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Zimbabwe: Dendera Music Set for Greater Heights
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 Published by the government of Zimbabwe |
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The Herald (Harare)
28 November 2007
Posted to the web 28 November 2007
Wonder Guchu
Harare
The launch in Harare last week of Suluman Chimbetu's debut album Ndomusiya Nani has obviously raised the stakes in the dendera music brand, coming as it does shortly after his uncle Allan's Professor.
With two tracks - Vanodei and Rukato composed by the late Simon Chopper Chimbetu - the album fits snugly into the dendera music groove. Not only does Suluman sound like his father, his mannerisms are reminiscent of the late king of dendera. With Moffat Nyamupandu, whose bass is the bedrock of dendera music, Ndomusiya Nani will appeal to fans who feared "Chopper" had taken with him the secrets of dendera to the grave.
Listening to Vanodei and Rukato is like listening to Simon because the song comes complete with the trademark ululations, the thumping bass guitar and the fast paced beat, which propelled the late musician high.
Of particular interest are the tracks -- Mwana Wangu, Sadaka, Murume Wangu and Maswera Sei? -- composed by Suluman himself. Dendera music, apart from its alluring beat, is largely about lyrics pregnant with meaning as evidenced by songs such as Ndarangarira Gamba, Samatenga, Pane Asipo, Marirangwe, Ndaremerwa, Sekuru Ndipeiwo Zano and One Way. While in Newspaper, Simon laments the lack of education, Suluman in Mwana Wangu encourages his listeners to take education seriously.
Suluman believes if a child goes to school and excels, he/she makes their parents proud. While the message itself is relevant, it's the way Suluman sounds like his father that is particularly striking. Sadaka captures the festive atmosphere that characterises Chewa celebrations. The song draws from the Chewa tradition where people go out of their way to make their relatives and friends happy.
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"Zvatinoita kwedu tichifadza wagona/kwedu tinokumbirana/pakufadza wagona tinobhedya hwai . . . kwedu pakufadza wagona tinokumbirana . . .", go some of the lyrics. Maswera Seiko? is a typical dendera song done in the mould of Pachipamwe. The title is taken from the song Mumwe Wangu which is about a man who is either dying or leaving the country and is at a loss over who will take care of his loved one. Sings Suluman: "Mumwe wangu ndomusiya nani pane varume vane utsinye/pane varume vakamuteya/ndiri parwendo rwurefu . . ."
If imitating his father makes Suluman a great artiste, then with this debut album, the 25-year-old has - like the "Chopper" his father was - taken off. And if sounding like his father is just his way of gaining a foothold in the cut-throat world of music, then Suluman has a hard act to follow.
The launch of the album, just like Suluman's live shows, was an emotional affair with fans literally flooding the Sports Diner stage with millions in bearer cheques.
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