Of music, drugs

vicious cocktail of alcohol and drugs.
Amy cannily died at age 27 which, according to rock legend and folklore is an age to die following the footsteps of Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and Janis Joplin among other rockers.
However, all the above musicians died from an overdose or another and had they not indulged too much, they would have lived much longer than they did.

Amy as she was affectionately known was one of those easy-going pop stars who looked the music industry in its eyes and never hesitated to call a spade a spade.
Winehouse, as I believed, was not one to last the distance as she was continuously is rehab due to indulgences, but we all thought she was about to beat it (alcoholism).
At 27, which is more of a prime year in music, Amy passed away but the circumstances leading to her death are rather gory.

It’s more like someone drinking himself or herself to death yet people especially her parents, friends and former boyfriends knew too well about it.
Amy’s story is more like the Michael Jackson story because everyone saw the downward spiral which was happening to her life but we all felt cool about it – we thought it was a fairy tale which was going end fine and Amy being the clean and rehabilitated diva we always wanted her to be.
Some time ago, a sister publication carried a story of one of our divas who is thought to be heavily involved in drugs and has lost it when it comes to music.

This sister, who at one time was one of the most prolific musicians in the country, has been rather quite and acting eccentrically such that she has been the fodder of the media, for the wrong reasons though.
Drugs like what we have seen from the death of Amy Winehouse and the convictions of artistes like Roki should tell us that something is just not straight in our musical circles.
Drug and alcohol abuse is so rife in our musicians’ lives and lifestyles such that it becomes synonymous with the music.
Would I ever let my daughter Noomi, who sees herself as the modern day Mariah Carey, delve into music when I really know the kind of iniquity and insecurity there, is one question that really eats my mind.

No matter how talented my kid can be I wouldn’t want to see her being involved in drugs and bad influence as, from experience, I have seen how bad they can destroy you.
It’s becoming real now that most of the music we hear now is from people who are drugged and high but we have to make efforts to get rid of this vice.
We don’t need drugs in our music no matter how they might make our artistes look cool and more innovative as they like to claim.

Drugs are just bad and have no place in our industry and we have to take a thought for Action Jackson, Judah E, the lost souls who thought they could have inspiration though drugs but fell by the wayside.
I don’t like to say this but if we are not careful we shall find ourselves still singing and bringing even more flowers to our faithful departed.
Let’s make a stand on drugs and their usage as very soon the Amy Winehouse scene shall be on our doorsteps, but then, its difficult to deal with it.

The king of urban groves Roki is a convicted felony when it comes to drugs and many more urban artistes as well as sungura artistes are using drugs and now is the time to take action.
Well, I hear the dancehall favourite Vibes Cartel is expected to make a one off appearance in Zimbabwe in Harare in September, this year.
The controversial but yet entertaining Cartel is expected in the country for an exclusive show in the city that doesn’t sleep together with another big blast from the past UB40.

Though Vybez has been in the news for all the wrong reasons of late due to some innuendoes and connotations, at least Zimbabwean youths are about to see his yellow and heavily bleached skin around.
Vybez without doubt is one of the most consistent jammers in the ragga industry and it is good news that he is be coming to these parts of the country this year.
If he really comes like what my man says, then it shall be a good omen for the year after seeing all of these deaths among musicians and promoters this year.

Vybez is a rising star and fodder for gossip due to this rather unconventional way of living, where he is more like the modern-day Tupac.
Vybez was born as Adidja and began his career as a teenager in 1993, with his first recording “Love Fat Woman”, his first single, released on Alvin Reid’s label “One Heart”, using the moniker “Adi Banton”, and

homage to the incarcerated Buju Banton.
Palmer was later part of the three-member group “Vybez Cartel”, keeping the slightly altered name after the group split up, and became a protege of Bounty Killer, for whom he claims to have written nearly 30 songs, including “Gal Clown”.

Vybz Kartel rose to prominence in 2003 after a string of hits in Jamaica. The year culminated in a pre-planned on-stage clash with Ninjamam at the annual dancehall festival Sting in Kartel’s hometown of Portmore.

The clash turned violent when Kartel’s crew members, as well as Kartel himself, threw punches and assaulted Ninjaman on stage.
While Kartel’s manager initially blamed Ninjaman for the fracas, Kartel himself quickly apologised to Ninjaman and Sting organisers for the fracas.

Four days after the incident, the two artistes appeared before the Press to announce a settlement of their differences and to end any animosity.
Kartel was in the news just last week when it was alleged an HIV positive woman claimed she had unprotected sex with the artiste.

Rumours spread like fire on the incident and Vibes was said to be in deep health and social problems and we are yet to see that.