MUSICIAN Solomon Sadadzi has called on well-heeled individuals, as well as financially stable corporates to support up-and-coming artistes so that they get the much-needed exposure to elevate them.
Sadadzi said a number of these artistes were making good music, but found it hard to break through as the creative sector has grown into cut-throat business.
“I think there’s need for radio stations to dedicate programmes that give exposure up-and-coming artistes and let the listeners vote and comment on the artwork,” he said.
“A lot of these artistes are playing good music, but they are finding it hard to get their music reach a wider audience. Resultantly, they find themselves going nowhere.
“In my opinion, well-heeled individuals and corporates must consider financing music promotional programmes on the country’s radio stations.”
Added Sadadzi: “We used to have the Zimbabwe Music Corporation, Gramma Records, Record and Tape Promotions, among other music recording companies, that used to do the same back then. In this kind of environment, a considerable number of musicians made names.”
Keep Reading
- UK tour big breakthrough for Feli Nandi
- Amuli now full-time traditional healer
- Mhofela finally drops album
- Muchemwa, Dino Mudondo join forces
Sadadzi, who released a single titled Machena recently, said since there was no CD production, he was focusing on pushing his works on digital media platforms such as YouTube.
“These days, I’m doing single tracks. If I do an album, I think it will be a waste of effort since there’s no CD production,” the jazz musician said.
“Again, competition is very stiff. Listeners will not afford to download all the tracks from YouTube as well as other music platforms.”
Machena, recorded by Ignatius Chepa at Real Beats Studio, promises to send listeners scrounging for Sadadzi’s earlier hits, especially his 2014 rendition Genuine Case, whose title track story he seems to continue on Machena.
On Genuine Case, the musician is concerned about the whereabouts of his father.
The concern continues on Machena, deepening the mystery, almost making it enigmatic as the voice that acknowledges him as its son leaves him wondering whether his father is dead or alive.
The voice is saying: “Machena uri wangu, ndinokuziva. Machena nyaya yako yakajeka. (Machena, I know you, you are my son. Machena, your case is clear.”
Sadadzi, who fuses jazz and traditional beats, was born in Chitungwiza on September 23, 1973 and says his greatest inspiration is his father.
“My father liked music, but given the financial challenges of his time while we were growing up, he could only afford a single album and this was at the end of the year. He immediately became my major influence,” said Sadadzi, who is the seventh born in a family of eight.
His major push towards making a name in the music industry came between 1989 and 1990 when he formed the Black Tune Band, together with bassist Christopher Muchabaiwa and Hilton Marowa with the intention to record music.
Muchabaiwa later joined exiled Chimurenga legend Thomas Mapfumo, while Marowa relocated to Switzerland, thwarting the project’s take-off.
However, Sadadzi did not give up after the setback but went on to work with Clive Malunga on the latter’s highly successful video Nesango in 1996.
Although pursuing a solo career, the Chitungwiza-born singer has had a number of collaborations, including the single Waireketa, which eventually became the only original composition on the 2012 project Tribute to Tobias Areketa, done with Alexio Kawara, Victor Kunonga and Roki, among others.
Sadadzi recorded Manzvakenzvake (2008) and Genuine Case (2014), projects that renewed interest in the jazz genre then and now, the single Machena is set to push his Jafuwitra music brand up the ladder of success.