I have nothing against upcoming Afro-jazz artists Gary Tight and Mbeu – both have great voices.
But Christmas comes once a year. There is no time to waste in life. Experiments for the sake experiments are not good – it is time these two not-so-young artistes start real work. I think it is time they release albums.
If you have ever been to a Gary Tight or Mbeu show, you would know that these two artists’ performances are world class. But unfortunately, they perform almost for the same little crowd every week at every other venue.
There are hardly any new faces in the audience. If Mbeu and Gary are not curtain-raising for some other artist as time pushers while the venue fills up, they are entertaining lunchtime guests at some restaurant.
It has been a number of years now since they got into the game and these boys are getting comfortable running on copyrights, music no-one will remember them for. This is on the back of serious talent and potential. Because these boys have no albums to their names; Sam Dondo, that disparaged man-child, who lives his brother (Thompson Dondo)’s dream, singing the music his brother composes, while he shows no interest whatsoever in being an artist, is a better musician than them.
Dondo plays “his own” music, at least, and has albums to his name.
There is no competition for the big names in the industry right now. If Oliver Mtukudzi and Jah Prayzah are touring the world while the likes of Winky D (generally inactive), Alick Macheso, Suluman Chimbetu, Peter Moyo and Andy Muridzo are out of town (Harare) – it simply means show-goers have nowhere to enjoy live music. This is an anomaly.
Last year Macheso spent most of his time performing in the outskirts and Jah Prayzah was limiting his shows, there was no one to stage a big gig in Harare. That picture is worth a thousand words.
Gary and Mbeu have an advantage that they were all groomed by the legendary Tuku but they are not utilising what was imparted on them for a greater good – they are content with picking up crumbs that fall from the tables of the likes of Jah Prayzah.
Promoters cannot invest in your (Gary and Mbeu) music because you don’t have your own projects that they might want to invest in. Remember Tocky Vibes? That guy that failed manage his fame and lacked focus. He is back to being an upcoming artist. Mbeu promised an album early last year (2017) but we are now in 2018.
Take for instance the return of ExQ last year – it was because he was recording songs and that made him awaken some of his fans who were starved. Gary Tight, I believe you are one of the best vocalists we have in Zimbabwe, remember the performance you pulled off at the Tarrus Riley show in Zimbabwe last year … that was an indication that you can go far.
It is high time you guys stop performing for empty chairs and stand your own ground so that you start to be brands that can market Zimbabwean music to the world. Open your eyes and see that Macheso, Sulu, Jah Prayzah, Winky D at al are not having replacements or competition in their genres. Keep them on their toes.
