The Sunday News
Raisedon Baya
FORGIVE me. But here I am wondering why Lovemore Majaivana is still the most played and most supported musician in this part of the country many years after he quit music and went to live in America.
Dear reader, don’t get me wrong. I don’t mean to soil the beautiful musical legacy Lovemore Majaivana has given to Bulawayo, the arts sector and Zimbabwe in general.
I am also not in any way doubting the talent and quality in his music. It is a fact that Majaivana’s music is the product of a genius and a prophet — he saw beyond his time.
My confusion really comes from the fact that after more than 15 years of not recording, and not performing he is still the preferred musician of our time — the greatest, in Bulawayo and Matabeleland in general.
Well, let us pause here for a moment and look at a similar situation away from here. Thomas Mapfumo left the country when he was the “top dog” of local music.
A few years after he left the country other artistes came and took the crown away from him. Here I am talking of the likes of Tuku, Macheso, Tongai Moyo, Sulu, and now Winky D and Jah Prayzah. No one waited for Mapfumo to come back. People moved on and found new artistes and new music to support. They found new heroes. So my question today is why has the same not happened in Bulawayo and surrounding areas? Why are we failing to move on and find new heroes?
I find it strange though that the very people that are failing to move on and find someone else to hero worship musically have been able to do so with much ease with South African music and artistes. It is not a secret that Bulawayo has managed to change and adapt its musical taste with time. From Soul Brothers to Freddie Gwala, then Dan Tshanda to Platform One up to the current popular artistes. It has been so easy to support the artiste of the moment and his music. Too easy to move on. So why is this change and adaption so difficult when it comes to our own music and musicians?
After Majaivana threw in the towel and left the country no other musician in Bulawayo and surrounding areas has been able to command the same respect and following as him. Even local media still writes glowingly about him and his music. Locals continue to play his songs in nostalgic moments as if he never went away. Some years back there were fervent calls on social and even mainstream media for Majaivana to come back home.
Honestly speaking, we have to deal with this fixation with the past, with history. Clinging to the past robs us of enjoying the present and the future. We need to stop recognising our best when they are gone. (It happened with Majaivana too. Remember the reason for his leaving was his frustration from lack of support). A friend of mine says that unless and until we embrace what we have we will always be a people that cling to their historic achievements and refuse to live in the present. Remember Cont Mhlanga complaining about this fixation, and how we always find comfort in the ‘thina silo Majaivana wethu” philosophy. Unfortunately, this makes us ignore other musicians that need our support to push them to the next level.
Perhaps the knowledge that Majaivana will never come back and sing for us again means it’s time to move on. Time to find another King. Yes. Perhaps this is the time to find another musical hero who will send all of us crazy, a hero whose music we will play in our cars, in our homes, at parties or whatever occasions. The candidates are there, waiting to be crowned. All they need is our endorsement. Our united support. Quick to the mind are Jeys Marabini, Martin and Ndolwane Sounds, Ndux Junior, Clement Magwaza and Chase Skuza. Or we can just be radical and give the crown to the Luveve boy, Cal_Vin, the hip-hop artiste whose star continues to soar into the sky. The mentioned musicians will never be great unless and until we give them that status.
Let us take Jeys Marabini for example. He has been consistent with his blend of traditional Afrocentric and contemporary sounds. Music, he says, that is deeply rooted and inspired by the sounds and rhythms of southern Africa. Jeys is a master storyteller, a musical powerhouse. His music embodies the hopes, struggles, joys and the aspirations of Zimbabweans and Africans in general. Here is a man, a musician, who sees himself and his music going beyond the boundaries and borders of Africa. With such vision why haven’t we crowned him king? What has someone as talented as Jeys Marabini still have to do to prove to us that he is good enough to be crowned king? Why do we still talk so passionately of Majaivana as if all we have is the past? Why are we so afraid of embracing the future.
Embracing and crowning new kings.
Martin and Ndolwane Sounds are also good. Another top local band that has been used by a number of local companies for different campaigns. A quick survey in the township, bars, nightclubs, kombis and other public places will show you that Ndolwane music is one of the most played. But according to Ndolwane’s manager the problem is not about their music being played in public places. “The major problem with our people is not that they don’t like our music, they like it so much and they play it in their homes and public places but when it comes to live performances they don’t come because abafuni kubhadala. Even Majaivana was affected by this attitude yokungafuni ukubhadala or ukuthenga i-music. That’s why he left.” He explained. “Our people must support us by paying for our shows and buying our music,” he concluded.
Then there is Clement Magwaza. Another great artiste. I have watched him several times and he has always delivered.
But is he getting the support that can take him to the next level? Remember that only we can make this very humble guy great. No one else. If I had space I could talk about Ndux Junior and Chase Skuza and even the young Cal_Vin.
Unfortunately, there is no more space. All I can say is it is time we supported our current crop of musicians with everything we have. Let’s not just talk. Let’s be seen to support.
