malvernmugadzikwa
Tendai Chara
ESTABLISHED and budding Zimdancehall artistes will once again converge on the capital on Saturday for what has become an annual ritual — the Cup Clash — at the City Sports Centre.
Among the top performers will be Killer T, who is riding the wave of his recent runaway hit “Kana Ndanyura”.
The event, organised by Partson “Chipaz” Chimbodza, features a line-up of top Zimdancehall artistes, including Seh Calaz, Silent Killer, Poptain, Jah Master and Kinna.
Hwinza, Master H and Jah Signal will also be vying for the coveted prize of a brand-new vehicle.
Mbida D, a Mbare-based chanter who defeated Zim Pogba in the final elimination round, is the current champion of the Cup Clash.
As of Wednesday last week, over 200 artistes had registered for the competition.
An MC contest will also be held.
The Sunday Mail Entertainment has since learnt that the Chillspot Family will use the Cup Clash to celebrate its anniversary.
Local premier DJs, including Godfatha Templeman, Etherton Beenie, Merciless Zim, Garry B, Banso Da MC, DJ Fydale and DJ Gunz, will take turns behind the decks.
Chipaz said there will be many surprises at this year’s event, which traditionally coincides with the end of the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show.
Several surprise acts will also perform.
Due to the overwhelming number of artistes who registered (200), Chipaz has decided to change the traditional format of the Cup Clash.
An elimination process will be held to narrow down the participants to 100.
Last year, approximately 15 000 people attended the show, which was ultimately won by Mbida D.
A fading genre
But even as the artistes gather in Harare, they meet under the shadow of recent animated discussions on the future of the genre — which promised so much and captured the imagination of the youth — as it seems to be fading.
Some music critics argue that singers like Nutty O, Freeman, Winky D and Poptain are no longer considered Zimdancehall artistes, having transitioned to Afro-pop or contemporary genres.
They also claim Zimdancehall has struggled to find a leading light ever since the demise of Soul Jah Love, whose exploits saw him being declared a national hero.
However, seasoned DJ Godfatha Templeman, whose real name is Simbarashe Maposa, believes the genre “is alive and well”.
“Last year’s Cup Clash attracted 15 000 attendees and over 200 artistes have registered to participate this year, which clearly demonstrates the genre’s popularity,” said DJ Godfatha Templeman, who co-hosts the show “Dancehall Remedy” on Star FM.
He also said artistes like Freeman, Killer T and Winky D are among the most sought-after performers in the country.
“Any promoter will tell you that Zimdancehall chanters draw the largest crowds at live shows,” he said.
“And the majority of trending songs on the streets are Zimdancehall.”
He added:
“If you look at radio charts, you will notice that Zimdancehall singers like Master H are dominating. On social media, we recently posted freestyles for the Cup Clash and some artistes received over 600 000 views in just two weeks. This clearly shows the genre is still popular.”
He dismissed claims that Nutty O and other singers like Freeman and Winky D are no longer Zimdancehall artistes.
“Nutty O is very much a Zimdancehall artiste and we are all proud of him,” he said.
“If you look closely, 98 percent of his music was produced by Zimdancehall producers and 85 percent of his live shows were Zimdancehall performances.
“The majority of Nutty O’s radio interviews are conducted on Zimdancehall programmes. Considering all these factors, we can conclude that he is still a Zimdancehall artiste.”
DJ Godfatha Templeman insists that the genre has not failed to produce an artiste who can fill the late Soul Jah Love’s shoes.
“Superstars are not created overnight. Soul Jah Love dedicated many years to his craft to become the icon he was. We have promising young artistes like Mbida D and Khonangale, who I believe are destined for greatness.”
For DJ Levels, real name Rodger Tafadzwa Kadzimwe, Saturday’s Cup Clash will be a double celebration.
“As the Chillspot Family, we will be celebrating our 13th anniversary, which means a lot to us.
“We will give it our all,” he said.
He, too, believes Zimdancehall is not fading.
“In 2023, Enzo Ishall’s ‘Munhu Wako Atorwa’ was voted Song of the Year and won a NAMA award. This alone proves that the genre is the most popular in the country,” he argued.
Regarding the supposed inability of Zimdancehall to surpass or match the heights achieved by the late Soul Jah Love, Levels said it is unfair to compare him to any other Zimdancehall artiste.
“Soul Jah Love was a national phenomenon.
“He was known and loved by people who were not necessarily Zimdancehall fans. The void he left will be difficult, if not impossible, to fill,” he said.
Tinaye Agere
Online Reporter