Bulawayo born Michael Mupotaringa, popularly known as McPotar, is a man on the move. He’s been making headlines for a while now, and was recently featured in the Zimbabwean newspaper, the Daily News, for his animation work. This interview brings us a little more insight on McPotar.
Anna T: In as much detail as you can, please tell us who McPotar is?
McPotar: I’m a rising infopreneur, a Dental Therapist and artist in various ways. I’d like to think of myself as a good idea.
Mcpotar means two things:
1. Making Creative Philosophy Of Truth And Reason
2. Mainly Creating Positive Opportunities Time And Resources
If you look closely at both those names; you will realize I am either doing one or both.
Anna T: What drives you to do what u do, be who you are?
McPotar: I’m driven by many things, good and bad. I’ve been motivated by both love and hate to do great things. I’m motivated by people who have done great things. Sometimes I admit I do great things to prove a point but in the end I guess it always helps or motivates someone else who has no idea.
The people around me are also a blessing to this path I chose. Most of all my mother and father.
Anna T: What notable achievements have you made?
McPotar: “Notable” being the keyword, lol. I had 3 Literary Awards by end of Primary School. I launched a website that promotes and gives advice to independent artists. I was made chief editor of Zimlink.Org in 2013, the same year I published my first animated work which saw me getting publicity as far as Kenya and Switzerland through world Hip Hop connects and doing a video for a Ghanaian poet. I also did the logo for La Reine; a consultancy company in the United Kingdom. (See pic below for La Reine logo.)
Recently I’m building relations with various American publicists and I hope I do an EP (a small album) this year.
What I like more is that all these people have allowed me to promote other Zimbabwean artists on their platforms for free yet people from other countries would usually pay. To me it means anyone I respect in Zimbabwean Hip Hop is going to be noticed.
Anna T: How did u manage to stay at the top of the Bulawayo Hip Hop charts for most of last year?
McPotar: In order to stay on top of Reverbnation charts make sure you use every feature on Reverbnation. Fill the bio, use the blog area. Increase your following on Facebook and Twitter. Generate leads and create share-able content. The Reverbnation algorithm balances plays, downloads vs. following. So increasing following with no rise in plays doesn’t work. My highest leads come from my website. A website is the most efficient lead generation tool; followed by a twitter account.
Anna T: What are three things we could never have guessed about you?
McPotar: i) I created my first website with the help of Kudana Kadenhe when we were 13 years old.
ii) I lost my only blood brother when I was two and I only see him in pictures.
iii) Every art form I do well except poetry, I learnt it to impress a girl.
Anna T: And what are the top two things on your bucket list?
McPotar: i) I want to take my mother to a destination of her choice on God’s green Earth.
ii) I want to make a living from addressing people on the things I know.
Anna T: Finally, what words of wisdom have you to leave us with?
McPotar: Make what ever work you do be about others and soon they will make it be about you.
And there we have it; our interview with Michael McPotar Mupotaringa. Visit his site for lots of exciting content: www.mcpotar.com. And don’t forget to like our page! www.zimlink,org
