Jerusarema Mbende band slams local promoters

Tawanda Marwizi Arts Correspondent —
Murehwa based musician Rishon Murandu has castigated local promoters for failing to uplift local talent, concentrating on established musicians.

In an interview recently, Murandu who has three albums to his name emotionally revealed challenges upcoming musicians face as they try to promote their programmes.

Despite having released three albums, Murandu was struggling to survive and he has to sell CDs to get money for recording and feed his band members.

“We only get money from the few CDs that we sell in the streets. It has become difficult for us to have shows because of limited resources,” he said.

Murandu recently released a DVD “Tsika Dzekwedu”, which he was currently promoting.

“You get into a promoter’s office not looking for money as such, but assistance. However all you get is a “good luck” message,” he said.

Murandu who managed to fuse the traditional Jerusarema beat with other instruments confirmed that he could not afford to host shows.

At one time he approached Jah Prayzah, for assistance and remains optimistic that the musician would consider his plight.

“We hail from the same village.

“I met him sometime last year and we are very optimistic that he will look into our case,” he said.

Murandu was currently working with several groups from the province that included Makarekare and Ngoma Dzapasi that won traditional dance competitions in the past years.

“We always work together because the groups are exceptionally good. We are making maximum efforts to sell mbende in a different way,” he said.

Mbende Jerusarema traditional dance was proclaimed a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in November 2005 by UNESCO, with the Director General saying the community should work to preserve it.

Intangible cultural heritage can only be heritage when it is recognised as such by the communities, groups or individuals that create, maintain and transmit it without their recognition, nobody else can decide for them that a given expression or practise is their heritage.