Even record companies were hesitant to do album launches. We would learn through radio or newspapers that so and so had released an album. There was no ceremony to celebrate any album and interaction between musicians and fans was only limited to live shows.
Some albums just went unnoticed because their arrival was not announced. When I was growing up, information of new and exciting music mainly came from a programme that was known as Top 20 on Radio 2 (now Radio Zimbabwe) and any song that was making it big on the charts would be deemed a hit.
If radio presenters and those that voted for the songs in the programme did not identify a song or album, it was difficult to learn that a new album was on the market. There were always instances when many albums, and songs would come to the limelight well after they had been released.
At times we would learn about a new album, especially from a new musician, so many months after its release. The new trend that I have mentioned above is a fascinating development that has just fallen upon us. Whoever started with serious album launches has done very well because we can now follow albums as they come.
City Sports Bar: Popular with musicians with new products
The market has seen so many well-organised launches in the past couple of months where people that matter in the local music industry are invited to sample new albums.
Such events have often received massive coverage from the media and this has helped fans realise that a new product has entered the market. These launches have become celebratory events where musicians and record companies invite people from all walks of life to have a feel of new products, live on stage. I should hasten to say there is a venue in town that has become synonymous with these launches. The venue is City Sports Bar.
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For those that might have missed launches at the bar, musicians that unveiled their albums at the venue include Somandla Ndebele, First Farai, Jossam Chimbalanga, Daiton Somanje, Mambokadzi, Hosiah Chipanga, Nicholas Zacharia, Sugar Sugar and Papa Tongo among others.
It has mainly been a venue for sungura album launches but last week Diva Mafunga, a gospel musician also launched his album there. I remember attending a launch for Tongai Moyo’s album at Sports Diner about two years ago and I also recall attending Sulumani Chimbetu’s launch of Non-Stop at Jazz 105.
Joyce Simeti also launched an album at a local hotel and invited a few guests for the function. Ehyara Mathazia also had a brilliant album launch while Black Bird followed suit. That was the beginning of this album launch trend.
Needless to say, launches are a new way of announcing and marketing new albums. In the past, we would just read about album launches on show posters and there was no demarcation between a show and a launch. A musician would just include the phrase “launching new album” on a show poster while in real sense there would be nothing at the show to differentiate the launch from usual performances.
Those that have been following the new trend will realise that album launches are now being done on Wednesdays when there would be no regular live shows. This has given a good chance for musicians to support each other at such events.
I was so excited to realise that musicians can actually rally behind each other that much when Daiton Somanje, Chipanga and Mafunga launched their albums. Although it was a function that was mainly organised by the musicians’ record stable, it was interesting that musicians from other labels came to support their colleagues. There was Tongai Moyo, Kireni Zulu, First Farai, Sulumani Chimbetu and many other musicians at the launch.
It was such a unifying event and I can foresee the culture of album launches gaining so much interest among musicians, record companies and fans. Feedback: [email protected]
