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| Sungura Museve album cover |
The following opinion piece was published on behalf of Mr Takudzwa Kadzura from Zimsphere.com. The opinions and viewpoints expressed in the following article are that of the author.
Author: Takudzwa 'Manando' Kadzura
A time of the year we heartily miss the witty commentary of an informed hip hop connoisseur the late Donald ‘Dodger’ Marindire. Can anything be more gangster than announcing a list of people alleging that they have been doing better than others in Hip Hop? 2021’s major talking point is the issue of submissions. Those who did not submit; could not stand a chance. This scratches off a bit of some authenticity from the whole process. Top missing names like Jax – the producer for hit single These Days, Nova Bleq of The Nova Review Zim and of course our main character in this write-up Tanto Wavie. The story below attempts to demonstrate the true beauty that lies in art. That, with or without validation you can never take away its value henceforth many other artists not included in this year’s event shouldn’t be deterred.
A bit of some related history shapes the focus intended for this article to make the reading insightful albeit the controversial circumstances. Nobody feels sorry that some of the greatest music produced here in Zimbabwe is without any accolades to show, but earned permanent memories in the hearts of the people. Soul Jah Love’s Pamamonya missed out on the NAMAs when it literally was an anthem and soundtrack for everyone who at some point felt ‘sized’ or inferior. More closer to home is Takura’s Someone Had To Do It not winning album of the year at 2018 Zim HipHop awards. The logic here is simple – awards are never the yardstick for the amount of impact art generates. Art cannot be boxed however and whatsoever because it is the consumers that govern it.
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| Takura |
Careful thoughts must be accorded to the reality that comparisons barricade the highway for art to kiss the laces of its zenith and possibly shape dimensions. That being just a belief the artist and consumers all suck to the demands of a third world existential crisis where everyone is restlessly scrambling for the paper further denigrating the possibility of exporting our music. Truly, beautiful music. One can take for instance the advent of gatekeepers and bottlenecks like the education system of the natives during colonial rule. The chase for materialistic glory accompanies demons of inferiority complex and identity crisis as the most apparent reasons why we remain stuck in this dungeon. My experiences with the Zimbabwean music industry have birthed these perceptions especially from an angle of hip hop as a growing genre. This however mustn’t cloud true judgments that yes, notable growth has been attained and the deadlock is being broken by exciting talents that of Kae Chaps and Nutty O who have since revolutionized the contemporary music scene in Zimbabwe. The likes of Holy Ten and Voltz JT who have evolved into youthful role models through their relatable lyricism.
The question becomes ‘What happens to the innovations and creative geniuses such as Tanto Wavie? As some of the most talented musicians yet to enjoy stardom. It is nowhere near any doubt that the Chitungwiza bred artist and founder of TrapSu is basking in the glory of his self-styled genre. Like a true (007) secret agent he has negotiated an escape plan from the hullabaloo of ingrates masquerading as music promoters in Zimbabwe. The steady growth of his niche market is impressive following the release of Sungura Museve album which might as well go down as the people’s favorite project in Zimbabwean hip hop spaces. His story too, is stained by controversy since the days of a fallout with Takura after he reproduced Someone Had To Do It to Someone Has To Smoke It. There goes the smoke now for a whole culture and Takura has since given up arms to accept that we have something incredible going down in the dormitories of Chitungwiza. The stone which we rejected.
Many would have expected headlines to read that Tanto Wavie has been snubbed which is far from the truth. If anything, claims in hip hop are just as misleading as telling citizenry that USD$1 is equivalent to ZWL$1. Sungura Museve is no match to the lyrical depth of Trash by Malcom Mufunde. It never bothered Holy Ten’s Risky Life when we talk about numbers and reach. But for many entitled critique’s like this writer – it is the best musical piece released this year. Sungura Museve is a vibe from the intro, interlude and outro. It went miles ahead of perfection.
It is in 2019 that Tanto Wavie belted a diss track for the ZimHipHop awards swearing that they should never include his name at their event. As if the relationship was rekindling the institution published the album on their social media platforms to make an amazing love/hate tragic comedy. But true to their dignity Tanto Wavie did not submit to the 2021 awards and the institution did exactly the right thing – to snub it. Sungura Museve does not deserve to be celebrated at the ZHHA. Tanto wants a NAMA and BET. He is remarkably self-aware of the potential that mingles with heavy marijuana smoke in his blood veins. In response to the snub he wrote, ‘handirare mustudio for maAwards’. He is also quoted in his music rapping “kurwira humambo huKing ini ndotonga zvandakatanga”.
He might be fretting over some little dose of acknowledgement from music boards but very confident that the essence and success of TrapSu is in the hearts of the people. It is an album of a lifetime to the faithful wavians who had the privilege to witness a boy with a dream become a star. Sungura Museve does not deserve album of the year at the ZimHipHop Awards. This type of art will outlive the hype and entertain revelers at Chikwanha as the culture continues to break boundaries. Long live the people’s music.
This is a magnificent piece of work.......such a great author
ReplyDeleteIndeed! Thank you for reading!
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