adminBruce Ndlovu Showbiz Correspondent
THE popularity and influence of great musicians rarely stops or ends with their death. Deceased artistes who make timeless music can keep, and sometimes even expand their fan bases on the strength of the material that they would have left behind.With this in mind it is no wonder that the discography of some artistes gains in popularity after their demise. It takes more than death’s knock on musical genius’ door to separate them from their devoted fans.
Internationally late artistes like, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Tupac Shakur are still raking in the big dollars long after they breathed their last and, in some cases, surpassing the financial achievements of prominent artistes that are still alive and active. The height of this fascination with dead artistes was reached in 2012 when a computer generated hologram brought Shakur, who passed away in 1996, back on stage in front a 1,000 strong crowd at the Coachella Festival in Los Angeles.
In Zimbabwe this phenomena is even more evident, with fans staying loyal to the music of their favourite musicians even long after they have passed away or are no longer active in the music industry.
However, unlike in other parts of the globe where the music of dead artistes is merely idolised, Zimbabwean music audiences are not content with just owning a piece of music memorabilia belonging to their favourite artiste. Music fans in the country are open to a reincarnation of their favourite artiste, with many an uncle or son serving as a vessel to channel the spirit of a deceased musician.
If handled right, the music of dead artistes is a fountain of water in the financial drought that usually accompanies their passing.
Provided there is a prince or princess willing to ascend the throne after the founder of a musical dynasty has passed away, proceeds from shows can provide relief for the bereaved family after their breadwinner has died.
However, the aftermath of the demise of an artiste has more often than not delivered a dose of chaos and disappointment. While there has been no shortage of takers for the music of deceased artistes, the problem instead has been the number of pretenders to the throne. This is most noticeable in the case of the Chimbetu family which has seen them splinter into groups.
Instead of unifying around the popular Dendera music brand, the family has instead broken up into different factions with each fighting the other over the right to play Simon Chimbetu’s music.
With plans for reconciliation seemingly in tatters, our sister paper The Sunday Mail last week revealed that while Simon’s son Sulumani had dedicated the whole of August to the remembrance of his father, his cousin Tryson was also organising his own commemoration gig.
Bulawayo musician Jeys Marabini believes that, like all matters of inheritance in Zimbabwe, big families complicate the issue as some will emerge to cash in on the music of a prolific dead relative the same way some prey on property. Thus, he believes, artistes should make sure they specify in their wills the person who they wish continues their musical legacy to avert the sort of disharmony that the Chimbetus are experiencing.
“Artistes should really consider including provisions in their wills for this sort of thing, otherwise it will be easy for my uncle or cousin to just emerge after my death to stake a claim to my music,” he said.
Another family in Zimbabwean music royalty with problems after the passing away of a prominent musician is the Dembo family which, unlike the Chimbetus, is failing to find any suitable heir to their illustrious throne.
In previous interviews, Leonard Dembo’s eldest son has revealed the reasons for their failure to follow the same footsteps as Sulumani and Peter Moyo, son to Tongai Moyo.
“Ours is a more painful journey because unlike Sulumani Chimbetu and Peter Moyo, we never watched our father performing and for us to entertain any hopes of getting anywhere close to what he achieved, we have to up our game,” he said.
Marabini believes the simple way to counter what the Dembos are facing is for artistes to acquaint their children with their music just in case anything happens to them. If the children of artistes can be familiarised with the craft of their parents, he says, it would smoothen their ascendancy to the roles their parents would have vacated with their death or retirement.
“This is really a big problem for us as artistes because being involved in the music industry or running a band is really a big task that cannot be taken lightly. We should take our kids to our shows from an early age because they are the ones that will have to inherit this heavy burden,” he said.
So far, the revival of an artiste’s music by their offspring or close relatives has been a hit and miss situation. Of all the heirs of past musical darlings, only Sulumani has hit the big time with hits of his own while also breathing new life into the classics left behind by his father. Chase Skuza, riding on the wave of his later brother Solomon’s smash hit Banolila, also managed to forge a career of his own.
For others, however, the road has not been as rosy with many struggling to live up to the billing of their predecessors. The sons of Lovemore Majaivana, Dembo and Tongai Moyo have found the going tough, with only limited successes to their names, hence proving that music may not, after all, be a family affair.
Online Reporter