Song Review: “How Can I” by Rudo Amor

“How Can I” by Rudo Amor is one of the three bonus tracks on the Vakuru album by the nascent Voice2Rep artists.

Riding a South African house beat, the song is an uptempo meditation on the effects of drug addiction. Hailing from Bulawayo, Rudo Nyoni aka Rudo Amor’s track is a prescient exploration of the current youth drug crisis gripping the nation.

Nyoni is an accomplished student with an accounting degree and is currently studying Music Business at the Music Business Academy For Africa. “How Can I” was originally released on the Block 10 EP project under Accountability Lab Zimbabwe. Nyoni explains she has been singing since she was a child.

“I’m a pastor’s kid. I grew up around pastors and my parents were also in business so I learnt a lot. My parents met through music, so music has always been a part of my life. But it was only when my music teacher in Grade 6 started giving me vocal lessons that I started to believe I had a gift, besides loving music.”

Nyoni is a Voice2Rep alumni and returns to the brand adding “How Can I” as a bonus track in addition to other alums, Wyan and Ndonzi Beatx. Along with the aforementioned men, her track stands out on Vakuru as she has had more experience and practice. Nyoni says she started vocal training at the age of 11 years old, sang solo in school choirs as well as touring and singing. Her voice on this track is alluring and melodic, and is easily one of the standout tracks on this well-produced album. About “How Can I” she says,

“The song is based on our experience touring Mbare, specifically Block 10. My song speaks about the power that drugs have, the idea that young people get into drugs due to background and in this case as a means of escaping the pain of dreams and a future stolen and a sense of hopelessness. But no matter how much she wants to be free of drugs, her environment keeps her locked in a grip and now she’s seeking help from society to help.”

She adds that her goal is to create music that gives a voice to issues that affect society, to bring hope and to be an advocate for the betterment of all. Nyoni says working with Voice2Rep was life-changing. “Truth be told, I was about ready to give up on music when I got the call I made it to the top 10 Voice2Rep 2021 competition. That call gave me the spark and drive I needed to continue my journey and to understand that I have the power to change someone’s life through my music.”

You can listen to this track and more on the “Vakuru” compilation album on streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube) or by sending a message to +27600806146 on Whatsapp.