Maselo PaBeata

Tapiwa Jera, Maselo PaBeata, playing an acoustic guitar in the studio

Music producer · Jazz guitarist · Composer

Rooted in tradition. Driven by innovation. Nearly two decades of Zimbabwean music, from the jazz bandstand to the contemporary Jiti sound.

Work with Maselo Hear the work

Run a finger across the strings

Maselo with his guitar beside the mixing desk, amps and cables behind him — A musician behind the production desk

The story

The jazz years.
Then the desk.

Maselo PaBeata, born Tapiwa Jera, began with the guitar. Before he produced a single record he was a jazz guitarist, playing with ensembles at festivals and live events, and learning harmony, improvisation and how musicians listen to each other.

In the mid-2000s he moved behind the production desk. At Monolio Studios he learned under the respected musician and producer Clive “Mono” Mukundu, and built the technical grounding for the career that followed.

He still makes records the way a band makes music: instrumental texture, harmonic colour and rhythmic detail first, the machines second.

Read the full biography

Born: Tapiwa Jera, Zimbabwe
Career: Nearly two decades
Roles: Producer, jazz guitarist, composer, recording artist

Contemporary Jiti

A sound that stays recognisably Zimbabwean, made for the audience of today.

Jiti has long been one of the heartbeats of Zimbabwean popular music. Maselo is recognised for helping to develop and popularise its contemporary form: the tradition’s rhythmic drive, carried by modern production and the ear of a jazz musician.

01Energetic guitar patterns
02Interlocking rhythms
03Memorable melodic ideas
04Carefully built arrangements

Credits

In the studio with
the names you know.

Selected productions and collaborations with established and emerging Zimbabwean artists.

Andy MuridzoNgarizhambe (album) · “Dhafudhunda” · “Dherira”
Baba Harare“The Reason Why”
Progress Chipfumo“Murambiwa” (2025)
Diana SamkangeCollaboration

The recording artist

Beyond production,
his own record.

Widely known for his work behind the scenes, Maselo is also a composer and recording artist in his own right.

Album project

Never Mind

An album developed over several years, featuring collaborations with fellow Zimbabwean musicians. Music made away from the demands of commercial production, drawing on everything he has learned as a guitarist, performer and producer.

Album preview

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Listen on Spotify Apple Music YouTube Audiomack

Watch & listen

What Maselo brings
to your record.

01
Production

A finished record that fits your style and your audience, from the first idea to the final mix.
Jiti · Contemporary African music
02
Composition & arrangement

Grooves, guitar patterns, harmony and parts for every instrument, built so the song lands.
Songs · Grooves · Arrangements
03
Guitar

Jazz-trained guitar for your record: rhythm patterns, lead lines and colour that sit in the groove.
Studio sessions · Lead · Rhythm
04
Live performance

Guitar for bands, festivals and live events, with years of ensemble experience on stage.
Festivals · Bands · Events

In the studio

How a session
with Maselo works.

Maselo at the production desk with studio monitors and a session open on screen — Bringing together musical ideas, artistic identities and cultural influences

1
Send the idea
A demo, a voice note, a reference track. Tell Maselo the feel you’re after.
2
Shape the song
Key, tempo, groove and arrangement, planned around your voice and your audience.
3
Record & produce
Instruments and vocals recorded, guitars layered and the production built around the song.
4
Finish & release
A finished record, ready for radio, streaming and the stage.

Bookings

Let’s make
the record.

Production, arrangement, guitar or a live booking: tell Maselo what you’re working on and he’ll come back to you.

WhatsApp
Email
Based in
Zimbabwe

The jazz years.
Then the desk.

A sound that stays recognisably Zimbabwean, made for the audience of today.

In the studio with
the names you know.