Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Richmore Tera
17 July 2008
Harare — MBIRA Dzenharira will tomorrow launch their eighth album Todya Pfora at the Book Café.
The album -- Tendai Gahamadze's second with a new look Mbira Dzenharira since the rest of the original members walked out on him about three years ago to form rival outfit Mawungira Enharira -- carries eight tracks steeped in the traditional mbira sound that people have come to expect from the group.
Gahamadze said they had been working vigorously to come with a product that would impress their fans and also re-consolidate their position as the leading mbira group.
"We have been working vigorously on the theme and compositions of the album.
"We decided to include three love songs, with the rest revolving around social, cultural and domestic issues," he said.
Gahamadze said Todya Pfora, whose accompanying DVD album they have just started working on, comes at a time when they were making preparations to tour South Africa at the end of August for a series of shows.
Ndomuwanepiko opens the album.
On it, Gahamadze narrates the story of a man/woman looking for a true lover who really cares and has a heart of gold.
Kumangerengere is about people's high but misplaced hopes they nurture when going abroad, only to find that their dreams were mere fantasies.
"The third track, Chakonyora, derives from a folk tale about a girl gifted with the talent of making beautiful incisions and tattoos (nyora) to the extent that her grandmother becomes jealousy of her, and sets a trap for her so that she could be devoured to death by a lion.
"It is her wit that saves her from the danger and the moral behind the story is that we should use our talents to conquer whatever challenges we might be facing in our lives," said Gahamadze.
The message in this song -- that of jealous -- is explored further in Munhu Wegodo.
The rest of the songs on the album include Nhai Mai Mwana, Ngoro Dzemoto, Mapatya and Ndomuwanepiko Instrumental.
Over the years, the group has turned the Book Café into a veritable home of mbira music playing there almost on a weekly basis.
Two years ago, Mbira DzeNharira squared off with Mawungira Enharira during a gig dubbed "Mbira Explosion."
Gahamadze is on record as saying his mission was to preserve the traditional instrument and beat and also act as its ambassador in and outside the Zimbabwean borders.
Todya Pfora is set to further cement this assertion.
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