A moment with Motiion Kuvingoma

Tana Kandjembe, widely recognised as Motiion Kuvingoma or just ‘Motiion’ in the music industry, is a producer, sound engineer and singer to look out for.

The data engineer by profession currently working for the road sector says his musical journey started in 2015 while at high school, when his brother, the singer known as PhredGot1, gave him a laptop as a reward for passing his grade at school.

Motiion then started learning to produce music, he says.

“This pivotal moment sparked my passion for making beats, initially for friends at school, and gradually expanding my influence to collaborate with artists such as Mukuenze, Hilifa94, John Gregorius, NandoHomie, Don Kamati, Chris Wayne and Big Mitch,” he says.

Motiion’s sound ranges from hip-hop to Afro-tech, mainly inspired by the artists he grew up listening to, such as Black Coffee, DJ Shimza, and Black Motion.

On the hip-hop side, Motiion says he was greatly inspired by Kanye West and Dr Dre’s sampling style.

“I would say my identity is the fusion of kwaito and hip-hop, and it brings a unique style to the sound,” he says.

Motiion says balancing school, music and work is challneging.

“A pivotal moment in my career was during the Covid-19 pandemic, when my song caught the attention of DJ Shimza, one of Africa’s best DJs, who played it on his ‘The Lockdown Show’.

“He also later recorded himself playing the song on Instagram. This was a monumental moment in my career as one of my idols was enjoying my work, and my hard work paying off,” he says.

Later that year, Motiion dropped an Afro-tech song titled ‘War’, featuring Chopstar, which later got endorsed by a label in Portugal called ‘Africamix’ and has been streamed over 20 000 times.

According to the producer, he met Black Sheep through a mutual friend later that year, who requested a pack of beats from him.

“After a few months, Black Sheep sent me a song with the beat I made, and featured Gazza on it.”

The song is titled ‘I Wish’ and made it to the KFC Zula Bucket advertisement and also to the ‘Gazza: The Messiah’ album.

“This was surreal for me, as I grew up listening to Gazza’s music, and I’m now working with him,” says Motiion.

He says some of the other big artists he has produced for include Suzy Eises, Exit, Jericho and Don Kamati.

His current focus is on diverse projects, both personal and collaborative, with artists such as KK, Jericho, Skipper Wills and Hilifa94.

“With a vision to cater to international audiences, I’ve invested in my sound, aiming to make a significant impact globally,” Motiion says.

He says his upcoming Afro-tech project holds aspirations of reaching iconic venues like Ibiza or Tomorrowland, while tech and hip-hop projects with established and emerging artists are slated for release later this year under the label The Music Garden Studio (TMG).

“My dedication and passion drive me to turn up the volume and transcend boundaries in the world of music,” he says.