The Sunday News
Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday Life Correspondent
IF anyone needed God’s forgiveness in life, it is Roki. For almost two decades Zimbabweans have watched from the sidelines as the gifted crooner did everything in his power to squander a rare, God given gift.
Roki’s perceived scandal-ridden life has made for frustrating viewing for any music loving music fan who would have wanted to see Ba Sky’s star soar beyond the heavens. This frustration worsened over the past year or so after Roki’s famous bust up with the last of his ex-girlfriends.
After a rumoured self imposed exile in South Africa which saw him vanish as he tried to live a drama free life away from the public’s inquisitive eye, Roki also disappeared from the airwaves. Until recently, that is.
The urban grooves pioneer has reportedly become a born again Christian and is now part of the flock led by young charismatic miracle maker, Prophet Java. Seeing notorious bad boy Roki turn Christian will surprise many, given his failure to lead a decent lifestyle in the past.
Nowhere is his yearning for a Christ like life more apparent than on his latest track, Denga, which was released recently. On paper, this is a gospel track but as Zimbabweans have learnt over the years, nothing is straightforward with Roki. He is the master of “mischief and his naughtiness” in the studio is on exhibit on this track as he brings together two worlds that one would usually not associate with each other: gospel and rumba.
The rhythms of rumba, notorious for inspiring its listeners to try wild waist gyrations, are mixed and meshed effectively with words that pledge allegiance to the Almighty. It is a compelling mash-up that might attract praise and scorn in equal measure.
The backlash over Fungisai’s decision to pen gospel lyrics for circular beats was an apt illustration of how such experiments are met sometimes. The song has obvious rumba elements and Roki even twists his voice and accent to give the impression that he is singer from the home of the genre, the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The beat takes many twists but wherever it turns, Roki follows it delivering harmonies that show that he has not lost none of the golden touch which once made the face and voice of the urban grooves generation.
While rhumba dominates the track, the beat contains other elements that showcase Roki’s unique gift. Somewhere in the middle of the track, there’s a switch to hip-hop, a turn that showcases that despite his prolonged stay in the wilderness, Roki still has his finger on the pulse of what is hot and happening in the world of music.
It is no doubt a five-star track from a talent who has a habit of rising from the dead whenever anyone counts him out.
The lyrics, sung exquisitely in a mixture of Shona and English, lay bare the thoughts of man intoxicated by the words of the good book. Rumours that Prophet Java has been the angel whispering sweet verses into Roki’s ear seem based on truth rather than showbiz fiction if the song’s lyrics are anything to go by.
Roki salutes, thanks, exalts and glorifies his maker throughout the song’s duration. The beat might have excited a less talented singer or songwriter to lose sight of the track’s overall intention of praise and worship but this is not so for Roki, who sings like a repentant prodigal son. He is knocking on the door, begging for re-admission into his father’s home. Singing like an angel, Roki could manage to convince even sceptics that he has indeed been born again, with the sins of his old life washed away by every lyric on the nearly six minute long song.
As good as it is, one can’t help but feel saddened as they listen to this effort.
In the recording booth, Roki is an untouchable phenomenon, a once in a generation artiste capable of reinventing himself time and time again. The way he has shed the urban grooves tag and transformed into a gospel preaching, rumba singing star on this song is an apt illustration of this. However, his many transgressions outside the booth have no doubt overshadowed his immense talent.
One must have made a fine mess of things to overshadow the kind of rare talent that he has. And he has. Watching Roki, the proverbial cat with nine lives, has been like watching a train crash unfold in slow motion.
The music prodigy has gone from one scandal to another, tumbling from one disastrous relationship to another. The only people he seemed to have disappointed more than his numerous romantic liaisons are the fans who have stuck with him through thick and thin. With his conversion to Christ, fans will be hoping that he is finally on the path towards redemption.
