Chronicle Editor
Saturday Leisure Reporter
The voices, guitars, drums, beats, mixed with passion and inner motivation produce nothing but the best of quality. Since its hatching in 2012, Vubachikwe Band stands out as a favourite in the Gwanda community.
The birth of the band came after years of abortive attempts with each member trying to fit in another community band, but ultimately failing. The group is a formation of individuals who have been in the music circles but without an identity.
The band gives ear satisfaction to the community through performing at community fun days, Government events, social campaigns and other organised events.
Positively, Vubachikwe Band plays an educating role and at the same time fulfils an entertaining function.
In a mixture of both Shona and Ndebele, the band has songs that fight against child abuse, songs that advocate for safety, health and the environment in the mining community.
In 2018, the band gained the favour of Allan Dolan, the Vubachikwe Mine boss, who stretched his hand to sponsor the music team by assisting them in getting equipment and economically employing all the band members at the mine.
Their sungura sounds and unique way of playing gets them invited at Heroes Day commemorations, agricultural shows, and police campaigns.
Most notable is their awesome song addressing the safety system known the world over as the five point system. For music meant to be didactic, it is an awesome composition that has won acclaim from management and the owner for the service it provides to the mine and mine workers.
For a celebrated health and safety community like Vubachikwe, the Five Point System song by these stars can be credited for helping achieve such a stellar safety track record which is the envy of many. There may have been other songs addressing the Five Point system, but none will come within a country mile of being as good as these stars’ composition.
However, the band bemoans the inadequacy of resources, especially financially, so that they can record their music and have air time on radios for the band marketing. Unavailability of transport inconveniences their movement and their empire stretching hopes.
“We usually go around looking for places to perform but they always ask for our previously recorded music, since we do not have anything recorded yet we end up performing for free so that they hear us first and consider if they can hire us to perform,” cried Hlupeko Chiwenga, the band drummer and backing vocalist.
“Our hope and prayer is to have a studio session and record our songs so that we get to market ourselves in every city and province so that when we go there, they would already be informed about us”, stated John Bushe, the Band Rhythm guitarist, and manager.
“In spite of the fact that we are not getting anything financially, the passion we share of music is what wakes us every day to make music for our community,” explained Special Jonasi, the guitarist.
It is fascinating how the composition of the songs happen, one comes with A and the other members come on with ideas until they get to the Z of the song. Gaylord Hamura the lead vocalist said: “One of us comes up with an idea he wants us to sing about, then the next one composes a line, another fixes the tune, and everyone contributes equally to the composition of the song.”
Beauty being inevitable, the band once won the provincial Chibuku Road to Fame competitions and went on to the national finals and finished in top five.
Giving back to the community, and appreciating the support they get, the band plays for free when the Vubachikwe Football team plays. Vubachikwe FC plays in Division 1 and is hoping to play in the Zimbabwe premier league.
The Vubachikwe band is another form of gold that the community produced, a treasure that a nation can appreciate. It is already booked for Christmas shows in Mberengwa, Mataga. The band is excited to have a chance to share the cake with the Midlands community in December celebrations, having a show on the 24th of December in Mataga.
The guild has nine men, who contribute to the manufacturing of the royal music, John Bushe, the rhythm guitarist; Special Jonasi who directs the bass guitar; Gaylord Hamura, the leading vocalists and the lead guitar scratcher; Hlupeko Chiwenga rhythm guitarist and drummer; Simon Ndlovu the sub rhythm guitarist and Iron Masimba another drummer.
Brighton Zhou, Forget Nkala and Augustine Ncube are the three on the dancing frontline.
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