Vimbai-Rose

Vimbai-Rose is a 21 year old singer, songwriter, born in South East London but raised in Hertfordshire, England. Her Debut EP was released, December 11th 2017. Her honest, yet vulnerable lyrics are what make her so unique Neo Music sat down with Vimbai-Rose to find out what was the inspiration behind her recent release ‘Better For You’.

NEO: Where did your artist name come from?

VIMBAI-ROSE: Vimbai is my first name and Rose is my middle name. I just decided to put them together, although when i was eleven i did find out that my middle name is Rosie not Rose and my dad wrote down the wrong name on my birth certificate. My mum told me and i was in stitches because this whole time i thought my name is Rose and on my passport and everything else it actually says Rosie but Rose is what i know so i have stuck with that.

NEO: Who inspires you musically?

VIMBAI-ROSE: The likes of Amy Winehouse, Eryka Badu, Lauryn Hill, Sade, Aaliyah, Ashanti, Andre 3000. Basically a lot of the 90’s and 00’s artists in that era. Whereas from this era it is more IAMDDB, Mahalia and I absolutely love Greentea Peng. A lot of the underground UK R&B scene are doing their thing which is inspiring to see.

NEO: Who are your top 3 UK R&B or Neo-soul artists and why?

VIMBAI-ROSE: It is so hard to round it up to three! But there is a Neo-soul singer called Joya Mooi who is absolutely amazing, though she is not from the UK i absolutely love her! The smoothness in her vocals, her aged vibe and incredible visuals give me a breath of fresh air.

Greentea Peng, absolutely! She is so different from any one else right now and her image is so versatile which compliments her music, sometimes she has a reggae undertone then she switches it back to the R&B/Neo-soul vibe

Ojerime is the third dope artist I love! Absolutely love her! She is definitely so underrated.

NEO: What was the inspiration behind your recent release?

VIMBAI-ROSE: My most recent release is a song that is entitled ‘Better For You’ featuring John Alone and that was inspired by a relationship. It is really just a break down of a relationship and just questioning what went wrong in the relationship and what could have gone better. That was the first song I have done about a relationship and it was really fun collaborating with John too.

NEO: What do you enjoy most about being a musician?

VIMBAI-ROSE: Definitely having the ability to express myself through sounds and sharing that with other people. Sometimes I create music for myself and use it as an outlet to share. I think it is incredible being a creative and being able to share your talents with people

NEO: Do you have any special talents aside from singing?

VIMBAI-ROSE: No, however it is one of my goals for 2021. I love writing but that kind of links to music because I write my songs lol. I do want to learn how to roller skate this year. Hopefully I can make this my new talent and then you will see me roller skating in my music videos.

NEO: What is the most memorable moment in your career so far?

VIMBAI-ROSE: Winning ‘Upcoming Musician of the Year’ for the Zimbabwe Young Achievers Awards and also performing at The Bedford. That was really fun.

NEO: If you could be any animal in the animal kingdom, what would you be and why?

VIMBAI-ROSE: A Lioness, because they take their time. They are very calm unless you provoke them.They just mind their business going about their day but if you annoy them they will react and to be honest that is just never cute.

NEO: You are left in the world with three songs: what would they be? And why?

VIMBAI-ROSE: This is so hard! It would have to be Wizkid- True Love, that song just brings me pure joy, I feel so happy when I hear that song and when I first heard it I remember the feeling I felt and it has never left me.

Sebastian Mikaell- Exit, I highly recommend him, he is amazing, the song is so smooth, it gives me D’angelo energy. Sade- Cherish The Day, the song makes me feel all the right things. I can't explain what it is but it really just makes me feel.

NEO: What song would you use as the theme song for your life currently?

VIMBAI-ROSE: Based on the title alone, Children of Zeus- Hard Work because I am working hard and everything right now is hard work because we are in this pandemic having to constantly find alternatives to create. It’s just so hard!

NEO: Let us know where we can find you

Spotify: Vimbai-Rose

Instagram: @vimbairosemusic

Twitter: @vimbairosemusic