18 Oct 2023

What does it take for someone to be born called ‘Queen’? Experts say there is no one answer to this question, as the idea of what makes a queen can vary based on culture, history and personal beliefs. Generally, though, a queen is often defined by traits like intelligence, strength, grace, wisdom and compassion.

They are often seen as powerful leaders and role models on their own right who bring inspiration and hope to their people. In addition, queens are often associated with beauty and poise. Queen Madziva of Maitengwe is one woman who possesses such attributes.

She is making headlines in the music industry. She has become one of the role models for many young girls in her village. Narrating her story, Madziva said she developed passion for music after she was asked to lead a spiritual song during one of the school’s assembly days. Ever since then, she never looked back and she now prides herself as one of the leading songbirds Maitengwe has ever produced.

Perhaps when her parents gave her the name Queen, they associated her with the intelligence, strength, grace, wisdom, and compassion.

The 34-year-old says she makes a living through her melodious voice though she never trained as a vocalist.

“It just came naturally because of the passion that I had for music,” she added. She explained that having a passion for music is an essential factor that worked for her in her success. “It can be difficult to find the motivation and dedication needed to create great music and build a career in the industry,” said Madziva.

She explained that passion also helps artistes to connect with their audience and create music that resonates well with them, she said. She said artists like King Monada, Makhazi and Elaine have all achieved success by combining their talent with a deep passion for their craft. She said over the past five years she has not only maintained her steady growth in the music industry but she continues to push the boundaries of contemporary culture by remaining relevant to her audience. Though she is flexible with any type of music, her melodic style reflects her love for gospel that is improvised and instrumented from Christianity.

Madziva’s love for music has always been evident throughout her life. She would think of something and make a funny song out of it. She always participated in any school project that was in line with singing as this led to her leading the school traditional dance group with her voice. “I am a product of school singing,” she noted. She joined the Scripture Union (SU) where everyone was touched by her ministration then later joined the praise and worship team after completing Form Five. She now believes her singing makes an impact in someone’s life and every time she sings, she aims at God’s heart.

Just like other artistes, Madziva was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as she was unable to move around and perform. However, instead of letting this derail her passion, she used the time to rehearse new songs and prepare herself for the future. Sometimes she sent her raw audios to a producer in Gaborone to edit her work so that she could post and keep her followers busy. She also used this time to market herself online as she started trending and being famous around that season.

“My real career development began during the COVID-19 lockdown,” she added. She was booked to sing at funerals with tight COVID-19 restrictions as only a few people were allowed to attend. She said this online trend did not only generate excitement and engagement among social media but also increased her visibility and bookings.

Madziva also said social media is her main source of advertising as she does videos on Tik Tok. She operates by the names Queen Madziva on Facebook and YouTube and Queen Mzee on Tik Tok. Madziva performs in weddings, funerals, parties and anniversaries and she sings according to her client’s preference. She said being put in challenging and adverse circumstances on the live stage is a huge opportunity for growth for her as a musician. Her best experience was singing a gospel song in a club and everyone joining in.

Queen noted that this summer will see the release of an album that she recently recorded. “Life is a great blessing from God and it should be spent with a purpose with a certain aim”, she added as she summed up with a word of advice. She also said to be a good musician one has to simply continue to remain open to new ways of thinking so that they remain relevant. ENDS