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Liberty Dube
Entertainment Correspondent
ACCORDING to French writer, Charles de Gaulle, graveyards are full of indispensable men.
Indeed, death robbed the music industry of an iconic musician, Nyika Jamal Mataure, who had a short but illustrious musical career that inspired many people of his age.
In October 2013 and at the age of 37, Jamal breathed his last after he succumbed to motor neuron disease which had haunted him for more than three years.
According to online sources, motor neuron diseases are a group of progressive neurological disorders that destroy motor neurons, the cells that control essential voluntary muscle activity such as speaking, walking, breathing and swallowing.
Many will remember Jamal for the anthemic and smashing hit Kurwizi, which features Betty Makaya.
His keyboard-playing skills and lyric-writing prowess made him one of the best talents ever to emerge in Mutare.
Born on July 17, 1976 in Mozambique, Jamal attained his primary education at Rujeko Primary School in Dangamvura, before proceeding to Mount St Mary’s School in Hwedza for his secondary education.
He later ventured into music and did collaborations with various musicians, before releasing the chart-buster album, Ghetto, which carries the smash hit, Kurwizi.
Jamal was a talented keyboardist with over 50 unrecorded songs.
At the time of his death, he was on the verge of releasing a comeback album which was produced by a Mozambican producer and carries tracks like Baba Tavakunorara, Mira Padoko, Menina and Mwana Wechikoro.
It became a public secret that Jamal felt, and he would often say it, that he did not amass financial gains from the song Kurwizi, which many mistook to be Makaya’s song as it catapulted her to fame.
He is on record saying he was frustrated by the lack of recognition by the ‘thankless’ music industry.
While many people are only conversant with the song Kurwizi, Jamal had a lot of uniquely arranged and fine songs such as Mwana Wechikoro, Dzinomwa MunaZambezi and Moza.
Jamal was surely a charismatic artiste who believed in his uniqueness when it came to composing music.
So talented and likeable was Jamal that in 2014, artistes from across the country held a commemoration gala at Courtauld Theatre.
The gala saw artistes such as Alishias ‘Maskiri’ Musimbe, Extra Large, Madiz, Silver Vee, Mzimba, Flexxo and Assegai Crew performing.
In an interview with this publication, Jamal’s mother Ruth said her son loved music so much that he spent years trying to convince his parents that he could be the next big thing in the music industry if given the opportunity.
“At first, we were strongly against his love for music. He was so passionate about it. We wanted him to concentrate on his education before anything else. But with time, we started supporting him after noticing some inexplicable obsession with music. He was very talented and never toiled to compose a song,” she said.
Veteran disc jockey, Ranga Chigwida, popularly known as DJ Ranga or Ranga T, relieved their days in Dangamvura.
“We should celebrate his legacy. Jamal was extremely talented and he knew it. Unfortunately he died before people realised his potential. As I was disc jockeying at some functions, I would give him a platform to play his music and it would be received with mixed feelings.
“People may think Kurwizi was his best song, but I don’t agree as he had other danceable tracks. His song writing skills were exceptional,” said DJ Ranga.
Online Reporter