Leslie Kampila: an ‘unsung music star’ , who is on the verge of exploding

Bulawayo- BULAWAYO based soul musician Leslie Kampila is a volcano waiting to explode.

Defining the genre of his music is a mammoth task since he fuses different kind of beats but including Amapiano but after listening to his music this reporter concluded that it was Soul music.

In an interview with Express Mail Zim this week from his Bulawayo- base, Leslie said he was inspired by Black Coffee, Trevor Dongo and Shasha.

He cut his teeth in the music industry in the early 2000s under the tutelage of one of the City of Kings’s entertainment gem Babongile Skhonjwa under Providence Film and Sound Studio owned by Jimi Muhono.

” This platform gave me the chance to share the stage with the likes of Ringo Madlingozi, Sanii Makhalima, Maskiriamial among others,” said Leslie.

His was to then record his first studio album through a United Kingdom record label called Firelox Music in 2019.

“The album was titled Timeless and had 13 track album that had hits that 3 songs that topped charts at Skyz FM,” narrated Leslie.

His songs are pregnant with deep soothing romantic lyrics and he revealed that he writes 90 percent of the music.

“I write spotaneously at the studio.
“I can either come up with the melodies and lyrics and the producer creates the vibe that goes with it or vice versa.

He is a firm believer of the concept that art mirrors reality hence his is inspired by real life experiences and issues that affect society.

“I draw from situations, love in particular because our lives are centred on relationships.

Lately, the tall musician has performed at events like the latest at Alliance Francae where they were championing mental health awareness.

Last year he was nominated at the ZIMA awards for the best house music and BAA awards.

Being an artiste based in Bulawayo- Leslie said this year his man focus is to do collaborations with Harare based artistes who seem to have more exposure due to the population demography.

However, many are of the belief that Bulawayo is the hub of art.

Besides music, he has a full time job .

Given his energy, the sky can be the only limit for him.

Saving the best for the last, the ‘ unsung hero’is currently working with the United States multi-platinum outfit called KutKlose that churned out yesteryear hits like Nobody by Keith Sweat .

Their manager reached through to him through social media and this publication had an opportunity to glean the conversations where they expressed interest to perform in Zimbabwe.