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Joel Tsvakwi, Sunday Life Correspondent
VETARAN Tshibilika musician and Jet Sounds front man, Obediah Matulana says he has responded to calls from his legion of fans to be in tandem with modern times in the cut throat music industry.
Matulana who brags of being one of the living vanguards of local music said he was still much active in the music industry and those viewing him as embroidered in the obvious waning fortunes of the industry were misguided and ignorant of how the sector operates.
Having been crowned 2014 Zimbabwe Music Awards winner for the Best Engineered Album of the Year for his album called Isimbazu, the musician said the recognition was evidence of his musical prowess.
His debut DVD compilation called Zihlangene Volume 1 was released the same year and since then he has upped and modernised his game.
In an interview with Sunday Life recently Matulana who was adamant that he has not lost the music formula said the award gave him the zeal to rekindle his perceived lost lustre as he had since done four successive projects, two albums and two DVDs.
“Despite releasing my first DVD, a few years ago people have been on my case saying I should move with time and pump out more videos, so I decided to compile my old songs, picking from my previous albums,” Matulana said adding that he was also working on increasing the number of live shows to maintain visibility and reclaim his perceived lost glory.
Now being famed as Dr Jah Kanindo, Matulana has released his second DVD, barely two months after the release of his second reggae album titled My Family Comes First.
“Many people were saying I am no longer active but here I am . . . I am doing my best to make sure that those who follow my music have something new. I have already started the distribution of my music on my own hoping to make it available everywhere,” he said.
The second DVD was done in South Africa as he claims that he was looking for quality which could rekindle the life of some of his hits in a modern way from his 20 albums which he had so far churned out in his career.
“The eight-track DVD, Zihlangene Volume 2 which was wholly done in South Africa is a compilation of my songs that I did from my previous albums up to the last album,” he said.
Videos on the DVD include Divorce No 1, Somandla Silisa, Respect Kanindo, Itamatisi Lami, Khumbula Ekhaya, Valu Mlomo, Bhula Sangoma, and Intandane.
Matulana said despite many players and developments in the local musical scene he still cherished the good olden days of the likes of Solomon Skuza, Lovemore Majaivana, Paul Matavire, John Chibadura, Zex Manatsa and Leonard Dembo and many other yesteryear greats.
@Joeltsvakwi
Online Reporter