The return of Decibel

Bruce Ndlovu
Ia��m not saying Ia��m gonna change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will change the world.a�? a�� Tupac Shakur.

The above quote can be appropriately used to describe the influence of Daniel Mazhindu, better known to Zimbabwean music fans as Decibel, whose musical prowess in his early youth may have helped develop the current dancehall dominated Zimbabwean music landscape.

Back at a time when Ra��na��B and hip-hop influenced urban grooves songs were in vogue, Decibel alongside the likes of Dino Mudondo, Major E and Willom Tight held the fort for a unique brand of Zimbabwean dancehall that was both rich musically and lyrically.

The muso, who holds a degree in bio-chemistry from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), wove spellbinding melodies around his dancehall chants, a skill the likes of Killer T and Tocky Vibes seem to have gone on to inherit.

However, Decibel left years before Zimbabwea��s dancehall revolution cracked open the Zimbabwean music scene, and over a decade since his departure is looking to come back and ignite the fire he allowed to die down.

a�?I am working on a new album. I think ita��s going to be called Nyanduri even though I have not settled on this. I am working with quite a few producers most of whom are based in Zim including DJ Fidel, T-man while I produce some of the songs myself,a�? he said in an interview from his UK base.

Ever confident in his musical prowess, Decibel is eager to compete with the countrya��s new breed of chanters on a scene that is already packed with established performers.

a�?When I started I did not have a single fan. If I come up with the goods people will respond to it. Ita��s that simple.

Whether people can access my material or not is another question but otherwise all things being equal and if people can listen to my music and it is played on radio people will like it if ita��s good,a�? he said.

While one could envisage a song like Chido finding traction with new dancehall fans even if it was released today because of its infectious melody, the most striking aspect of the song is its universal theme of love which Decibel believes makes him relatable to listeners.

a�?I dona��t believe that my major talent has been to sing very well. I think rather it is my taste in music. I know what people like. It doesna��t even need to be current. Ita��s all about being tuned into the human aspect of people. People like that sort of thing and if you put a melody and beat to it they will love it,a�? he said.

Decibel, who is now a qualified sound engineer, said that he had been initially active in the UK music scene before bread and butter issues took precedence.

a�?I arrived in the UK as an active musician and that continued for a couple of years. I took three years while I worked on my sound engineering so I took a step back from live performances.

a�?When I finished the course there was a void and I asked myself what I would have to do for money because I couldna��t then book shows because I had let the wave subside. I also wanted to reinvent myself. The obvious thing for me to do then was to go the scientist route so I dropped the microphone for the microscope and went back in the lab,a�? he said.

With his bank balance now healthy, Decibel feels that the time is now right for him to dust off his microphone and sing his way back into the limelight.

a�?Ia��m only now getting active and I havena��t particularly targeted the English scene. If something crosses over into that market then ita��s fine. I had to get the money right so thata��s what I have been doing for the last five years,a�? he said.

Things havena��t been all rosy for Decibel during his stay in the UK, with ex-wife Agnes Gudza telling local media in 2012 that he was a drunk who did not send money to his children back home. This has made the musician guarded about his family life.

a�?Generally I dona��t like to talk about my private life. Thick skinned as I am, my family is my weakness as they might not be as thick skinned as I am so I prefer that if people want to take shots at them they do so in the dark because they dona��t know what they are aiming at exactly,a�? he said.

Acknowledging the growth of dancehall since his departure, he named Killer T, Freeman and Souljah Luv as some of his favourites from the new wave of chanters.

a�?People that love dancehall, we were like a minority on the urban scene but now it seems like everybody loves it,a�? he said.