Vusumuzi Dube
Bruce Ndlovu , Sunday Life Reporter
VUSA Mkhaya should be a happy man.
Last week, Mkhaya was all smiles at Fluchtlingsball in Vienna, Austria, as he walked away as the winner of the Willi Resetarits Preis Award, in recognition of his artistic originality and social commitment.
The award was just another feather in the cap of an artiste who, for the past two decades, has scaled peaks that few musicians have reached in Zimbabwe.
After all, this is the same man who, as part of the legendary trio, Insingizi, boasts arguably the highest-selling album of all time, 2004’s Voice of Africa.
That album alone sold over 500 000 copies in the United States, earning a gold plaque, a feat usually only attained by elite American artistes, let alone African acts.
However, despite all this, deep down, Mkhaya is not a happy man.
When news filtered on social media that he had won a prestigious award in Austria, the ignorant in Zimbabwe could be forgiven for asking “Vusa Who?” Despite his accomplishments, Mkhaya acknowledges that his music and his successes are mostly unknown in his native country.
This, he blames on the country’s DJs, who he said do not give everyone a fair share.
“To be honest, our success is more pronounced outside Zimbabwe than in Zimbabwe. It’s very hard to say why. I don’t want to sound ungrateful to those who support us in Zimbabwe because we have people who support our work. But, as I have always said, if the playing ground was level in Zimbabwe and radio stations played all music equally no matter where you are from, just like we had in the late 80s and 90s when Radio Two was broadcasting nationally, things could be different.
“This is why people in Murambinda or Uzumba still know who Solomon Skuza was or who Lovemore Majaivana was. They still know Fanyana Dube and they still know Ilanga because those legends were played on national radio. This is why people in Tsholotsho and Sikhobokhobo in Nkayi will know Simon Chimbetu and Four Brothers. If you play everyone’s music on national radio and not on the stations that have a 40km radius, people will know who they are,” he said.
Mkhaya recalled an incident during the 2020 National Merit Awards (Namas), where he was nominated alongside Gemma Griffiths in the Outstanding Diaspora Award category.
While it was an honour to walk away with the gong on that occasion, Mkhaya said circumstances on that occasion disturbed him.
“I am an artiste full stop. When I am performing I don’t see myself as an African artiste or as a Zimbabwean artiste. I am an artiste. At home, it will always feel that people want to put the stamp that I am “outstanding in the diaspora” because they don’t know much of our work or they pretend not to know. It’s because the artistes that are based locally will be better known. I remember, when I won the Nama, Gemma was also in the same category.
“This was the time when she had done her song with Winky D and she was gaining traction in Zimbabwe and people didn’t know who I was. So, when they announced the nominees at the HICC, people were screaming her name. My name was called and when Kuda Takundwa went to pick the award on my behalf, people were still shouting Gemma’s name because it was all about the name, not the music. At home, the name is more important than the quality of the music. So, if people hear Vusa Mkhaya, they always question who I am because it is more important to be known than what you do,” he said.
Mkhaya has become more visible in the last few years. Known as “The Ancestor” on social media, he has become a darling of many on X, for his ability to put his own spin on current affairs using imbube.
Somehow, Mkhaya has managed to make a genre some might deride as old-fashioned appeal to a younger crowd, seemingly without breaking a sweat.
The musician said that his increasing visibility and popularity over the last few years was down to a social media team that had been encouraging him to break out of his shell and showcase his charisma and voice more.
“I think over the last few years my team has encouraged me to be more active on social media. I have a team, most of whom are younger than me and have pushed me to increase my interaction on social media and I think this is why people are seeing me more. As you age, you also learn a lot from other artistes. When I’m on tour, I also observe how other artistes do their things, and from that, I learn how to appreciate and push art. So, thanks to this good team behind the brand Vusa Mkhaya we have become more visible because we are being intentional about pushing on social media. We hope that one day of course we get recognised at home as we are outside the country,” he said.
As Mkhaya’s star soars, some have shared concerns that perhaps the other members of Insingizi are not getting the same amount of time in the spotlight as he does.
However, Mkhaya said that the group’s solo ventures were by design and not by accident.
“Insingizi is a home. When you are growing up, you stay at home, then you later get a job, start your own family, and build your own home. However, the fact that you have a job doesn’t mean you don’t have a home anymore. It doesn’t mean you don’t go back home anymore. So, for us as gentlemen, Insingizi is home. We do our separate projects but we know that Insingizi is the base at some point we have to return there, just like a family going back home on Christmas.
“We have allowed ourselves to do that so that we grow. I think that’s where a lot of groups run into problems. They don’t allow every member to do their own thing and if they do a solo project, it is as if they are deserting the group. So, if (Dumisani) Ramadu does his project and it is successful, we will support it. If Blessings Nqo or Vusa Mkhaya do their own thing, we will also support them. After that, we come back as a trio and do our gigs,” he said.
With Insingizi set for another tour in Germany in June, Mkhaya expressed hope that new doors were about to open for the trio.
“So, we are going on a tour in Germany, with a new German booking agent and we are excited because this is our first time working with this guy. It is the first time that we are doing this tour in Germany and we are hoping that it opens more doors and avenues for us as a group,” he said.
Bongani Ndlovu