Rockford 'Roki' Josphats emerged in the early 2000s as a performer in Zimbabwe's urban grooves movement. Music In Africa describes his work with Leonard 'Leo' Mapfumo, including their song Seiko, as part of the genre's rise.

Music In Africa records that the song brought Roki a National Arts Merit Award for Most Promising Artist in 2003. The movement mixed contemporary pop, R&B, hip-hop and local lyrical forms, reaching young audiences through Zimbabwean radio.

To tell the story well, OurPride should also research the performers, producers, radio presenters and independent studios that built the scene. A genre is never one person's invention, and claims about 'the first' urban grooves artist require more than nostalgic recollection.

Explore more documented Zimbabwean Firsts & Breakthroughs ↗ or nominate somebody worth recognising ↗

Sources & further reading

Each entry is a starting point. Follow the original materials and suggest corrections where needed.

Help us get the story right.

Know a missing source, a different perspective or something we should correct?

Suggest a correction ↗