There are musicians who entertain, and then there are artists who transform sound into experience. Sylent Nqo belongs firmly in the latter group. The Zimbabwean-Mozambican guitarist, singer and songwriter has quietly become one of Africa’s most intriguing talents, creating music that bridges continents and generations while staying rooted in the emotional soil of the continent that raised him.
Born in Harare to a Mozambican mother, Sylent’s love affair with music began in childhood when his parents bought him a small guitar and a marimba set. It was an act of love that would unknowingly set the course for his life. Today, that same boy is known across Africa as “The Guitar Sangoma”, a name that captures both his artistry and the almost spiritual quality of his performances. His music has the power to heal, to awaken, and to remind listeners of who they are.
“I draw on many influences,” Sylent says with quiet assurance. “From traditional African rhythms to modern pop and electronic sounds. But more than anything, I just want to make something honest, something that speaks to people wherever they are.”
That sense of honesty runs through all his work. His 2022 debut album, Sylent Treatment, introduced listeners to a sound that is both soulful and experimental, rooted in African rhythm yet unafraid to explore alternative textures. The record’s seamless blend of Afro-fusion and reflective storytelling drew attention across the continent and beyond, establishing Sylent as one of the few African artists who can slip easily between worlds without losing authenticity.
His rise, however, began long before that first album. In 2016, Sylent became the first African artist to win the title of “Senior Solo Instrumental Grand Champion of the World” at the World Championships of Performing Arts in Hollywood. Three years later, he was named Best Alternative Musician at the Zimbabwe Music Awards, a recognition that placed him among the country’s leading voices.
Yet to understand Sylent, one must experience him live. Performing with his band, The Noise Makers, he turns concerts into shared rituals. Each note feels deliberate, each silence purposeful. “My shows are about connection,” he explains. “They are about the energy that moves through people when rhythm and emotion meet. It is not a performance; it is a conversation.”
That connection has taken him far beyond Zimbabwe’s borders. He has performed in Norway, Italy, Egypt, South Africa and Australia, often sharing stages with musical greats such as UB40, Dr Oliver Mtukudzi, Hugh Masekela and Chiwoniso Maraire. He remembers those encounters as formative. “Meeting Bra Hugh was a lesson I still carry,” he says. “He spoke to me about freedom and responsibility, about the power of African artists to tell our own stories. That conversation has shaped everything I do.”
Despite his global reach, Sylent’s sound remains deeply African. His collaborations with artists such as Davido, Mr Eazi, Jah Prayzah, Shatta Wale and DJ Cleo reveal a musician unafraid to experiment, but always anchored in identity. “I don’t like to be boxed in,” he says. “My music borrows from everywhere, soul, rock, pop, electronic, but at its heart, it is African. It carries our stories and our spirit.”
Earlier this year, Sylent signed with Bridgenorth Music, a Harare-based label known for nurturing innovative African talent. The partnership marks a new chapter in his evolution as he prepares to release new music, including Call Me Back, Huya and Denga featuring Suhn and Mhaw Keys. The upcoming releases promise to expand his reach across Africa while reinforcing the intimacy and emotional depth that have become his hallmark.
In conversation, Sylent often speaks about music not as a career but as a calling. He sees the artist’s role as both storyteller and healer. “We create to heal,” he says. “When I write, I think about the people who might find comfort in a lyric or a melody. If my music can give someone hope, then I have done what I was meant to do.”
That philosophy gives his work an uncommon sincerity in an age of spectacle. His art feels less like a product and more like a dialogue – a meeting point between tradition and innovation, between self-expression and collective experience.
As he prepares for new tours and the next phase of his career, Sylent Nqo stands at a rare intersection of talent, humility and vision. He does not simply play the guitar; he makes it speak. And when it speaks, it tells a story that belongs not just to him, but to Africa itself.
In an industry that often rewards imitation, Sylent’s gift is originality. His sound is not bound by geography or genre, yet it is unmistakably African. It carries the calm of the sangoma and the fire of the storyteller. It is, in every sense, the sound of an artist who has found his truth and is ready to share it with the world.
