Ashley Dean Misho | Arts and Entertainment Reporter<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BULAWAYO \u2013 For Tafara Thabani “MJox” Joga, winning the 2025 Outstanding Radio DJ award was more than a personal triumph; it was a validation of a quarter-century spent nurturing Zimbabwe\u2019s soundscapes\u2014from the bustling streets of Bulawayo to the airwaves of Skyz Metro FM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The DJ\u2019s journey, marked by resilience and reinvention, began in 2002 when he teamed up with the Editor of Zim GBC News, Innocent Sibonginkosi Ncube and the late Pios Mponda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trio organized experimented on the music making app Fruity Loops to compose and produce music for young talents from Nketa Surburb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Later Mjox moved on to join forces with some of his friends from Nketa Surburb to format the group Street Niggaz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their 2005 hit, “Alisazi!”, catapulted them to fame as it became a national anthem at the ZBC musical program Ezomgido.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fame had the Street Niggaz shared stages with South African greats like Mafikizolo and Mandoza. They signed with a record label and even performed at the big Glastonbury Festival in the UK. But in 2011, he had to return to Zimbabwe unexpectedly, which felt like a big setback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, by 2007, with band members migrating, MJox faced a crossroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen the group scattered, I knew I had to build a new foundation, not just for myself, but for the music here,\u201d MJox recalled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That foundation became eMafletsini Studios, a creative hub from which he produced and mentored a wave of local talent, including Hwabaraty and the versatile Afro-Pop star Mzoe 7. His work extended into gospel, where he served as music arranger, producer, and vocal trainer for the Come Let’s Sing Gospel (CLSG) initiative, a competition and choir founded by Mr. Ncube to unearth gospel talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A pivotal turn came through a conversation with the late theatre legend Continueloving Mhlanga, who shared his dream of launching a new radio station. Though MJox initially gave it little thought, Mhlanga later summoned him to auditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCont saw the bigger picture for Bulawayo\u2019s arts. When he called, I went, not knowing it would redefine my career,\u201d said MJox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was selected as part of the pioneering team for Skyz Metro FM, which launched in 2016. For nine years, his consistent presence and community-focused programming have made him a trusted voice, earning multiple nominations before his 2025 award win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe award opened my eyes,\u201d he reflected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt showed me that this daily connection, this work, truly matters to people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Skyz Metro FM approaches its 10th anniversary in 2026, MJox remains a cornerstone of its success. While his debut album, Musical Journey of a Kwaito Star, remains shelved, his daily broadcast continues his life\u2019s mission: amplifying Zimbabwean music and stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From a kwaito star on international stages to an award-winning voice in homes nationwide, MJox\u2019s story is a testament to the power of enduringPerspective<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Zim GBC News | Global News From An African Perspective\u00a9\ufe0f2025<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ashley Dean Misho | Arts and Entertainment Reporter BULAWAYO \u2013 For Tafara Thabani “MJox” Joga, winning the 2025 Outstanding Radio DJ award was more than a personal triumph; it was… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11610,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[127],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-and-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11609"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11609\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11611,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11609\/revisions\/11611"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}