Legend in the making

Cool Writer
Experience from high school days, stints with some renowned artistes and passion have seen young Joseph Chineuriri blossom into a phenomenal instrumentalist. The 19-year-old’s first music love was playing drums as an 11-year-old at New Life Covenant Church. But with his introduction to the saxophone as a Form Three student at Prince Edward High School by the music director, his affection shifted.

He was a member of the awesome PE Jazz Band.

And despite holding a Drums Theory Certificate from the Zimbabwe College of Music, Joseph says the sax is the instrument closest to his heart. Jazz is a rather mature sound so his offerings are not what one would normally associate with a teen musician.

He  showcased his talent during the UNWTO General Assembly in the resort town of Victoria Falls inAugust.

“I was born in a music family — my late father was a musician, my mother is a gospel singer and my two brothers also do music.”

The teen is already an established brand in the field of professional session musicians. He has played for Sabastian Magacha,

Mabhanan’ana, Tariro ne Gitare, Cindy Munyavi and Clare Nyakujara, Josh Meki and Zimboita with whom he enjoyed a two-month-long tour of Italy earlier this year.

The multi-talented Joseph seems able to play any instrument that you give him, almost. He is proficiency extends to percussion, mbira and keyboards. As if that is not enough talent in one person, the teen is often called in as a backing vocalist in the family’s studio, Dream Music.

It is all very well to back big names and that would be enough for those of lesser ambition, but not for Joseph. He has done his own album.

The album is titled “@ 18” — which he explains as being “about what I have learnt musically and in life”.

“It’s a five-track album with two copyrights ‘Bhosvo’ and ‘Ruva Rangu’ and the other three songs are ‘The Dream Song’ — which is my main song, there is ‘Family Affair’ and ‘Naphy-Joe’ which I did with my friend, a bassist, Naphtali Chivandikwa.’’

“The album is a mixture of everything jazz, sungura, pop, rhumba and I got some help from Mono Mukundu. The idea is to entertain for all, I hope and pray the audience will like it as I tried to be versatile.”

Joseph is grateful for the inspiration from his parents. Since his father passed away some time ago, it is his mother — gospel singer Elizabeth Chineuriri – who has been instrumental in setting him firmly on the track to musical stardom.

“My mother has been very supportive. She bought me my first drum kit when I was in Form Two, helped me get an opportunity to play at the recent UNWTO General Assembly and she has helped a lot in setting up the studio which has hosted big names like Kudzai Sevenzo and Josh Meki, who used to come here before he went to South Africa,’’ said Chineuriri, the last born in a family of three boys.
He is already working on a second album which he says will have vocals and some of his late father’s songs.