In 2017, Jo Stak, outfitted in a red tuxedo jacket, bow tie, and a homburg hat, delivered a Mandarin song performance that earned him a standing ovation from The Voice China’s audience. His rendition of The World Needs Warm Hearts, a 1992 Chinese song, was broadcast nationally. Having become well-known in China, with a following of about five million on Douyin—the Chinese version of TikTok—and appearances on major TV stations, Stak was a celebrated figure.

The people of China were often impressed by a foreigner who sang in Mandarin. Stak’s popularity in China starkly contrasted with his return to Zimbabwe in 2019 when his work visa expired. There, he led an inconspicuous life in Budiriro 5, a working-class suburb where he grew up.

Stak, whose real name is Joe Takawira, pursued music from an early age, inspired by his family and his time in a Methodist church-run school. His journey to stardom in China began in 2012 when he moved to Shanghai to study Mandarin. The late Robert Mugabe’s “Look East” policy had shifted Zimbabwe’s focus to Asia, leading to increased Chinese investment and a wave of Zimbabweans traveling to China for work or study.

Despite becoming a professional pop singer in China and gaining considerable success with his music and performances, Stak’s fame did not follow him back to Zimbabwe. He faced unfamiliarity with the local music and social media landscape upon his return, and without access to the platforms where his career was built, he struggled to maintain his audience.

Now working as a translator for a Chinese mining company, Stak is divided between the dream of returning to China and rebuilding a music career in Zimbabwe. Though he misses the stage and the adoration he received in China, he yearns to start anew in his home country.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/4/13/the-zimbabwean-singer-who-found-fame-in-china-and-obscurity-at-home?traffic_source=rss