Online Reporter
Liberty Dube
Entertainment Correspondent
AFRO-FUSION artiste, Mazarura, born Ransom Madzamba, has once again stepped beyond the conventional boundaries of love songs, using his latest release to turn the country’s development thrust into an entertaining musical narrative.
The gifted lyricist has released “National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2)” — a song that seeks to unpack the country’s five-year economic blueprint and encourage citizens to take an active role in national development.
Produced by Dr Carsol, the track is accompanied by a video showcasing different economic activities taking place around the country, including road construction, mining and agriculture.
For Mazarura, however, the song is more than another release, but an extension of his long-standing belief that music can be used as a communication tool to educate, inspire and preserve stories about Zimbabwe.
“The song is a summary of what the National Development Strategy 2 is and what it seeks to achieve.
“This is not my first time to use music in pushing national narratives, and in trying to explore a national economic blueprint.
“I am very much fascinated in singing everything Zimbabwean and that which also preserves Zimbabwean history. My previous songs like ‘Vision 2030’, ‘Mukoma Ranga’, ‘Say No to Drugs and Substance Abuse’ and ‘Africa’, among others, have messages that have an impact on the economic and social welfare of our great country, Zimbabwe,” he said.
The NDS2 song comes as the Government implements Vision 2030 development strategy, with the broader national target of attaining upper middle-income status.
Mazarura believes music can help take such policy conversations beyond boardrooms and official documents and into everyday communities.
“As you know, music has many attributes that include sending a message as well as entertainment. I mainly use music for edutainment since I am a communicator by profession.
“The citizens are enjoying the song, and it is currently being played on various radio stations across the country. Well, it has a message to all to say let us work hard in our respective various economic sectors,” he said.
While the latest release places national development at the centre, it is only one side of an artiste whose catalogue has travelled across several themes.
Mazarura has also established himself as a specialist in love ballads, with his music frequently exploring the emotional experiences that shape relationships and family life.
In 2022, he released the six-track album, “Wandisiya Pamhene” which is a project that demonstrated his versatility as a songwriter and performer.
The album carried songs such as the title track, “Wandisiya Pamhene”, “Handichada”, “Dai Ndiri Shiri”, “Africa”, “Wakandikoshera” and “Zvabvepi”, touching on themes ranging from love and heartbreak to betrayal, parenthood, orphanhood, gender-based violence and peace.
Produced by Maselo, the project also included Africa, one of the songs that reinforced another important strand of Mazarura’s work — his Pan-African outlook.
His interest in continental themes had already been evident through songs such as “Tinochema Magamba” and “Africa”, released in 2021.
His musical identity is rooted in Afro-fusion, with traditional sounds woven into contemporary arrangements.
Mbira and congas are blended with drums, acoustic guitars, saxophones and keyboards, giving his music a distinctly Zimbabwean foundation while allowing him to experiment with modern sounds.
Mazarura has also been looking beyond Zimbabwe’s borders.
He has toured and performed in Asia, and shot a music video in India, featuring Bollywood star and choreographer, Bhavin Misra, reflecting his growing interest in taking Zimbabwean music to international audiences.
Yet despite the international ambitions, his latest release brings him firmly back home.
From love and heartbreak to Pan-Africanism, social awareness and now national development, Mazarura’s catalogue continues to demonstrate an artiste unwilling to confine himself to one subject.
