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Lovemore Chikova
The music scene in Zimbabwe has been broadened in the last few years, especially with the arrival of new genres like Zim dancehall and urban grooves.
To some, these new genres seem to threaten traditional genres like sungura.
But sungura musicians have remained steadfast, churning out new stuff with much vigour.
And one such musician who has managed to show that sungura is here to stay is Norman “Dhara Nodza” Tapambwa.
Tapambwa, a singer, guitarist, producer and music engineer all rolled into one, has come up with his latest album “Kudzoka Nesimba”.
Done with the help of his band Zenya Expresso, one is left with so much hope that sungura music will continue dominating the scene after listening to the album. On this album, which has eight tracks, Tapambwa brings a message of hope, spiced with a number of love songs and social commentary.
With songs such as “Mupedze Shungu”, “Chimwe Changu” and “Imba Rudo”, one can easily recommend the album to lovers.
The other songs on the album are “Dyara Chakanaka”, “Ndadzoka”, “Havagute”, “Sei Zvakaoma” and “Madzvovero”.
Tapambwa is a well-known sungura musician, who has steadily risen in the genre. Talented and versatile, he can play the bass guitar, mbira, lead and rhythm guitar.
The outstanding feature on “Kudzoka Nesimba” is the trademark bass and rhythm lines that have defined Tapambwa’s music. If one considers the pounding sungura drums on the album and the intertwining of the guitars and the vocals, then it can easily be concluded that this is an epic album.
The album gives hope to sungura music lovers that there is still lots of choices among the talented musicians pushing the genre forward.
The first track “Dyara Chakanaka” is a perfect example, which sets the tone and reveals the strength of the album.
The song gives Tapambwa an opportunity to exhibit his base guitar skills, a trait that is found in most of the songs on the album.
Tapambwa, who comes from Mhondoro Ngezi, started taking the guitar seriously in 1990, but had been playing the mbira with his siblings.
He started playing with a musical band in 1995. Apart from producing his own albums, Tapambwa’s journey in music has seen him play guitars for the likes of Elias Musakwa, Taurai Pekiwe, Paul Mpofu and Zambuko, Mitchell Jambo, Ephraim Patai and Fungisai Zvakavapano-Mashavave.
As a music producer, Tapambwa recorded musicians like Fungisai, Joseph Garakara, Allen Chimbetu, Njerama Boys, Gift Amuli, Elliot Manyika, First Farai and the collaboration between the late Beater Mangete and Alick Macheso.
Online Reporter
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