KING of marabi music and author Kireni Zulu has co-ordinated over 25 Zimbabwean music legends to record and produce the song Regai Zvinodhaka which advocates and fights against drug and substance abuse.
Among the 18 participating musicians are yesteryear celebrities Albert Nyathi, Knowledge Kunenyati, Mitchell Jambo, Somandla Ndebele, Busi Ncube, Job Mashanda and others who have unleashed timeless hits which are still in circulation on radio and the internet. The song Regai Zvinodhaka was recorded and mastered at Jabulani Ndlovu and Wallace Muparutsa’s True Tone Records which is housed at the then Gramma Records in Masasa, Harare.
Zulu told NewsDay Life & Style that his efforts were meant to remind the young generation which is learning about most of these musicians through visual arts and performance subject in primary and secondary schools that the arts are a good source of livelihood if well managed.
He said Regai Zvinodhaka, Shona for stop drug and substance abuse has lyrical advice from each one of the 18 musicians that drug and substance abuse should be put to a stop as they are more than a menace and have consequently claimed and destroyed many lives.
“The Regai Zvinodhaka song is a project that has brought spatially distributed and distantly located yesteryear musicians from Harare and surrounding areas for a start to unite in the fight against drug and substance abuse. We wish to complement government’s efforts through engaging influential members of the community and speak with one voice for the promotion of health and well-being.
“I am, therefore, appealing for co-operation and support from broadcasters, donors in kind and cash, promoters and the corporate world to come in their full strength to make this project attain its desired success. We wish to reach out to all the corners of Zimbabwe.
“Charity begins at home and likewise, the Chitungwiza Town Council and the business community and private voluntary organisations should set the pace and yardstick to make this project a success.
“In our next venture we wish to include the youth and the elderly in the fight against social ills like gender-based violence, child marriages. Yesteryear musicians have communicated and entertained on these subjects and we strongly feel that absence of supporting structures in the arts industry has been a casualty of many of these dislikable things. The arts should provide a neutral and persuasive healing to all of these irregularities,” Zulu said.
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He said lack of financial and material resources were challenges that limited the magnitude of the project.
Zulu said he followed up on some of the artistes who were now based in the rural communities and surviving as farmers.
“Some of them are still very musical and energetic to provide meaningful family entertainment and they have untapped histories which they need to tell the youth for the betterment of the arts industry. The artistes are still looking good, which makes them perfect examples of people who have built resilient structures that enable them to raise and bring up their families well.”
Collaborations and teamwork are fast becoming the order of the day. Hip hop, dancehall and Afrofusion artistes feature their own musical idols in their performances and recordings. Jah Prayzah, who is set to release another album in March, is one such testimony of an artiste who has been highly exploratory of talent and skill while he made efforts to pay a big amount for a quality music collaboration product. His efforts have paid dividends for him and his 3rd Generation band members.
Zimbabwean musicians at one time came together for a collective voice on songs like Chenjerai (an awareness campaign against HIV/Aids), Mvura (prayer for rains) and Bus Driver (A road safety awareness campaign and fight against road carnage) under the leadership of the late Prince Tendai Muparutsa. Zulu is following such footsteps.
