Zimdancehall: The Past, Present and Future in Zimbabwean Music
By Evans Jona
Zim-Dancehall owes its origins to Jamaican reggae music which was popularised in the country by Bob Marley’s memorable performance at independence in 1980. Subsequent visits by other reggae artists such as UB40 (1984), Shabba Ranks (1993), Sizzla Kalonji (2010) and Capleton (2010) - among others - led to a number of people following of the genre as can be witnessed by massive turnouts at the events.
Local artists began to sing their own version of the dancehall type of reggae in the 1990’s with chanters such as Major E, Booker T and Potato gaining fans with their Jamaican-style lyricism.
The rise of Zim-Dancehall began after the 2000s with producers from in the ghetto using less prolific production software to produce music tracks. Artists such as Wallace ‘Winky D’ Chirumiko and King Labash gained popularity with Shona hits like ‘Gogo’ and ‘Kukonzeresa’, giving a local feel to the much competetive genre, reggae dancehall.
Tours by Jamaican artists to Zimbabwe showed that Zimbabwean music listeners were appreciating their own. In 2011 dancehall stars Sean Kingston and Mr Vegas came to Zimbabwe and received a rude awakening when local fans booed them offstage in preference of Zim artists such as Winky D and Donald ‘Sniper Storm’ Chirisa.
The ghetto began churning out more dancehall producers and artists, the likes of Mbare's PTK Records, Chillsport Records and Kenako Music to mention a few; and more people began to appreciate the genre because of its vernacular, contextual feel. In 2013, Zim-Dancehall finally gained full recognition as a serious music genre in the country when a show was organized which was aptly entitled The Battle for the King and Queen of Zim-Dancehall, featuring Jamaican star Sheldon ‘Turbulence’ Campbell as a special guest.
In early 2014, the first Zim-Dancehall Music Awards were held in honour of artists, producers, promoters as well as entertainment journalists who supported the rise of the music form.
The ‘king’ of Zim-Dancehall is arguably Winky D, who walked away from third annual award ceremony of 2015 with four nominations including Best Male Artist. The artist has been around since the beginning of the genre and has proven his undisputed prowess onstage alongside top Jamaican artists including Sean Paul, Capleton (2010) with some reports suggesting that he stole the show from both Sean Kingston and Mr Vegas in 2011.
The hit of the moment by Winky D is 'MuGarden' a collaboration with Gemma Griffiths, a Zimbabwean musician based in Cape Town, South Africa.
The sprawling neighbourhood of Chitungwiza are the domain of Zim-Dancehall’s leading female artist Muchaneta ‘Lady Squanda’ Gazi, who has also ventured into acting. She has been linked to controversy in recent times with accusations of faking her own death to gain popularity to stealing gate takings at a show. Her songs include ‘Handidi Kukutadzira’ featuring Freeman, ‘I Like That’ (2012), ‘Holy Ghost’ (2012) and ‘Squanda Fire’.
She has been to the UK and South Africa, where she has staged shows for mostly Zimbabwean nationals.
Saul ‘Soul Jah Love’ Musaka is currently riding a wave of success both locally and in communities of Zimbabweans living outside the country. The chanter shot to fame in 2013 with a controversial song called ‘Gum Kum’, whose sexual connotations can be seen in the video of the track.
A versatile artist whose style swings from relaxed and effortless to militant and aggressive, he has been endorsed by a local clothing manufacturer to market their fashionable outfits. A previous sponsor has also provided the artist with a classy H2 Hummer vehicle, which he was spotted driving in and around Harare.
Other hit songs include ‘Pamamonya Ipapo’, ‘Chigayo’, ‘Yeke Yeke’ and ‘Naka Dhula Dhaka’. The artist is also famous for singing a tribute song to the former president Robert Mugabe called 'Zimbabwe' and also a diss song called 'Souljah Love Zvinhu' in protest of being embarassed by a Zanu PF youth leader Innocent Hamandishe at a Zanu PF Youth Interface Rally in 2017.
Tawanda ‘Seh Calaz’ Mumanyi hails from Mbare, Harare’s oldest high-density suburb, and has a hit song called ‘Mumota Murikubvira’ featuring Jamaican artist Turbulence, which was produced during the latter’s brief visit to Zimbabwe late 2013. Mumanyi has a smooth voice, which he uses to deliver songs that mainly portray life in his bustling neighbourhood, including ‘Mabhanditi’, ‘Basa Rangu’, ‘Marasta Maoko Mudenga’ and ‘Varikuumba Daka’ featuring Soul Jah Love.
He has also joined other artists in staging shows outside the country in South Africa, the UK and Australia.
There is another artist who has gained popularity in Zimdancehall circles as from August 2018. Enzo Ishall is the stage name of the Zimbabwean musician and Zimdancehall artist Stephen Kudzanai Mamhere.
Enzo Ishall is popular for his hit songs "Kanjiva" and "Handirare Kuden Kwenyu." The songs were produced by Mbare based record label Chillspot records. Enzo Ishall’s Kanjiva video was the 2018 Coca-Cola ZBC Top 50 best video.
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