Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Richmore Tera
9 September 2008
Harare — ZIMBABWEAN reggae music and artistes have been going through changes, with the genre at one time gaining popularity before taking a deep plunge.
The likes of Munya Brown and the late Culture T were at the forefront of the revival and popularity of the genre.
On the airwaves, DJs such as Man Soul Jah and Innocent Manase were legendary for promoting the beat through their radio programmes on the then Radio 3.
Of all these reggae advocates, one, Ras Trevor Hall, has been consistent in his crusade to keep reggae music alive.
Sadly, however, his mission seems to be a lone battle what with the likes of Culture T having passed away while others have literally gone off the radar.
Despite this, a lone voice singing from the wilderness of Kadoma, Justice Muchoni, has surfaced to make a bold declaration that Zimbabwean reggae music, despite the myriad challenges it is facing, is here to stay.
"Reggae by Zimbabwean musicians last made a huge impact in 2002 thereabouts.
"I give credit to the likes of Man Soul Jah and Innocent Manase who were the pillars of local reggae music, which they promoted through their radio programmes.
"But my grief now is that these days they are no longer promoting local reggae and the artistes," he said.
Simple Justice or Shumba Man as he is called in reggae circles, said it was necessary to promote local reggae music in the same way that other genres such as sungura and gospel music were being promoted.
He argued that reggae belonged to African people hence Zimbabweans had every reason to promote and embrace it as their own.
Sizzla once put it right when he said "dance in your yard before you dance abroad".
What this simply means is that one should first become big in his own home or country to be big abroad.
"So let's promote our own reggae musicians in order for them to become big wherever they might go. If Alick Macheso is managing to do it in sungura, why not us?" he said.
Shumbaman also dismissed the notion held by many people of reggae music as full of dirty lyrics that promote drug abuse.
"Reggae music is music with a message. However, it is viewed in bad light through the way some artistes use foul language in their lyrics.
"Jamaican musicians sing about mbanje in their songs, but we should desist from that practice because they have their own culture while we have ours.
"I don't see why local reggae musicians, or any artiste for that matter, should abuse drugs to enhance their performances," he said.
Shumbaman, however said he didn't believe in Rastafarianism let alone the belief held by some people of Haille Selassie as a Messiah, calling himself a Chiristian.
"I am a Chiristian, or Christofarian if you like. That is why I like reggae because it contains some very inspirational gospel messages," said Simple Justice.
But where did this man come from?
Born on February 2, 1975 in Mabvuku, Shumbaman has had a long winding musical journey before he could record and release his debut album Uri Wangu in 2002.
"I started singing along to (Bob) Marley's tunes when I was still very young. But I ventured into music seriously when I was about 15 after I had recorded my first demo tape. But it was not easy to penetrate the industry because radio stations preferred sungura music while the then Radio 3 (Power FM) had an inclination towards foreign especially Western music," he recalls.
In 1993, he recorded another demo tape Tapera Mambo on Aids awareness and on this, a German-based music producer Metaphysics assisted him.
"We struggled and struggled in music, formed several music groups such as Ghetto Posse, with whom I recorded my first popular song Bible So Nice in 1997 before being invited to Teen Scene the same year by Otis Fraser."
Shumbaman also had the chance of being the guest presenter of a youth-oriented programme, "Talent Up" on a private station MABC.
He again formed another group Black Roses in 1998, which was short-lived and only to be replaced by the Black Survivors that has survived until now.
It was with this group that Shumbaman recorded and released his current album My Moods last year.
Mateacher, a track taken off the same album, impressed on local radio.
"The long break in between has been necessitated by my studies and family commitments," said Shumbaman, who is working on a new album due to be released next month.
The musician, who sings with his six-year-old son Kudakwashe aka Capplers or Shumba Kid, said he aims to teach good morals through his music.
"If you are an artiste you are like a priest. You have an effect on people and the way they live. So musicians should mind their lyrics, they should not lead people astray.
"That is why the likes of Marley and Dembo had songs that were pregnant with very positive and meaningful lyrics," said the musician who is a salesperson by profession.
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