King Isaac salutes fans

Society Reporter

FOR the first time in 16 years, King Isaac, a Zimbabwe-born reggae/Afro-jazz singer who is based in the United States, recently performed live to an appreciative crowd in Harare.

The last time King Isaac (born Isaac Kalumbu) had performed in Zimbabwe was in 2006, when he was still a vital member of Trevor Hall’s Crucial Mix Band.

The well-travelled King Isaac — who has recorded songs in Jamaica, the US, Canada and Uganda — recently released his second Jiti song titled “Rova Ngoma”.

Apart from performing live at the Theatre in the Park and at a bar in Warren Park, the “Chimhandara” hitmaker also had a fruitful sojourn.

“My visit to Zimbabwe in July was a great, wonderful experience. It was productive and helped us reach greater heights. Apart from performing live, I was able to do an amazing and breathtaking video for the song ‘Uye Uye’,” said Isaac, who was speaking from his base in Michigan.

A musician who enjoys singing and composing songs in different genres and languages, King Isaac makes sure he still maintains his original touch.

“I sing primarily in Shona, some Ndebele and English. But I have also included some Kiswahili, Kinyarwanda, Setswana and IsiZulu. I am currently working on a new song in Chichewa from Malawi and Zambia,” he said.

The desire to reach wider audiences drives King Isaac to sing in different genres and languages.

“Every culture has its own unique musical signature and contribution. I enjoy tapping from a wide range of ideas without losing my musical identity. The desire to reach wider audiences and relate to people on their own terms is another motivation,” added King Isaac.

During his two-week stay, the musician recorded two songs with Gibson Makumbe of Makumbe Productions.

One of the two songs will be released next year. He also produced a number of videos and interacted with many players in the music industry. For King Isaac, it appears everything is going according to his script.

“Our fan base is growing with each release, and we are receiving more and more radio support. We can only go up from here, so I am very thankful about that.”