Zim musicians who died young

Bruce Ndlovu
In the past few weeks, Sam Mtukudzi has been the name on everyoneaï¿½ï¿½s lips, as the country remembered the life and career of a young artiste who passed away before his prime.

For music lovers, nothing is more pleasurable than witnessing an artisteaï¿½ï¿½s potential bloom to fulfill its promise.

The baby steps that take an artiste from a musical toddler to a fully grown titan in their chosen field are as interesting to watch as the products of the artiste that has reached his full potential.

With Sam Mtukudzi, the countryaï¿½ï¿½s music scene got an appetizer of what was to come but before they could devour the full meal, the feast was abruptly cut short.

While Samaï¿½ï¿½s rise was nipped in the bud, Zimbabwe has also witnessed other artistes who have been knocked off their perch after they had already set their mark on the music scene.

These are the artistes that passed away relatively young, while their music still dominated the airwaves and fans were still looking forward to years, if not decades, of their dominance.

System Tazvida (31)
Tazvida passed away when his band, Chazezesa Express was on the rise while his own reputation as a bona fide star and band leader was beginning to gather momentum. While the likes of Alick Macheso and Tongai Moyo were also ascending on the sungura ladder and preparing for their eventualAï¿½ ascent to the throne that had been left vacant by the death of Leonard Dembo, Tazvida passed away just before the new millennium leaving his band leaderless and his fans wondering what could have been. He died in 1999.

Beater Mangethe (32) Aï¿½
Best known for her role as Thuli in the classic Amakhosi production Stitsha, Mangethe would later show her prowess as a musician in her later years. With the runaway success of anthem, I Come from Makokoba, Mangethe seemed to be one of those rare gems that could excel either on the small screen or with a mic in their hands.

However, Makokobaaï¿½ï¿½s darlingaï¿½ï¿½s run was cut short as she passed away barely two months after her husband, soccer superstar Lenny Gwata, in 2010.

Jamal (37)
A number of love ballads were composed during the prime of urban groovesaï¿½ï¿½ popularity in Zimbabwe but few were as memorable as Jamal and Betty Makayaaï¿½ï¿½s Kurwizi. The song became the anthem of many a couple in love as Jamal and Betty traded verses and in the process wrote themselves into the countryaï¿½ï¿½s music history books. As the years wore on the power of Jamalaï¿½ï¿½s voice waned as illness gripped him, until he succumbed to what his mother disclosed was an AIDS related illness in 2013.

Chiwoniso Maraire (37)
For a few years Chiwoniso became the symbol of refined artistry in the country as her mastery of the mbira combined with her ability to appeal to Zimbabweans of all ages marked as more than a mere mbira wielder.

Chiwoniso made her grand appearance in 1995 with the internationally acclaimed album Ancient Voices, which seemed to herald the arrival of a new star in the music stage. The lustre of that star faded in 2013 when she passed away suffering from what was thought to be pneumonia.

Leonard Dembo (37)
Many still wonder what could have been had Dembo continued his reign as the countryaï¿½ï¿½s foremost Sungura musician. Known for the poetic musings in his lyrics, Musorowenyoka passed away when he was still a household name in Sungura, but not before he had given the country a timeless classic wedding favourite in Chitekete. He died in 1996.