In Conversation with: Mr Loyal

Mr Loyal is a 21-year-old Zimbabwean spoken word artist, writer and a storyteller. Born Ronald T Mtatabikwa, I grew up in Chegutu and moved to Harare a couple years ago. I went to Mopani Primary school for the first part of my primary education. I then completed my primary education at Hartley 1 Primary in Chegutu. My form 1 to 4 education was at Cheziya Gokwe High. Then I did my A levels at Marlborough High in Harare. Currently l am in my 2nd year studying Social Work at MSU Harare Campus.

Which poets/writers inspire you the most?

l am inspired by writers like Albert Nyathi, Chirikure Chirikure, Batsirai Chigama, So Profound, Madzitateguru, to mention a few.

Tell us more about your work as a storyteller and writer and what have you been working on?

l started pursuing my storytelling career a few of months ago and l have written a couple of stories which l will record after the Lockdown. I discovered that most people nowadays are’nt into reading these days, therefore l decided to make Audios for my stories. On the writing side l have written a lot of articles that I post on my social media platforms. I am happy to say some of the articles featured in different newspapers.

What message do you hope people will get from your poetry?

Generally, my poetry seeks to entertain, to give hope, to preach and to address all social ills in our society. l hope by hearing and reading my poetry people will have more knowledge about Christ, they will be entertained, and they will be given hope.

Of all your poems you have written which one is your favourite?

It’s difficult to have a favourite poem because l wrote all of them, so l am biased, l see all my poems the same. From all the performances I have done l would say the most appreciated poem is Dai Wakandida.

What’s your process when writing a new poem and how do you prepare for your spoken word performances?

My process of writing is versatile in that it changes from time to time. At times l start by thinking of the topic before the body. Then at times l start by 2 lines then develop a stanza from that and come up with a topic. l envision being in a certain situation then l write from that perspective. Before going for a performance l do rehearsals. I start my rehearsals three days prior to the show and I always prepare more pieces than expected in case people call me back to the stage for an extra piece. I also change some words so that suits the theme of that particular event.

How have you been keeping yourself busy during the lockdown?

Since the Lockdown started l have written a lot of poems. l am also networking with some poets and learning a lot from them and spending time with my family.

What is the best advice that you have ever been given?

The best advice l have ever been given is that if you want to go far with your talent be willing to invest in it. Invest your Time and Money.

What are you most proud of about being Zimbabwean?

I am proud of being Zimbabwean because of what we have. We have the Victoria Falls and Great Zimbabwe monuments. We also have a unique sound in our traditional music and in terms of Art we are talented as Zimbabweans even though sometimes we don’t have platforms to showcase our talents.

How would you like to be remembered?

I would want to be remembered as someone who contributed a lot in the Arts industry. Also, someone who created platforms for other young artists.

Social media

Instagram: mrloya21

Facebook: Mr Loyal, Zimbabwean Poet

Twitter: @RonMtatabikwa

YouTube: Mr Loyal, Zimbabwean poet

Email: mrloyalpoetry@gmail.com