Introducing Farai Katiyo... an interview with Atorina Saliba |
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I’m so curious about you, but there’s little information around. For those who aren't familiar with Farai Katiyo, tell us a bit about yourself. How did you get into rapping?
I was born in Zimbabwe which is a country in the southern part of Africa. I did my high school and university studies in New Zealand before moving to Melbourne, Australia in 2014. I started rapping at the age of 13 (now I am 27). The church I went to at the time, was putting together a concert. They wanted the kids in the church to do something. A guy at our church (who was a rapper) put 7 of us into a group and helped us to write a song to perform at the concert. I haven’t stopped rapping since that day! Although I have only pushed to make it my career in the last 2-3 years.
What inspires you to make music?
Perhaps my mindset is a bit old school, but I believe music should have meaning. It’s good to entertain people but I think artists ought to enrich people ‘s lives as well. I just want to influence and to influence people positively. Every time I hear a hip-hop song that disrespects women, promotes violence, drugs, or pushes people away from God my heart breaks. My love for life and my love for people inspires me to make music.
Explain your training and development as an artist.
This is a very broad question I’m not quite sure how to answer it, but I will do my best. I would say for me experience has been the best teacher. I haven’t had anyone who has taken me under their wing. I have had to learn through trial and error. After failing time and time again I definitely know what not to do. Whether it’s planning a show, filming content or promoting records failure has been my biggest teacher over the years.
What are some of the barriers you’ve overcome in the music industry? What barriers do you still face?
I think a barrier I have overcome is the belief that you have to follow the trends or sound like someone else to be accepted. I am now happy to be me and to sound like me.
I suppose at the moment the barriers I am still dealing with are:
1. The Australian industry
The industry sadly doesn’t give artists like me a shot. I think I have been turned down by virtually every single Australian hip-hop blog. They want that trap, mainstream sound and content. However, I will keep knocking I know one day the door will open.
2. Being caught in between
My music isn’t “Christian” what I mean by that is, I don’t sound like hill song, planet shakers etc. I talk about real life issues through biblical lenses I don’t always rap about how God is amazing, how I love him and how awesome it is to be a good Christian boy. So, the church doesn’t really give me a platform. At the same time, I don’t make club hits, I don’t rap about twerking, my ice, my cars etc so the main stream media doesn’t know what to do with me.
3. Finances
As an independent artist finances are always an issue. You do everything by yourself and honestly especially early on, you spend more than you earn. So, I can’t afford to release as much as I would like to or as often as I would like to.
I was born in Zimbabwe which is a country in the southern part of Africa. I did my high school and university studies in New Zealand before moving to Melbourne, Australia in 2014. I started rapping at the age of 13 (now I am 27). The church I went to at the time, was putting together a concert. They wanted the kids in the church to do something. A guy at our church (who was a rapper) put 7 of us into a group and helped us to write a song to perform at the concert. I haven’t stopped rapping since that day! Although I have only pushed to make it my career in the last 2-3 years.
What inspires you to make music?
Perhaps my mindset is a bit old school, but I believe music should have meaning. It’s good to entertain people but I think artists ought to enrich people ‘s lives as well. I just want to influence and to influence people positively. Every time I hear a hip-hop song that disrespects women, promotes violence, drugs, or pushes people away from God my heart breaks. My love for life and my love for people inspires me to make music.
Explain your training and development as an artist.
This is a very broad question I’m not quite sure how to answer it, but I will do my best. I would say for me experience has been the best teacher. I haven’t had anyone who has taken me under their wing. I have had to learn through trial and error. After failing time and time again I definitely know what not to do. Whether it’s planning a show, filming content or promoting records failure has been my biggest teacher over the years.
What are some of the barriers you’ve overcome in the music industry? What barriers do you still face?
I think a barrier I have overcome is the belief that you have to follow the trends or sound like someone else to be accepted. I am now happy to be me and to sound like me.
I suppose at the moment the barriers I am still dealing with are:
1. The Australian industry
The industry sadly doesn’t give artists like me a shot. I think I have been turned down by virtually every single Australian hip-hop blog. They want that trap, mainstream sound and content. However, I will keep knocking I know one day the door will open.
