CHIMURENGA music still has a place on the local music scene and will not fade, one of Thomas Mapfumo’s former runners, Jairos Chabvonga has said.
BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
Speaking to NewsDay during the Independence Day celebrations yesterday, Chabvonga said despite the end of the liberation struggle, Chimurenga music still had a place in motivating people in facing their day-to-day challenges.
“Chimurenga music will not fade, as it played an instrumental role in rallying freedom fighters to take up arms against the oppressive white colonial rule,” he said.
“As a Chimurenga musician, I am dedicated to reminding Zimbabweans about the importance of identity and cultural value issues through this kind of music.”
The musician, who says he is inspired by the pioneer of Chimurenga music, Mapfumo, has joined the bandwagon of musicians trying to fill in the gap left by the Nyoka Musango hit-maker, who is in exile in the United States of America.
As Zimbabwe celebrated 36 years of independence, Chabvonga, who leads Ngorimba Afro Fusion Band, is adamant that music lovers will still find the genre relevant and useful to today’s challenges.
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“Chimurenga songs helped instil determination and helped unify the freedom fighters, raising their morale to defeat the enemy. There is no more war, but as for now, the message in my music is to fight the war for cultural revival and self-identity through our original traditional music derived from our day-to-day living as Africans,” he said.
Chabvonga said when composing his songs, he seeks to encourage Zimbabweans to foster the values of the liberation struggle, as Chimurenga music played an instrumental role in the fight for independence.
“With our type of music and beat, as Ngorimba Afro Fusion Band, we strive to maintain and preserve our Zimbabwean culture fighting the war for self-identity through our original traditional music derived from our day-to-day living as Africans.”
Chimurenga music inspired the masses of Zimbabwe to soldier on and fight the white settler regime. Meanwhile, Chabvonga is back in the studio for his third album, titled Chimurenga Heritage being recorded by Tapiwa Maselo at Maselo Studios and will be released next month.
“On our forthcoming album we have fused several local traditional instruments like Mbira, African horn (bhosvo), hosho (gourds with seeds) and drums to come up with a variety of tradition beats such as jiti, chikende, karigamombe and mahororo,” he said.
Songs to be featured on the album include Simbiso his duet with dancehall chanter Soul Jah Love, Dande, Mugota, Rirongere, Misodzi, Ndangariro, Zuva Ravira and Samasimba.
Chabvonga graduated from a kit boy to a musician in 2014 with the release of his debut album Nevanji, which was followed by a six-track album Chimurenga High Way, released last year.
Since launching his music career, Chabvonga has shared the stage with several renowned musicians and groups, among them cultural group Maungira eNharira and have performed at different popular joints in Harare.
