Online Reporter
Prince Mushawevato
VETERAN sungura musician Somandla “Mafia” Ndebele has more than proved his stamina in the industry.
Also known as Baba Paddy or simply Soma, his journey has spanned nearly four decades.
During that period, he has released 26 sungura albums. The seasoned singer’s latest seven-track offering, “Atove Mazambuko”, is enjoying rave reviews from sungura music connoisseurs.
The project showcases Soma as a master of “protest sungura”, demonstrating his maturity as an artiste. Throughout his 38-year career, the 54-year-old singer has maintained a signature and unmistakable touch.
In most, if not all, his projects, he often sings about strife within families and businesses.
He appears to have continued this theme with “Atove Mazambuko”, which carries messages that address matters of the heart, death, lust and virtue.
The heavy emotional content has done little to dilute the appeal of Mafia’s compositions.
The album features a range of medium- to fast-paced beats. The song “Zvamasara Marovha” from the latest album is a typical example.
In this track, the singer laments the untimely demise of family members, with deaths seemingly caused by relatives.
He questions why some people derive pleasure from hating and ultimately killing family members instead of seeking wisdom and help from them.
Death, he sings, not only affects the departed but also families left behind.
He summarises this in the intro of “Zvamasara Marovha”, where he describes a wife at odds with her stubborn husband.
This track is a continuation of “Mamutora” from his previous works, which addressed similar issues.
He sings: “Ndicho chidonaye chinozipa, makamutora Ishe, makamutora. Zvamaiziva kuti haararame, deno makamushaisa pfungwa, njere. Inga Kuda wandaitemba makatora, iye zvino matora Mucha. Zvamasara marovha asina pfungwa, achasimudzira musha wenyu ndiani?”
In an interview with The Sunday Mail Entertainment, Soma revealed that personal experiences and overwhelming public requests pushed him to work on the two songs.
“I considered this to be one of those ordinary songs; however, I was surprised with the overwhelming response, especially when I played it during live shows. I usually blend it with the song ‘Masimba aMwari’,” explained Soma.
“A lot of people then pushed me to rerecord ‘Mamutora’ with some few additions, resulting in ‘Zvamasara Marovha’. I have seen many families at war, death wreaking havoc left, right and centre.
“In most instances, the deaths are blamed on family members, hence I ended up asking, ‘If we kill the fortunate ones in the family, who will then cover up for the particular family’s shortcomings?’”
The opening track, “Chembedzanai”, is also doing well on national radio stations.
In this song, he addresses marriage, trust, divorce and infidelity.
“I was trying to advise couples to live in harmony, stick to their wedding vows. Temptations come through, but we should not be found wanting, thus you have a line saying, ‘Chembedzanai murudo . . . , jira dzvuku rawada rakanakisa, asi jira rako tsaru ndiro rinodziya,’” he said.
The theme on “Chembedzanai” is more like the theme of the overall album, in which he is advocating for peace within society and families, particularly married couples.
“Kandiro Enda” simply reminds us to treat others as we would expect to be treated.
It also highlights that some people can be cunning, emphasising the need for caution in life situations. With “Dadirai”, you simply have to put on your dancing shoes.
The track has all the necessary ingredients to make a sungura song explosive.
“Gutsikana Iwewe”, “Ndinotowana Vanondidawo” and “Shingirirai” are the other tracks that complete “Atove Mazambuko”.
After listening to the singer’s music, one might conclude that Mafia is constantly battling dark forces.
However, the singer is quick to point out that his music is inspired by people’s day-to-day lives. While some issues he sings about relate to his personal life, he learns about other matters from his wide-ranging interactions with friends and fans.
“The life you experience is the same as the one I have. When I face a challenge, it is not peculiar to me; it is the same case when you do so too, hence the message becomes universal. I address these issues in my songs as a way to make people understand and find solutions,” said the singer.
The Dzivaresekwa-based singer has multitudes of fans throughout the country, with most of his support in peri-urban, remote, farming and mining areas.
Challenging but revitalised journey
Ndebele took time to reflect on his long and challenging journey in the music industry.
“The journey has been so painful, even up to now, from doing some auditions in the 1980s to fighting hard to keep on moving in the industry without even a single guitar or a microphone, not to mention transport,” he said. “There have been a lot of ups and downs in the process. I had to soldier on up to where I am at the moment and I am still fighting. We stopped making money from album sales long back due to piracy.”
He added: “I sometimes ask myself that if I am facing challenges as a seasoned band leader, what then becomes of upstarts and ordinary band members?”
However, the musician’s career has recently been revitalised, thanks to a synergy he has created with sungura supremo Alick “Baba Sharo” Macheso on live shows.
Their joint performances have been captivating, especially when they perform “Masimba aMwari” and “Moyo Wekurera”, duet songs originally sung by Soma and the late Tongai “Dhewa” Moyo.
“Baba Sharo, besides being a friend, is someone I really admire. His professionalism on and off work is just admirable. Whenever we do our shows together, we really mean serious business; always right on time, no disappointments,” said Soma.
“I would like to thank the Orchestra Mberikwazvo management for their splendid job managing one of the best musicians in the country and wish to salute the band itself for the superb work they are doing. Most people are liking the shows, as evidenced by sold-out gigs.”
The addition of former Utakataka Express bass guitarist Spencer “Bolt Cutter” Khumbulani has also added a spark to Soma’s ensemble, the Denda Brothers. Khumbulani, a veteran guitarist and music composer, contributed to “Atove Mazambuko”.
Besides playing guitars, he has also assumed a managerial role with Soma’s group.
The wizardry of Bothwell “Native” Nyamhondera is also unmistakable on the album.
“Spencer has always been part of the band (Denda Brothers). We can feel the impact of his dedication to our project(s). On this album, he played on some of the songs, while Tatenda Chari played bass on the other tracks.”
The pulsating seven-track album speaks to the soul through poignant lyrics and well-crafted instrumentation.
Beyond his 26 albums, the musician has also recorded seven singles and a number of video albums. Mafia rose to prominence through hit songs like “Wakandidadira”, “Marwadzo Mukurarama” and “Nditungamirireiwo”.
His popularity soared further after he released “Zvamauya Zvanaka” at the turn of the millennium. He is a proud father of seven children — six boys and one girl — and has four grandchildren.
Tinaye Agere
Online Reporter