“For as long as I can remember I have been struggling to find my sound, a sound that defines me as a musician rather than just the kind of music that everyone makes. And I just found it: My sound is a mixture of Trap and Rock, which then creates a sound I call ‘Romeo’.”
These are the words of a resident of Lwamondo in Limpopo, Romeo DzedzeMoney (real surname Dzedzemani), who has been searching for his musical identity instead of just following the other singers and musicians who came before him without coming up with new sounds and melodies.
“If you listen to my previous mix-tape, Ground Zero, you will hear a lot of trap and none of the rock, and Elevate (my new mix-tape) brings a fusion of the two as we use a lot of live instruments that people may know.”
This previous nominee for the FAME Awards for best singer, has just released an extended play (EP) recording entitled Elevate, where he showcases his lyrical attributes and his vocal ability.
“This music is a part of me that will dominate my music going forward and a part of me that people will grow to understand and love. Believe me, 90% of this project is actual singing. When I started working on this project, I wanted people to feel my joy and sadness. I wanted people to understand that as much as music is fun to make, the message must be informative and relevant.”
He worked on the EP for six months, without featuring any artist, because he wanted music lovers to listen to his music and understand his message, as well as his contribution to the music industry.
“I want people to understand that you do not have to feature famous people to relay a message that both educates and builds character. If you are to listen to this EP from the first song to the last, you will understand what I mean when I say: ‘let the music Elevate (you)’. I want people to understand that you need to let progress take place in your life for you as a person to grow.”
As a person living with albinism, Romeo feels that albinism is not being addressed properly.
“Unfortunately, I have experienced all the things people talk about, such as being called names, being bullied and being treated differently because of my skin condition. But that didn’t offset me for ages. I had to focus on my life and my art as a musician.”
“We have kids who are getting killed daily because of this skin condition because of the belief that this kind of skin has special powers. This negative, mythical superstition needs to be debunked and excised from our communities because it’s just false. We are all human. The colour of my skin does not define me.”
With a fine, fair and velvety voice, Romeo has thousands of fans who admire and respect him for his art. He maintains that people do not follow his music out of curiosity because he is an albino, as that’s what many people may think.
“I am a crowd puller for music gigs and people come to my shows because of the kind of music I do. They love the authenticity of my music. It has nothing to do with the colour of my skin because I don’t see myself as different from other artist or people. I am human enough with all abilities and capabilities of a social being.”
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