, Shuuz, Mr 2Bwoy, and Mannex, who was the leader.
Bootkin Klan rose to fame on the back of their album “Anoti Nyo Ndiani?”
Mannex said Bootkin Klan faded in 2005 due to "hardships sometimes associated with being a group."
He also attributed the group's collapse to promoters' failure to fully pay the group as well as the economic challenges that prevailed at that time.
Following the disbandment of the group, some members went to the diaspora while others got into daily jobs.
Mannex started working with Pied Pipers, a jazz band from the 1980s that released hits like “Ruva Rangu”, “Simukai” and “Pemberai” with famous vocalist Jonah Mutumwa.
He worked with Pied Pipers for one year before he began his solo career releasing a 10-track album under Kingston’s and Ndugu Records.” The album was titled, “Ndiri Munhu Mutema”.
After releasing the album, Mannex toured the country, meeting different music producers and promoters who helped him to further develop his musical career.
In 2007, while doing shows in his neighbourhood, Warren Park, he met Dumi Ngulube who helped him become a sound engineer. He became a curtain-raiser for his shows.
Mannex said it was Ngulube who introduced him to Andy Brown and Cde Chinx Chingaira.
In 2008, he was invited to join Transit Crew by then-manager Pascall Mandeya when they had a dispute with Mic Inity.
He recorded the album Unity with Transit Crew at Mono Mukundu’s Monolio Studios and one of the songs on the album “Rozi” was an instant hit.
Mannex worked with Transit Crew for five years before leaving for Ghana for a year-long course in Entrepreneurship.
In Ghana, he recorded a song with Opoku Mensah and Delah Botri called Super Transformation.
Mannex said he returned to Zimbabwe in 2010 and created his own band Mofamilee and recorded two more albums “Rwendo” and “Mo Love”.
Transit Crew called him back from 2014 to 2015 then he left to create ZimReggaestra, the band he was still leading in January 2023.
In 2020, Mannex composed a song featuring two artists Lutah King and producer Lazzie T called "Wah dis Corona" with visuals on YouTube also on rotation on ZBC TV and was on the Classic 263 Charts for 9 weeks.[3]
Mannex has been recording singles over the years and in 2022, he was number 17 on the top 50 StarFM, Diamond in the Rough was the hit song.
He later released a love song titled “Ndide” featuring urban grooves artiste Pauline Gundidza.
The song "Ndide" was produced by Good Kid at Afrotonic Sound Studio where Fuzzy L was the chief director.
Albums
- Ndiri Munhu Mutema
- Unity
- Rwendo
- Mo Love
Further Reading
- ↑ Ivan Zhakata Music star Mannex reminisces, The Herald, 30 January 2023, Retrieved: 02 February 2023
- ↑ Lancelot Muteyo Mannex Motsi, Global Peace Warriors, 25 July 2014, Retrieved: 02 February 2023
- ↑ Mannex Motsi, Mzansi Reggae, 15 February 2021, Retrieved: 02 February 2023
