Amavithikazi: A truly Zim brand

became the first dance group to release an album. They have toured the width and breadth of the continent and have remained a force to reckon with in the arts sector in Zimbabwe. Entertainment Editor Ruth Butaumocho (RB) spoke to the manager of the group, Zanele Nkomazana (ZN) on the group’s lows and highs.
RB: Can you tell us about the origins of Amavithikazi?
ZN: Amavithikazi is a Zulu/Ndebele name for a well-built, full African woman. The name suits the all-women dance, music, acapella and theatre group, with the members making an effort to uphold that principle.
Amavithikazi is a strong brand with unique cultural and traditional dances from southern and western Zimbabwe (Matabeleland).
Originating from the high-density suburb of Makokoba, and undergoing training at Amakhosi Theatre from the ages of nine, the members of the group are multi-talented hence they feature in all the four divisions of the group.
This is a new product not just for the group but in the Zimbabwean entertainment industry, a one of its own kind, combining powerful and energetic traditional and cultural dances with a live musical band and all-female vocals of old traditional songs.
RB: Are you guys a dance group or a musical outfit?
ZN: We are a musical outfit transformed from a dance group and we are not going back to what we were before. The transformation took place in September 2009.
RB: What musical genre do you play?
ZN: We do afropop and a lot of Ndebele cultural dances, and let me hasten to say they are very cultural in every sense of the word.
RB: In the last two years, Zimbabwe has seen an increase in dance groups, did that present competition for you, hence your decision to rebrand?
ZN: We realised there were many dance groups that were coming up of very talented dancers but not artistes, and that alone meant that market was somehow going to be a mixed bag of genuine dance groups and a host of other things. So our decision to transform from a dance group to a musical outfit was meant to improve on our product and also widen our market. We knew it was possible because we were multi-talented. Most of our members had been backing vocalist for musicians like Albert Nyathi and Lovemore Majaivana.
RB: Still on that there is also a negative perception that dance groups are made up of people of loose morals?
ZN: I don’t think so. It is because of how other dance groups present themselves to the audience while on stage. The biggest problem is coming from some nightclubs that are hiring the services of these dance groups for so little. Because the dance groups are now as many as the pebbles of the sea, those who want to remain in business are charging very little or nothing at all so that they can get a contract. Lord knows how then they will be able to meet their day-to-day expenses, and it is not clear what other activities they would then engage themselves to get an extra income.
That level of exploitation needs to be stopped so that the dance groups that are mainly made up of women can continue to be respected.
As Amavithikazi we have managed to stand the test of time, because we were able to brand our product and put a price tag to it. Times may be difficult, but we will try to look for good contracts for our group.
RB: Can you tell us more about your debut album?
ZN: The first eight-track afro-pop music album “Yini Ngawe”, produced by the renowned South African Amadamara Music Freddie Gwala, was released in November 2009. I am happy to say it is gaining popularity fast since it is being marketed well by the group by blending it well with innovative and creative dances during the live shows.
RB: Having traversed the length and breadth of the globe, you have been exposed to different cultures as well as different musical genres. How best would you describe Zimbabwe’s music?
ZN: The music is good but I think as a country we will never break new ground if continue to manage our bands and brand our products the way we are currently doing.
Our artistes need to do more on stage work and improve on the branding of their products. It is so pathetic to see an artiste going on stage while wearing a jersey, seeing dancing queens appearing on stage wearing jeans with different colours. It is even sad to watch an artiste perform the same dance routine, year in, year out.
In Zimbabwe 80 percent of artistes play the same genre and still strive to perform the same, how does it work?
We need to improve and work on other ways of branding our music, either when shooting videos, holding live shows or just recording in the studio. It also imperative for musicians to have good managers who are able to carry forward their projects, aspirations and groom them to stage shows in the region.
It is sad that most artistes are not keen on having professional managers to hold their portfolios but are actually looking up to their friends, relatives and even bouncers to market their products!
RB: You were the only Zimbabwean group that took part in the Dr JS Moroka Municipality Cultural and Business Show in Mpumulanga Province. How was your performance?
ZN: We did very well and managed to represent Zimbabwe in a big way. Everything that we carried with us to South Africa, from the attire, the dance to the language was “proudly Zimbabwean”. We also managed to network with other groups for future opportunities as well.
It would be great if other local artistes were able to attend events of such magnitude. They will learn a lot from stage work, lighting and a host of other things to improve their act on stage.
RB: What future plans do you have as a group?
ZN: We are not mass market yet, but we are planning on broadening our fan base. We, of course, would want to tour North Africa and take our product there. We are also working on releasing a reloaded album of “Yini Ngawe”.
RB: Any other information that you may want to share with your fans?
ZN: Teamwork is very important in any set-up and I am appealing to local artistes to start engaging each other at any level and improve on teamwork.
No one is better than the other, but we can complement each other pretty well once we begin to work together.
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