All you need to know about Tocky Vibes

Tocky Vibes was born Obey Makamure on 29 November 1993 in Rugare Suburb, Harare. He began singing at a very young age where it all seemed like a joke until he released a single calledTirikumhanya. Fate would have it that he was moved to rural Masvingo where he had to make a living, as things were difficult for him. He returned to Harare in December 2012 and picked up where he left off, only to find that things were not so easy. Tocky Vibes had to then move to Rusape where he found a job as a herd boy (carer of cattle), and would later find that the amount of signing gigs increased for him in Harare and he'd travel frequently.^[1]

To talk of the contemporary Zimdancehall music in Zimbabwe without mentioning the name Tocky Vibes will not only be unjust but ignorance of the very vital aspect of the whole. Raised in the Rugare suburb of Harare, Tocky’s love for music began when he was still in his teens. It is this love which later on manifested and pushed him in to the recording studio. Since then, his unique voice and touching lyrics made his fame to spread like wildfire. Tocky started recording music in 2009. Tocky Vibes has produced a number of songs in form of singles and albums.

Tocky Vibes has concentrated his efforts in the production of a unique kind of music called ZimDancehall. The genre is unique in the sense that it is wholly Zimbabwean and it has won popular support due to its home grown flavour as compared to the urban grooves genre and hip-hop which are western oriented. Tocky’s lyrics are distinct from those of his fellows due to a commendable and credible level of maturity that he exhibits in his music. There has been wide criticism showered on some ZimDacehall musicians due to the explicit nature of their music content. Tocky Vibes stands as a beacon of light considering the level of maturity in his lyrics.^[2]

In most of his songs, he appreciates the role of parenting figures, the importance of fidelity as well as the rewards of working hard. In his song titled “Shanda” Tocky deploys a unique artistic style in which he exhorts himself and other musicians to work hard in the industry despite various setbacks that they encounter. In one of his songs, he also talks about the HIV and AIDS pandemic. It goes without saying that one of the most adored songs, and perhaps his outstanding song in 2014 was “Amai”. The song “Mhai/Amai” (mother) was a dedication to his mother, or loosely to all the mothers, thanking them for their roles in the upbringing of children.

Tocky Vibes’ performances have mostly been done local. The most notable include the Harare Agricultural Show in August 2014 where he performed alongside some of the established ZimDancehall artists such as Winky D, Killer T and Soul Jah Love. He also performed at the Lion Lager Beer Festival in October 2014 where he rubbed shoulders with some reggae icons from Jamaica.^[5]

Tocky’s live performances have been outstanding however, some critiques have ridiculed the young artist’s artistic dressing especially during live shows. During the Lion Lager Beer Festival performance, Tocky went to stage dressed in traditional tweed which included a black garment which is associated with spirit mediums. Critiques commented that Tocky Vibes was desperately looking for attention through his Mbuya Nehanda dressing style. However, these assertions can be dismissed as baseless. Tocky Vibes is one of the most talented musicians in Zimbabwe and his dressing is part of his unique creativity which has a credible bias towards the Indigenous African culture.

Tocky was involved in a number of controversies and scandals especially during his festive season shows in December 2014. During his performance at the high profile Mafikizolo show at the Harare International Conference Centre, he allegedly blocked a fellow musician Jah Prayzah from entering the stage to show solidarity with him after bottles were thrown at him by the disgruntled fans.^[6] Tocky was furious with Jah Prayzah's entrance and he was quoted arguing that the latter had come to steal the limelight at the show. Jah Prayzah was manhandled by Tocky Vibes security personnel from the stage and this showed somewhat a tense relationship between the two popular artists in Zimbabwean music arena.

It appeared the past caught with Tocky when the media started churning reports linking the artist to a love affair with an under aged girl. Local media houses reported that Tocky fathered a child years back with a girl who was aged 13 then. The girl, identified as Linda James was said to have been living inMarondera with her mother and did not know where Tocky was living after his new found fame. She argued that Tocky was no longer taking care of his child.^[7]