Londile Moyo
Bruce Ndlovu Sunday Life Reporter
AT first, it sounded like one of those ideas that belong more in imagination than reality.
A Bulawayo-based imbube outfit steeped in the city’s acapella tradition, joining forces with a Harare-bred jiti-hitmaker known for his fast-paced, guitar-driven grooves seemed impossible.
In terms of music, the two seemed like a mismatched couple, one whose offspring seemed guaranteed to be deformed and unhealthy.
Rarely has Zimbabwe seen these two genres come close to each other, let alone join hands to come up with an undeniable.
Yet, in a country where music often thrives on the unexpected, Amaqaqa and Baba Harare have turned contrast into chemistry, producing a collaboration that has not only captivated audiences but also racked up over 500 000 views in just a month on YouTube.
A month after what could have easily been a cultural clash, their collaboration on Rese has become a masterclass in musical unity.
It is a product that caught many by surprise, as it meshed two worlds that seemed destined never to meet.
In an interview with Sunday Life, Amaqaqa member Mohau Ncube peeled back the curtain on a collaboration that has quickly become the talk of the nation.
According to Ncube, members of the group were as surprised as their fans when they learnt that Baba Harare wanted to go into the studio with them.
“It actually started with Baba Harare,” said Ncube.
“He sent his stuff through his representatives and fortunately, we managed to communicate with him directly. We shared our idea, and luckily, he was very much interested.”
From the moment that Baba Harare made his request, the distance between Harare and Bulawayo shrank, bridged not just by shared vision, but by technology.
But perhaps the real story was not about the crossover smash hit.
In an industry were sticking with what has worked in the past is common, the collaboration showed what happens when artistes choose curiosity over comfort, collaboration over competition.
In a world that often rewards staying in one lane, Amaqaqa and Baba Harare have taken a different route, one that winds through Renkini, echoes in Makokoba, and stretches far beyond Zimbabwe’s borders
“We used technology a lot to stay in touch. But there were also days when he came through for rehearsals, very short ones, but important. By the time we met physically, he was already in love with the concept.”
That early buy-in proved crucial.
Egos can derail even the most promising projects but Rese collaboration thrived on humility and mutual respect.
“What made that collaboration nice and easy was that you could tell he was dedicated to it. He came to us on some days before the recording. When that happened, we had to do some rehearsals.
“After two or three rehearsals, we then had to go to the studio. He brought his instrument and we brought our voices and things moved from there. The guy is very flexible and very friendly. He listened to our ideas, and he was very humble and so in the end, it was all very easy,” he said.
Still, ease did not mean simplicity.
Blending imbube, a genre defined by layered harmonies and cultural storytelling, with the energetic pulse of jiti required more than just goodwill.
It demanded reinvention.
“He had the beat and lyrics down already. But we had to change the arrangement. We redid the song, added our imbube style, sang in SiNdebele, and that completely changed the outlook.”
The result is a song that moves seamlessly between two worlds: the rhythmic urgency of jiti and the soulful depth of imbube.
It is a conversation between languages, cultures and histories.
“Mixing two different genres, sung in two different languages, makes everything a bit more complicated. However, despite the challenges that can come from that, music is universal and we have embrace that diversity.
“Music should touch all corners of the globe regardless of genre or language and that is the spirit in which we tackled this collaboration. We were scared of mixing imbube and jiti.
“As Amaqaqa, we have told ourselves that music should not be confined to certain boundaries. We have done this in the past with artistes from other genres,” Ncube said.
While they might not have known that the song (Rese) would become a smash hit, Ncube said that this cocktail of styles had, if anything, made sure that the rewards for the risk taken was more sweater.
“We were scared at first. But as Amaqaqa, we believe music should not be confined to boundaries. We have worked with other genres before and we will continue to do so,” he said.
That philosophy extends beyond sound. For Amaqaqa, collaboration is as much about community as it is about creativity.
Part of that appeal lies in the video itself, a vibrant visual tapestry that pays homage to Bulawayo’s cultural heartbeat.
“We started filming at Renkini because we wanted to represent the old Renkini, a cultural landmark. We did not use the new buses. We stuck to the traditional ones to preserve authenticity,” Ncube said.
From there, the production shifted to Makokoba, another iconic setting, grounding the video in the lived experiences of the city.
“We had to represent our Bulawayo, even as we worked with someone from another province,” he said.
However, despite their desire to represent Bulawayo, Ncube said the song and video, was an example of what could happen when the country’s musicians worked closely together.
“We are apolitical. Some artistes have a silo mentality, but we do not discriminate. Music heals. People find comfort in it. We want to take imbube to another level, but without trying to be anyone else.”
In a subtle nod to the giants who came before them, Amaqaqa are clear about their identity. They do not want to be just another imbube group, hanging on the coattails of legends that influenced them.
“We are not trying to be Black Mambazo or any other stalwarts. We are building our own path. And it starts here at home. If we do not uplift each other in Zimbabwe, then we do not stand a chance internationally,” Ncube said.
According to Ncube, even the wardrobe choices were meant to tell a story of two different worlds embracing each other.
“We did not want anyone to abandon their usual costumes. We wanted it to be clear that we were bringing together two distinct styles. We coordinated every movement.
“Baba Harare had to follow our lead and do exactly what we taught him. Then there is a moment where we switch to jiti that is when he comes in with his own contribution.”
It is in those moments, the handover from imbube to jiti, from Bulawayo to Harare, that the collaboration becomes a piece of magic that many did not think they could ever witness.
Interestingly, the collaboration also reignited conversations around Baba Harare’s musical direction, particularly following his recent leanings towards gospel.
“This collaboration has brought him back into the mainstream in a big way,” Ncube observed.
Online Reporter