Guspy Warrior’s song Seunononga has caused a stir on the music scene. The street lingo used on the song hinges on mischief and is complemented by a sexually-suggestive dance style, as evidenced by its video.
BY SILENCE CHARUMBIRA
On the video, Lady Squanda gyrates for Guspy Warrior, while many other couples appear dancing in different raunchy styles.
This song, among many other dancehall tunes from the young musician, sets Guspy Warrior (real name Emmanuel Manyeruke) as the opposite of his father, Mechanic Manyeruke, an accomplished granddad of gospel music.
A mere comparison between the two musicians’ songs like the father’s Makorokoto or Moses and the son’s Seunononga leaves one convinced the artistes are worlds apart.
Music critics and followers have alleged a tumultuous relationship between the two because of this contrast.
Standardlife&style visited the two musicians at their house in Chitungwiza to get insight into their relationship and conflicting genres.
Manyeruke (now in his 70s) claims he has always supported his last born son, even when it was reported that he had once chased him away from home.
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Guspy Warrior says his music is not a departure from his father’s.
“I am 23 years old and that alone should tell a story,” said the dreadlocked singer.
And his father supports him: “Ndiyo nyika yanhasi” [That is what the world is today]. Manyeruke solidified his statement with a practical example.
“Some time back, I was invited to perform in the United Kingdom where I did not know I was to share the stage with Cliff Richards,” Manyeruke recalled.
“An interviewer asked me what I thought about pop and rap music in gospel. I answered him saying the only difference was that they [Western musicians] had more resources than us, but if we had them, they would be shocked one of the days when we outdid them.
“I have always supported him [Guspy Warrior]and I told him from the initial stages that he should make sure that he releases his voice when he sings.” According to Guspy Warrior, Seunononga was never intended to be explicit.
“Dancehall music mainly focussed on fighting or conflict and ganja [marijuana] but I felt dancehall musicians have fought for too long and thought of reviving the other key aspects of the genre, which is dance,” he said.
“It was merely to change the prevailing scenario. Dancehall is party music and that was my motive, although people say it is explicit.”
This argument appears void when one watches the song’s video on social network YouTube (almost 50 000 views) which has dancers exhibiting sexually suggestive dances throughout the track.
His father had a bit of background about his son.
“I remember when he was four years old, we travelled to the United Kingdom and entered a shop where they were playing a song; it must have been Bob Marley and Manu [short for Emmanuel] danced attracting a lot of attention from people of various races that were in the shop,” he said.
“We were given a present for his dancing that day and that is when I realised the young man had interest in music.”
Both Manyeruke and Guspy Warrior feel the only difference is on their genres and say what is important is that they are both musicians.
“My father is a painter, a farmer and a musician and I am a full-time musician. That is what I think is important,” said the dreadlocked musician.
His father said: “He should carry on since tese tichingorima munda, chakasiyana imbeu [we are both cultivating the same field, just that the crops are different].
According to his father Guspy Warrior’s aspirations were evident when he was in high school.
Back then the young man would sneak into his father’s home studio until he asked his elder sister to buy him a computer to start doing his own music.
But Guspy Warrior says his love for the art was defined when he joined the choir at Msengezi High School.
“Although I was not part of the famous Msengezi High School choir that managed to record, the experience assisted my vocal ability, as I learnt how to control my voice. It acted as vocal training and I did not need any such training when I started singing professionally,” he said.
Guspy Warrior claims he is a devout Christian who neither smokes nor takes alcohol.
