adminAuxilia Katongomara Showbiz Reporter
BULAWAYO rapper Lwazi “Mcheznana” Skuza says the major setback to the success of Bulawayo artistes is lack of relevance in their music. Nana, as he is affectionately known in the music circles, is one of the urban grooves music pioneers from the southern region who kicked off his career on a high note. In an interview yesterday, Nana said local artistes must take a leaf from the successful Harare artistes whose music appeals to local audiences.
“The problem with Bulawayo artistes is that we tend to sing more about Hillbrow and Yeoville in South Africa, why not sing about our own places in this country. As long as our music continues to lack relevance to the people, there is no way we can be successful,” he said.
Nana said it was better for the artistes to sing about potholes, the water crisis or even Zesa as they were part and parcel of people’s lives.
“Dancehall is Jamaican music but the Harare artistes have managed to localise it to suit the local audiences. Talk of artistes such as Shinsoman and Guspy Warrior, their lyrics reflect the local lingo and situation in their city.
“If you listen to my music then you will see the difference. I sing about what people know and see every day,” said Mcheznana confidently.
The 25-year-old musician said the Bulawayo music industry was affected by lack of unity among the artistes.
“There is a lot of back biting and hatred among us as artistes and even the older generation of artistes. They don’t support us. In Harare, you will find Oliver Mtukudzi performing alongside Winky D but that’s not the case here in Bulawayo. Why is it so?” quizzed the Yokozuna hitmaker.
His first album, a 10-track offering titled Off Topic, was released in 2008 and featured the hit track Yokozuna which topped the charts for three months. In 2010, he released Premier League with six tracks among them One Zimbabwe which became an anthem in Bulawayo but was banned from the country’s airwaves as it was perceived to be tribalist.
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