2. Being caught in between
My music isn’t “Christian” what I mean by that is, I don’t sound like hill song, planet shakers etc. I talk about real life issues through biblical lenses I don’t always rap about how God is amazing, how I love him and how awesome it is to be a good Christian boy. So, the church doesn’t really give me a platform. At the same time, I don’t make club hits, I don’t rap about twerking, my ice, my cars etc so the main stream media doesn’t know what to do with me.
3. Finances
As an independent artist finances are always an issue. You do everything by yourself and honestly especially early on, you spend more than you earn. So, I can’t afford to release as much as I would like to or as often as I would like to.
I came across your music through the song So Young. It's an apologetic track, and the music video for the track is heartbreaking and only adds more meaning to the lyrics. Explain how this song came about.
Thank you for watching the video and thank you for giving me feedback it means a lot. The song was born out of my love for women and my anger towards the way hip-hop as a genre has and continues to represent them. Most likely I will write more songs like So Young because my emotions towards this topic are not transient. With So Young I wanted to create an apologetic song that would redeem the genre I love by apologizing on behalf of all men. The song is based on personal experiences and the experiences of people I know or have known.
I see that you have Theo and Mathew featured on the track. Explain who these two young men are and how the creative process went.
I wrote the whole song the other two contributed by sharing their voices. I have only met Mathew once; I had asked two artists I knew to feature on the track. However, they turned me down stating they couldn’t do tracks outside their record label obligations. So, Brendan (my sound engineer) told me about Mathew, they go to the same church. He came into the studio he loved the track and he recorded his vocals. I played the track to my inner circle and they said the track is good, but the vocals need more work or perhaps harmonies. That’s when I talked to Theo who is a friend and mentor. In all honesty I think Theo was just meant to be on this song, he actually lived out the song and relates to that 3rdverse in particular.
Are you working on any new music?
Yes! So, I have a single coming out very soon featuring my brother (Fungai “coolest rapper ever”) and a girl called Tatenda. Our church is raising money towards a new building so I thought I would use my talent to help the cause.
Then I have a double EP titled Today, Yesterday & Forever / God is Good dropping this year in September. I am both excited and nervous about this project.
Part A: Today, Yesterday & Forever talks about very heavy topics: Self-esteem, suicide, rape, homosexuality, depression, drug use and overcoming the challenges we face in life.
Part B: God is Good is more fun and light hearted and has a very pop mainstream sound. It has the party tracks, love songs and everything else in between.
Interview by Atorina Saliba.
Farai Katiyo’s music is available to stream on Spotify.
Also follow Farai Katiyo on his social media channels:
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
YouTube
Spotify
Soundcloud
Thank you for watching the video and thank you for giving me feedback it means a lot. The song was born out of my love for women and my anger towards the way hip-hop as a genre has and continues to represent them. Most likely I will write more songs like So Young because my emotions towards this topic are not transient. With So Young I wanted to create an apologetic song that would redeem the genre I love by apologizing on behalf of all men. The song is based on personal experiences and the experiences of people I know or have known.
I see that you have Theo and Mathew featured on the track. Explain who these two young men are and how the creative process went.
I wrote the whole song the other two contributed by sharing their voices. I have only met Mathew once; I had asked two artists I knew to feature on the track. However, they turned me down stating they couldn’t do tracks outside their record label obligations. So, Brendan (my sound engineer) told me about Mathew, they go to the same church. He came into the studio he loved the track and he recorded his vocals. I played the track to my inner circle and they said the track is good, but the vocals need more work or perhaps harmonies. That’s when I talked to Theo who is a friend and mentor. In all honesty I think Theo was just meant to be on this song, he actually lived out the song and relates to that 3rdverse in particular.
Are you working on any new music?
Yes! So, I have a single coming out very soon featuring my brother (Fungai “coolest rapper ever”) and a girl called Tatenda. Our church is raising money towards a new building so I thought I would use my talent to help the cause.
Then I have a double EP titled Today, Yesterday & Forever / God is Good dropping this year in September. I am both excited and nervous about this project.
Part A: Today, Yesterday & Forever talks about very heavy topics: Self-esteem, suicide, rape, homosexuality, depression, drug use and overcoming the challenges we face in life.
Part B: God is Good is more fun and light hearted and has a very pop mainstream sound. It has the party tracks, love songs and everything else in between.
Interview by Atorina Saliba.
Farai Katiyo’s music is available to stream on Spotify.
Also follow Farai Katiyo on his social media channels:
YouTube
Spotify
Soundcloud