Online Reporter
SO, sungura musician Sugar Sugar, whose parents named him Taruvinga Manjokota, is back in the news again after his recent career detour when he had to make a living through moulding bricks, among other menial hustles.
He seems to have now risen from the ashes to give us the current hit “Mudododo” — a song that has everyone from comedians to academics scratching their heads and tapping their feet.
Now, Mai Juju has been watching this revival with a mixture of amusement and anxiety.
Of course, she is happy Sugar Sugar is back. But on his newfound road to fame, he must not fall into the same trappings of fame and a little fortune that saw him juggling between three wives at one time.
Not that there is anything wrong with polygamy, but in his case, it seems to have ended badly, as he ultimately found himself in the dumps.
The man once lived like a king, complete with five luxury cars and a trio of wives, only to end up calling himself a “disgrace” when it all went south.
Let us be honest.
His recent rise is not entirely due to his musical genius alone.
Mudododo owes its virality to comedian Frets, who popularised and mainstreamed it in one of his skits.
The song’s current success is driven more by the sheer curiosity surrounding the meaning of the word “Mudododo” than the craft itself — although the tune is admittedly not bad.
It’s a fun, catchy and somewhat naughty-sounding word that people just love to shout on TikTok.
But it’s exactly the kind of viral fame that can vanish as quickly as a sugar cube in hot tea.
Mai Juju hopes his new album, “Kusvika Ati Eke”, must have other equally interesting songs to sustain him when he hits the road.
When you are a sungura musician, the real money is made during live performances, not from album sales or online streaming.
For instance, while fellow sungura musicians such as Simon Mutambi might not have a decent digital footprint, they are, however, well-to-do artistes because they know the value of playing for the crowds in those somewhat hidden mining communities of Chegutu and Kadoma.
Those miners might not be on Spotify, but they fill the bars and throw the cash at their favourite musicians.
So, Frets might give Sugar Sugar a TikTok moment, but only the people of Mashonaland can give him a salary.
This time, Mai Juju also hopes he has learned his lesson and his story will not end in grief like the last time.
So, here is to Sugar Sugar’s sweet second coming.
He should enjoy it while it lasts.
Ndikoko!
