SUNGURA musician Romeo Gasa says the rise of new genres like Zimdancehall and hip hop on the local music scene has robbed sungura music of its popularity.
Speaking to NewsDay Life & Style, the sungura wonderkid, who is often likened to Alick Macheso, said sungura music was struggling to maintain its position in society due to modernity.
“We are now living in a modern society where new sounds have emerged and changed people’s music taste. So, this has made it difficult for sungura music to be at par and compete with new genres to maintain its position,” he noted.
The Extra Valembe frontman, however, said it was a misconception that sungura music is old-fashioned and reserved for old people.
“Sungura is a genre that cuts across all age groups. It is not just reserved for old people. Young people, however, perceive sungura music as old-fashioned because of the way the messages are conveyed to them,” he said.
Gasa said to stay relevant, he had modernised his compositions from the era of sungura legends like the late John Chibadura and System Tazvida to have a place in modern-day society.
“I am trying my best to be innovative and smart, introducing a new narrative into the sungura genre to lure young people to understand that the genre is not for the old alone,” he said.
“My videos Mr Brown, Karolina and Time to Dance are modernised to move with the trends. The fashion and personality also try to communicate especially with young people that sungura music is not for old folks.”
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He added: “I have also introduced new instruments to my music such as saxophone and keyboards to change the taste and sound of sungura music which for long has been identifiable only with guitars.
“The song Phone YaBaba iMhiripiri off my eighth album is composed of different languages to connect with a wider audience as I seek to take sungura music to the global scene.”
Gasa rose to fame after winning the 2007 Chibuku Road to Fame’s top prize.
As his star rose, Gasa was even touted as Macheso’s fiercest competitor because of his exceptional bass guitar strumming skills.
