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Jonathan Mbiriyamveka Entertainment Reporter
Top rhumba group Diamond Musica are billed to stage their first mega gig on December 5 at ZimCafe Hotel following the successful launch of their album “Amai” this month. Diamond Musica will perform back-to-back with Huggie’s Entertainment in a potentially explosive gig that’s been dubbed “Rhumba vs Old Skool”.
Radio presenter and club DJ Kudzi “Mr Kool” Marudza, Witness “Chuman” Matema and Ronald “D-Train” Chiwanza will be on the decks as they dish out some of the golden oldies from house, R‘n’B, soul and hip-hop.
The DJs will be rocking the decks with some yesteryear classics as they bring the good old days with music dating back to the late 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and hits at the turn of the millennium.
Old skool pundits should brace for some serious partying when Huggie’s Entertainment squares off with Diamond Musica. Asked what will be in store for music lovers, Chuman said Huggie’s was geared up for the festive mood.
“We are excited about the upcoming gig. It has been long time coming and we promise the best in old skool just the way fans love it. The good thing is we are going to be playing back-to-back which means non-stop music and dance,” Chuman said.
On the other hand, Diamond Musica fronted by the charismatic Pitshou Lumiere have promised a great time at the show.
“Fans will be pleased to know that we have introduced a new dance craze called ‘motorbike’. It is simple to follow but you need to be there to learn it. There is going to be a lot of energy on stage and fireworks. So all rhumba fans should come and enjoy with us,” Pitshou said.
Comprising 15 members, the group is on a comeback trail having reunited with seasoned producer and lead guitarist Shaka Zulu early this year.
The new album features five songs in Shona and three in kiSwahili sung to reconnect with their origins. All songs on the eight-track album deal with social issues including love, relationships and social cohesion.
Pitshou said the Shona songs including the one featuring Suluman Chimbetu would make their Zimbabwean fans appreciate their music since most people think rhumba was exclusively about immorality and raunchy dances. Diamond Musica’s last album was released in 2005 and it featured popular hits such as “Miniskirt”, “Dis is Good”, “Amaule” and “Sinamakosa Remix” among others.
Rhumba music took Zimbabwe by storm during the 1990s with a number of artistes from the DRC coming to perform in Harare. Kanda Bongo Man, Pepe Kalle, Papa Wemba, General Defao, Extra Musica, Werrason and Koffi Olomide were some of the big names in rhumba that performed in Harare.
There were few other Zimbabwean rhumba groups that emerged including BV Labien which has stood the test of time. So when Diamond Musica came to Zimbabwe they were no strangers as there was already a huge following of rhumba music.
However, with the passage of time and change in music tastes, the genre has been on a downward trend due to other several factors including the rise of genres such as South African kwaito/house, Nigerian pop as well as dancehall.
But according to Pitshou, it was only a matter of time before fans start appreciating local rhumba again.
Online Reporter