Music promoter, legal practitioner and sungura musician Panganayi Hare, known as Mukoma Panga in showbiz circles, believes he has a lot to offer to the local arts industry and is happy with his strides to date.
By Takemore Mazuruse
His first album Mbuva Yehwiza, a 2019 production, got Zimbabwe Music Awards (Zima) and National Arts Merit Awards (Nama) nominations. He is currently working on his second album after releasing two singles during the course of the year.
“Sungura music is my first love and I actually believe it has become a part of our culture. I am a farmer and practicing lawyer, but my love for sungura lured me into music recording and I hope to be hitting the stage post-Covid-19,” Mukoma Panga told Standard Style.
“My drive is to produce good music that educates and entertains the masses. I am inspired by sungura music pacesetters like Leonard Dembo, Nicholas Zakaria and Alick Macheso. I am happy to be playing my part in preserving this genre.”
Mukoma Panga grew up in Rusape, Manicaland province, and started his education at St Joseph’s Primary School. He then moved to Vengere High School before enrolling at Marist Nyanga for his Advanced Levels.
“I love farming. I love travelling and visiting places of tourist attraction in our country and beyond our borders. I also enjoy reading widely and watching soccer. Of course, listening to music is one of my major interests,” he said.
“I did not move into music, but music moved into me. I was born a music lover, a music fanatic actually. I have worked with and promoted a number of musicians in the country. Some of the musicians I have promoted include the late Oliver Mtukudzi, Simon ‘Chopper’ Chimbetu, Tongai Moyo, Beater Mangethe, Alick Macheso, Nicholas Zakaria, Sulumani Chimbetu, Tryson Chimbetu, Progress Chipfumo, Lovemore Majaivana, Cephas Mashakada, Hosea Chipanga, Madiz and Pengaudzoke, among others. At one stage l also jointly promoted Kofi Olomide while several dance groups like Mambokadzi, Girls La Music and many others also passed through my hands.”
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With all that vast experience in the arts industry, Mukoma Panga believes he now knows the ins and outs, do’s and don’ts of the music industry and is excited about his new journey as a fully fledged sungura musician.
“I have moved a gear up and would like to reform the industry especially in the sungura genre. I call myself the sungura reformer. I want to bring class and the executive look and feel into the sungura genre from our dressing, quality videos and even the way we relate to corporates and all stakeholders in the industry. We want to give sungura the business look,” Mukoma Panga said.
His first album Mbuva yeHwiza produced in 2019 carried six tracks among them Panganayi featuring Ethel Musonza, Zvibatwa, Mariah featuring Somandla Ndebele, JoJo NaJojina, Zinonganonga and Mandiregerera.
This year he produced two singles Chibhakera and Uri Wangu featuring Agatha Murudzwa off the forthcoming album and the two are receiving favourable airplay. He is working on his second album to be produced in 2021 and he expects even more success.
“I am happy with the success of my first album as well as the two singles I released this year. I have also produced three videos to date for the songs Panganayi, Chibhakera and Uri Wangu,” he said.
“My next album is coming in the first quarter of 2021 and the working title is Pfimbi Yegudo. As usual, we did our best and our fans should expect fireworks.
Mbuva Yehwiza announced my arrival on the music scene as a recording artiste and left footprints. Pfimbi Yegudo will show that we are now a force to reckon with and silence all doubting Thomases,” he said.
Hare believes in the power of sungura music and continues to draw inspiration from artistes like Macheso and the late Moyo, Chimbetu and Mtukudzi.
“Sungura is part of our culture. It’s our heartbeat as far as music is concerned. It educates and entertains. There are invaluable lessons from most sungura and the entertainment value is second to none. My goal is to improve and maintain that rich sungura songs legacy,” he said.
“I want to write songs with powerful messages and produce new and entertaining sounds. The hope is to improve and if necessary reform on what our living and departed legends in the genre started. Sungura lives and sungura is forever.”
Mukoma Panga, who recently signed a brand management deal with a local agency, said he was set for the top and thanked God for seeing him through all the life challenges.
“I am grateful to God because l have not faced many challenges in my musical career. However, like other artistes, the major hurdle in the industry is piracy which is a cancer. All stakeholders need to join hands and fight this scourge,” he said.
“This industry requires a professional approach and I have engaged a professional agency to manage all my affairs so that my brand can compete on both the local and international market.”
