Musicians react in emotionally tense election week

Standard Style
At a time uncertainty clouded the elections outcome this past week, there are artistes who have expressed their misgivings over the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s delay to announce the presidential election results, deplored the death of civilians in the ensuing protest and the disputed outcome.

At a time uncertainty clouded the elections outcome this past week, there are artistes who have expressed their misgivings over the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s delay to announce the presidential election results, deplored the death of civilians in the ensuing protest and the disputed outcome.

by Kennedy Nyavaya

Tytan

While music heavyweights, including Jah Prayzah, Winky D and Oliver Mtukudzi, expectedly chose to remain quiet, others took to micro-blogging site twitter to register their concerns.

“These pictures and smiles don’t matter when what lies beneath them is pain. They have robbed us of happiness, the future and our love and without that we do not live, but survive,” pop singer Tytan captioned a picture on his twitter account @TytanTheOne.

The Bho singer, whose grief could be felt in a series of messages, suggested that people should desert the country as nothing good was happening owing to a flawed political system.

“We just need to leave Zim, nuke it and just accept that we are refugees. It’s the same thing vele, but a better reality because we feel like refugees in our own country anyway,” he said.

Award-winning female rapper Christabelle Mahlungwa, aka Kikky Badass, shared the sentiments suggesting she would renounce her citizenship.

“I’m so angry because people were just saying we want change on social (media), but didn’t even vote. I’m really angry. I can’t, I’m changing my nationality, I hate being Zimbabwean.Which other country has suffered the way we have suffered? Mwariii muripiko? (God where are You?),” she posted.

Revered producer Sanii Makhalima, also weighed in denouncing deployment of the military:

“So army is FIRST line of defence and not LAST. We are being policed by the army whilst the world watches in awe,” he said, adding that his political rant was a constitutional right.

“Who will be accountable for a ballot that was stolen in 2008, 2013 and now 2018…Go check EDs campaigns where he declared himself winner…He even says Zanu ‘inorakasha’,” said Makhalima responding to one twitter user.

After the announcement of presidential poll results, the mood further darkened for some.

“So I guess it’s five more years of rates, no water, load shedding, no or low paying jobs which pay next to nothing, making great songs and getting (peanuts), watching Ana wizkid live our dreams and living kumba kwaMomz. Chest pains for the rest of the month,” said multi award-winning producer Tatenda ‘Take Fizzo’ Jenami.

Of late, musicians have been uncharacteristically finding their voices in the political sphere, something that used to be unheard of owing to fear.

some musicians prefer using music lyrics as a way to relay their disgruntlement and only time will tell if the current political cloud will be turned into song in the not too distant future.