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Tadious Manyepo
Arts Reporter
THE last time sungura musician Mark Ngwazi performed at Sadza growth point in Chikomba, he was nearly as raw as he used to be when roaming the place with his home-made guitar while growing up in its fringes.
He was literally still a nobody in this business despite having four albums under his belt.
That was in 2019.
He had just released “Charger yeTsono” which carried a decent track “Mushonga Wengozi”.
But he was still a novice of some sort in terms of live performance.
Even his kith and kin wouldn’t attend that show at Sadza Hall en masse.
That he was raised just a few kilometres from this sprawling growth point in Mupatsi didn’t really matter.
But everything has changed now.
As if inspired by the lukewarm response which justified his average performance, anyway, Ngwazi would up his game.
Despite the deadly Covid-19 pandemic ravaging the world, the Hwedza-born vocalist put together a howitzer which he named “Chamugwegwedu Chamatindike” which carried hits like “Taurai Madzoka” and “Pasi pemavheji”.
With Taurai Madzoka stealing the attention and even voted the best song for that year, everything including his live performance showing changed.
Ngwazi is riding high with “Nharo nezvine Nharo” which was released last year.
Carrying songs like “Nyaradzo yababa” and “Shamwari”, the album has delivered him his first major award – The Best Sungura accolade from ZIMA.
So good has been Ngwazi over the past two years that he has even drawn comparisons with arguably the best musician in the country, Alick Macheso.
And folks in Sadza, Mupatsi, Shumba, Warikandwa, Mutekedza, Domboramavara, Mushipe and Maware have been pleading with him to consider performing at his homeground.
But he has been too busy locally and internationally.
However, he made a date with his fellow villagers at Sadza growth point stadium on Sunday, thanks to Deputy Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Tino Machakaire who lured him to be the entertainment act during a gathering.
Machakaire, who is the Member of Parliament for Hwedza South, under which Sadza falls also brought mbira sensation, Gushungo.
And what an act the pair had before a strong 3 000-plus crowd.
Ngwazi left the crowd clamouring for more, first performing with Machakaire the song “Nyaradzo Yababa”.
He also did “Hwahwa”, “Taurai Madzoka”, “Shamwari” and “Chamugwegwedu”, much to the delight of the revellers.
“I am very happy to have performed before my very own people. I would like to thank Honourable Machakaire for making it possible for me to perform for my people,” said Ngwazi.
“I last performed in Sadza some four or so years ago. I wasn’t that good yet. I am not saying I am excellent now. But I am certainly not the same person who performed here some four, five years ago.
“It’s always good to remember your roots and I will here and there come to perform for them. I am very glad to perform before my brothers, sisters, uncles, nieces and everyone else.”
Ngwazi hinted that he will be dropping a new album in a few months’ time.
One of the people who attended the show, Shyleen Chikumbirike, who travelled all the way from Chisasike in Hwedza, hailed Ngwazi.
“Ngwazi should regularly perform back home. It makes him connect with his people and we always support him. That was a good performance from him,” said Chikumbirike.
Machakaire said artists needed to consider performing at their home areas.
“I am moving around my constituency on political business and obviously people also need to stay entertained. That is the reason why I am trying to bring artists to perform for them,” said Machakaire.
“Ngwazi comes from Sadza and he had a very good show for his people. We will be everywhere around my constituency and they will see a lot of artists performing. I will be bringing them.”
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