The Sunday News
Bruce Ndlovu
WHEN news started filtering through from the grapevine that Ammara Brown had moved to South Africa a few months back, many fans would have been worried that Zimbabwe music scene had lost its crown jewel.
The move was sudden and many tried and failed to make head or tail of the songbird’s decision to relocate.
Many artistes have been frustrated into moving south of the Limpopo but few would have expected Ammara to be part of that trek. After all, few performers, male or female, have had her impact on the local music scene over the last few years.
Her résumé speaks for itself. With 7.8 million views on video sharing website YouTube to go with her impressive string of hits, Ammara is undoubtedly one of Zimbabwe’s hottest properties and there seemed to be no reason for her to ditch her country of birth.
However, last month it was confirmed that she indeed had moved to South Africa and her social media footprint suggested that the “Barefoot Goddess” was now more familiar with the bustling streets of Johannesburg than she was with those of Harare.
Her management team changed too, with Tsungi Zvobgo relieved of her duties as a fresh pair of hands from South Africa were tasked with taking her career forward. Promoters were also jolted when they found out that Ammara had raised her fee, in addition to the fact that she now wanted her flight and accommodation taken care of before she stepped on stage.
With this in mind many would have been wondering what had prompted her sudden change of heart and location. What
motivated one of the few female performers that is seemingly getting her due to move to South Africa at the height of her fame?
This week, the songbird came close to giving an idea behind her motivation for her decision.
Making the trek from South Africa for a press conference to unveil her single, Svoto, the songbird announced that she would soon be embarking on a tour of Southern Africa, a tour she was set to co-headline with the man she featured on her latest effort, Nigeria’s Mr Eazi.
If fans were hoping for insights on why she moved to South Africa from Ammara, then they would have been disappointed.
However, the clues to her true intentions lie in the song that she released on the day.
Taken at face value, Svoto is not unlike some of the singles that the likes of Jah Prayzah have been releasing over the last few years.
It is a bouncy track, with elements borrowed from various music cultures. English and chiShona lyrics sit comfortable on a beat with elements of Congolese soukous and Afro beat. Mr Eazy’s Nigerian pidgin is also thrown into this cocktail of styles music to give the song a distinctly African flavour.
Although some have shown already cast doubts about the song’s potential as a hit, there is no doubt that it will find itself in constant rotation in playlists as the months creep up towards the festive season. Like Jah Prayzah’s recent hits, the song’s lyrics are nothing fancy and they are simple enough to sing along to.
As a bona fide pop star, Ammara has never been one to make any lyrical miracles in studio, but this song’s lyrics seem to be intentionally light. Ammara is clearly in search of a larger audience and although she still treasures fans at home, she believes that she has chances of wider stardom beyond the country’s borders.
The decision to feature Mr Eazy also betrays Ammara’s new career direction and her intention to work with another Nigerian Patoranking further reinforces this. Ammara is now reading from the same handbook penned by Jah Prayzah and his management team.
Local artistes seem to have seen that the key to recognition on the continent is not long term excellence at home but high profile collaborations followed by aggressive marketing campaigns. Oliver Mtukudzi attained continental fame after years of undisputed excellence at home.
That is not the way that younger artistes want to go. They want continental fame and they want they want it immediately. A slow and patient build-up is not for them.
After moving from Zimbabwe and firmly branding herself as the Barefoot Goddess, Ammara would appear lost to the country of her birth. That however, is not necessarily the case. As Svoto revealed, Ammara sounds at home on beats that have elements borrowed from other African cultures. Her transition seems to be destined to be smoother than that of Jah Prayzah, who at times seems to be serving two masters, one at home and another abroad.
That style confusion is unlikely to play out with Ammara.
As the Barefoot Goddess is born again, Zimbabwean fans can take comfort in the fact that they will not lose her. At least not entirely.
