STAR OF THE MONTH

STAR OF THE MONTH: Bekithemba Ndlovu

 Bekithemba Ndlovu who is also known as Drummaniac is a drummer, entrepreneur and he is the founder of Drummers for Jesus Christ. He has worked with a number of artists and groups including Vocal EX, Creme Voices, One Spirit, Harvest House Super Choir and many more.  His vast experience in music has led to the growth of his brand . Despite the challenges he has come across in his journey to self discovery ,he never stopped believing in his abilities . Check out the interview below.

Tell us about your passion for music and when did you start playing drums?

Okay,I started playing drums in 2009 in church, Harvest House International.When I started it really wasn't something I thought I would be taking as a career or something I would be known for,but as time went on I found myself getting immersed in it ,all I was thinking about was drums,I would drum on literally everything that produced sound,,and I guess that's just how I found my niche and i never looked back.

You have vast experience in music how has this contributed to your growth as an individual?

The first thing that music teaches a person is discipline, you cannot be a professional musician if you can't discipline yourself to sit down and practice everyday,,and this has immensely helped all the others areas of my life,because now I know that there are people that look up to me as a role model everyday and I really have to work hard to make sure that I keep my game up and stay relevant.

How do you keep yourself grounded as an instrumentalist?

The fact that I know  there are people that are looking at and up to me everyday challenges me to stay grounded and focused. The hardest thing about being a man or woman of the stage is that people generally expect quality all the time,that on its own Is a good enough reason to stay grounded and discipline myself .

Tell us about your other passion which is entrepreneurship ?

 Its really funny how It all started,but I will get straight to it.Ever since I was a boy in High School and in college,I've always been into coaching and mentor ship.I used to coach and train High school softball teams,and I guess that's how I discovered that I was really good at dissecting and disseminating  information.Now my business is basically all about that. When I started ,it was all about training drummers,it grew to musicians and artist mentor ship,Now its growing even bigger and wider. I run a foundation called the Genius Foundation, we offer training and our aim is raising the next breed of genius musicians, entrepreneurs,etc. Its all about training,mentor ship and dissemination of information.

Being a creative in Zimbabwe is a challenge how do you survive as a creative ? what advice would you give creatives who are trying to rise above the situation and accomplish their dreams?

 Well I will sound controversial  right about now,but here is the thing,whenever there is  hardship there is plenty of opportunity for the creative to be innovative.Like for example,if I see that by just  playing drums and producing music I don't even break ,I have to think outside the box. In my case I sat down and I was like what do people need even in a time of hardship,I discovered so many things, one of which was teaching little kids how to play musical instruments,and people still need information,I had to find ways of giving it to them thus making me flourish in a time of hardship. All you need to do is to sit down,think and strategize, look beyond the limitations and you will discover infinite prospects.

Tell us about your project Drummers for Jesus and the upcoming event

Drummers for Jesus was started in 2013,by four good drummer friends from Bulawayo, namely Reginald Moyo,Erastus Nleya,Obey Mudiwa and myself.This was just us trying to bring drummers across the city together to have fun and share tips and skills.Now fast forward 2020,DFJ is one of the biggest attractions in the city,it has grown from just being a drummers thing into a musicians paradise. Basically what we do now is,we have a pool of ten drummers,playing their own original compositions, which is the main idea this year.We want to help encourage drummers to be composers in their own right. DFJ 2020 will be happening on the 14th of March at Harvest House international 13th avenue and F Silundika .The show is starting at 15:00,with tickets going for only USD1.This year 's guest is Obert Gomba all the way from SA.

You believe in being motivated and staying motivated , why is this important to you?

 One thing that has been my driver for so many years now is..okay let me tell you a story,when I first started playing drums,in my church there was about seven other cats and they all played better than me,so in order for me to get the slightest chance to play,I had to be in the top 3 ,so I had to find a way of getting better than all of them,so I would practice daily for 4hours and two all night practices per week. It took me only three months to be number 4, but now the challenge was the top 3.There was so much discouragement from a lot of people ,even when I knew I was now better than the other two guys in the top 4,no one liked me ,no one wanted me to play for them,so I had to look inside for motivation,I had to shut them all out and listen to my inner voice which always told me I was a good drummer,so motivation to me has been the secret weapon to my staying afloat, nothing beats a highly motivated person even circumstance become meaningless .

 Where does the name Drummaniac come from?

 Drummaniac came about in 2014,I used to practice so much that a certain man who always complained about me making noise,he said to me ,"you practice and play like a maniac" and then I named my first business (drumming academy) Drummaniacs School of Drumming,before people started calling me Drummaniac.

What can we expect from you in 2020?

 2020 is a big year for us ,initially we have three drummers shows lined up. Like I said about encouraging drummers to be composers, I am working on four new songs this year, which is really breaking new ground for me in the music industry and also we are expecting the Genius Foundation to grow in influence as an Information Dissemination center.

Parting words

These will be my parting words, " Wake up early daily,work on your craft,grind like there is no tomorrow and don't get satisfied in any level,aim to be the best than you can ever be,always do more than the next person,before you know it you will be at the top of your field.

Social media details

facebook: Bekithemba Ndlovu

IG: Geniusme_thecoach