Raised in Njube in the city of Bulawayo, Japhet Mlauzi goes by the stage name Hwabaraty. The singer/songwriter/actor sings in isiNdebele, describing his music as African Traditional music. He often adorns his performances with African traditional regalia as an expression of his roots.
Nowadays Hwabaraty leans more towards the drum as the instrument of choice, but it is his unique voice that makes him stand out. Hwabaraty’s first foray onto the professional stage was as a dancer on tour but he quickly built up a repertoire of original, self-penned work in music and being a renowned percussionist.
Locally, he has leveraged a corporate events career, playing a mix of covers and original material, that has garnered him a popular following. He is also one of the members of Jey’s Marabini Kozekulunge Band, which has performed extensively across Zimbabwe and beyond.
With personal influences of kwaito and acting from his teenage days, a passion for free improvisation, a love for deeply toned African music songs, and a resonance with the roots of traditional African sounds, Hwabaraty brings fresh energy to the music scene that pays homage to and respects, his roots, but is still inimically his own. Hwabaraty is also deeply rooted in African Spirituality and attributes the flow of his music to his ancestors who paved the way for him to be where he is today.
Hwabaraty and his wife uGogo uMaPhiri
Nice work bafo keep it up zagi sisonke ✌️✊✊
Thank you so much Mehlokazulun.