. . . Charambas could have done better

Godwin Muzari Entertainment Editor
It is not surprising that the Charambas’ new album “WeNazareta” has been received with mixed feelings among their fans.
It has happened before in the gospel duo’s career. When Pastor Charles Charamba released the album “Sunday Service” in 2003 it had a lukewarm response because it focused more on worship songs than fast danceable tracks that have become synonymous with the musician’s most hits.
When “Sunday Service” was met with mixed feelings Charamba corrected the mistake on the following album (“Verses and Chapters”) and he made a great leap from the setback.

When Charamba did “WeNazareta” with its jazzy beat, he must have been prepared for the mixed reaction because he has experienced it before.
It is a fact that, besides coming up with good worship songs, Pastor Charamba’s music rides on a fast beat.

Fast songs like “Machira Chete”, “Ibasa Rangu” and “Tauya Kuzomotenda” make the backbone of Charamba’s music although laid back worship songs like “Buruka” and “Mutsvene Mutsvene” have perfectly fitted in the grooves of the popular fast beats.

It is different with Mai Charamba’s music. In Mai Charamba’s albums the message overrides the beat and she has never really depended on the “sungura type” of gospel like her husband.

Most of her hits like “News Bulletin”, “Ndirangarirei”, “Rute” and “Friend in Jesus” are slow sing-along tunes.
So, when the Charambas decided to do a joint album, they should have taken their different identities on the music scene into consideration. A good mixture of fast and slow songs along the couple’s ultimate respective stregths would have made a different outcome – most probably a more acceptable one. “WeNazareta” has divided the couple’s fans.

Although he might be targeting a new market and experimenting with new beats – especially after attaining new music knowledge at college – Charamba would have done better by keeping his trial to a few songs.

The experiment would have been further limited by the fact that “WeNazareta” is a joint album and people were expecting the best of both musicians. In such a case, Charamba would have kept his fast beat for songs where he does lead vocals and then left the laid-back beat for tracks with his wife’s lead vocals.

For instance, the tracks “Mugamuchire” and “NaJehova Zvinoita” reflect the traditional Charamba flair while “Munopindura” is real Mai Charamba style. Other songs could have been arranged in similar style and the song “Ndiwe” would have been the link of their styles. It is also a fact that Mai Charamba does English vocals better than her husband as her previous hits can exhibit and the Charambas could have taken advantage of their difference to share compositions perfectly. The English lines done by Charamba on the song “Kukunamatai” would obviously have sounded different if Mai Charamba had been given the responsibility.

For a 10-track album, Charamba could still find space for his jazz experiment without taking the album too far from the couple’s previous releases.
While the album might not be a total flop, it is below expectations after a four-year wait.

The Charambas could have done better on this combination. They can still do better.