Jo Stak used to sing in Mandarin and get stopped by fans on the streets of Shanghai That changed when he came home Jo Stak used to sing in Mandarin and get stopped by fans on the streets of Shanghai That changed when he came home
Harare, Zimbabwe –It was 2017 and Jo Stak – wearing a red tuxedo jacket, a bow tie and a homburg hat – was belting out a Mandarin song Red and yellow lights shimmered around him as a crowd of cheering, flag-waving fans on the Chinese version of The Voice gave a standing ovation at the end of his act Stak’s melodious rendition of a 1992 Chinese song called The World Needs Warm Hearts was broadcast on national television “I was invited to perform at The Voice as a guest performer that year,” Stak recalls
The prime-time spot reflected how well-known he’d become in China On Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, he had about five million followers He’d appeared on some of the country’s biggest television stations Fans stopped him on the street to ask for a photo or just have a chat
The Zimbabwean singer was riding high “Being Black in China makes you stand out naturally,” he explains “And I was a musician [so that] made me stand out more.”
The people who stopped him were often impressed that a foreigner would sing in Mandarin Today, in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare, Joe Takawira – Stak’s real name – is an inconspicuous figure walking down a street in Budiriro 5, the working class suburb where he was born and raised
In 2019, after seven years in China, his work visa expired, and he returned home Sporting his signature beard, grey sweatpants, sneakers and a black T-shirt, he lights a cigarette He saunters past street vendors selling fresh produce and condiments, stops at a corner to chat with a friend, then goes about his day Whenever he runs into someone he knows, he greets them with a fist bump and a toothy grin
When he’s at home, Stak listens to instrumental music and writes songs in Mandarin “This is how I spend my time in Budiriro,” he says, shrugging It feels a long way from China and the career he enjoyed there He has not found the same acclaim back home
Source: The Zimbabwean
All Zim News
All Zim News is a central hub for all things Zimbabwean, curating news from across the country so no story is missed Alongside aggregation, our team of nationwide reporters provides real-time, on-the-ground coverage Stay informed and connected — reach us at admin@allzimnews.com.
Source: Thezimbabwean
