Drum Beat:Manicaland cheers her own

Standard People
A biblical proverb that says a prophet is not honoured in his land does not apply to Manicaland province when it comes to the relationship between musicians from that area and their local fans.

Here is a province that stands for everything that supporting local talent means. From grassroots level, artists know they have the backing of their immediate community in whatever they do.

Music followers that attended the recently held 21st Movement Gala in Chipinge or at least watched it on television would have recognised how the inhabitants of the province rallied behind their musicians.

Performances from Blessing Shumba, Agatha Murudzwa and Juicer Mupostori aroused emotional cheers among the thousands of fans that attended the event.

Juicer Mupostori is hardly known in mainstream music but his performance was one of the most popular acts of the day.

The young musician has the energy and zeal on stage but people from outside the province were probably seeing him for the first time. It was a wonder how this little-known musician would be met with such a wild response across the stadium but his roots said it all.

Unlike other musicians from the province that have taken their performances to other parts of the country, Juicer Mupostori is still thriving on the backing of his kinsmen. He has not done many shows outside his land of origin but he solely survives on music. He is making enough to put food on the table through local appreciation.

Maybe this support explains why music selection in bars and nightclubs in Chipinge were largely biased towards music from the province.

It also explains why Juicer Mupostori was not at all deterred by the presence of big names that boast national and even international following when he went on stage. He was a bubble of confidence.

Murudzwa has had her fair share of popularity across the country for one or two songs but very few will rate her among top musicians in the country. However, in Chipinge she was on the top of the world because she had all the support. Many fans confessed they are privy to many of her professional and private exploits in the town and they all see her as their own artist.

She took fans on a spiritual journey and thrilled them with praise songs. Throughout her performance, cheers showered upon the stage.

She was a bundle of joy when she went off the stage and confessed she had had a good day in office because performing at such an event was not an easy task. Everything was made easy for her because she was in her home ground.

In most parts of the country, music — unlike soccer — has not been localised to the extent of forging serious emotional attachments in the neighbourhood. It is common that musicians leave their provinces in search of greener pastures in bigger cities.

Although Murudzwa and veteran musician Hosea Chipanga at one time left Mutare to do their businesses in Harare, both never permanently settled in the capital and their place of comfort has always been Manicaland.

Then there was Assegai Crew that was led by the late Stobart Chidikano of the Kanyama Karipi fame. The group kept its base in Mutare although it would often spend some time in Harare for various projects.

Tendai Mparutsa rocked the country with Kana Matombo and he made it clear even through that song that he was a Samanyika (from Manicaland).

All these musicians’ confidence in their origins should have been hinged on support from home fans.

Shumba has conquered the nation with his touching gospel lyrics but he would not have been as comfortable as he was in Chipinge if the gala was in another province. He clearly pointed that he was proud of the support from his land.

I have been to Chimanimani Arts Festival on several occasions and, despite the presence of other nationally renowned musicians, fans in that area always rally behind their own.The gala in Chipinge said it all.

by Godwin Muzari