Brian Samaita ropes in Blessing Shumba in new project

Standard Style
Music promoter-cum-musician Brian Samaita has roped in gospel sensation Blessing Shumba for his new album set for release in August.

Music promoter-cum-musician Brian Samaita has roped in gospel sensation Blessing Shumba for his new album set for release in August.

By Staff Reporter

The Murondatsimba Express frontman last week told The Standard Style that his five-track album will also feature a gospel track that he did with Shumba. “I am yet to name the album,” he said. “It contains five tracks and one of them is a gospel song that I did with Shumba.”

Samaita, a long-time friend of the late sungura ace Tongai “Dhewa” Moyo, said songs on the forthcoming project would tackle social issues.

“The message in the songs is clear. I am trying to highlight issues to do with love, family, religion and other social issues,” he said.

The musician, who released his third five-track album titled Tsono early last year, took a swipe at local radio stations for shunning his music. He said his songs that include Murodzi Wepfungwa, Dzinza Rake, Sando Dzangu, Kabasa, Tinosvika Chete and Simon Zuze were only receiving airplay from one local radio station.

“I want to thank National FM for playing my songs without asking for any favours from me. Other stations are not playing my music for reasons best known to them,” he said.

Samaita has three albums — Nemiwo Munazvo, Murodzi Wepfungwa and Tsono — which he said were better received in Mozambique than in Zimbabwe. The musician grew up in Chinhoyi where he did his primary and secondary education. He did a course in engineering and worked for a transport firm in the town, before he was transferred by the company to Mutare.

“In Mutare, I met Spencer Kumulani, now with Utakataka Express, who later introduced me to Somandla Ndebele. I was so in love with Barura music, so Soma took me to Tongai Moyo who at that time was playing some kind of Barura music,” said Samaita.

“We became friends with ‘Dhewa’ and he supported me as I embarked on my solo career. I also supported him as a promoter until his death in 2012. I managed to release my first album Nemiwo Munazvo in 2012 and it did very well on radio stations. Soma did the backing vocals on all the songs on the album.”

Samaita, who of late has been performing at weddings and corporate functions in Manicaland, said piracy was killing the music industry.