By Gilbert Munetsi
Located a stone’s throw away from Zengeza 2 Shopping Centre (paGaza), “Berma Valley” is an informal leisure spot where multitudes of unemployed youths from the suburb and surrounds gather for a smoke and plan for the day’s hustle.
It derives its name from the lingo kubhema (smoking) and the environment is never short of swirling cigarette smoke and other puff substances not so legal.
Prior to the the Covid-19-induced lockdown, pastimes at this open space along Hombarume Road also included pool, poker and impromptu musical rehearsals which have since given birth to numerous artistes who are now household names, particularly of the Zimdancehall genre.
Literally translated, Hombarume means successful hunter and true to the meaning, this road has churned out many-a-renowned chanter.
Hwindi President, Dadza D, Winza, Dash, Lady Squanda, Scadda T, Lenny G—all these and more have at one time passed time at Berma Valley and owe allegiance, inspiration and counsel to it.
It is your equivalent of Chill Spot in Mbare, the difference being that there is no building or studio at Berma Valley.
Just 20 metres within the radius of this popular open space is home to one of the most prominent managers of Zim dancehall artistes in the country, Madzibaba Tatenda of Boss Tate Entertainment (BTE) fame.
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While it’s not very common that a member of the Johanne Masowe sect — and a leader for that matter — would subscribe to a type of music generally associated with drug abuse, notoriety and sometimes vulgar lyrics, Madzibaba Tate is in love with it.
Since the age of 20, he has sacrificed his name and fame in the religious circles to bail out many talented youths from Berma Valley and beyond to the extent of registering a musical stable which will soon be officially launched and cater for Chitungwiza musicians.
What is unique about BTE’s set-up is that it will not be going it alone, but will be riding on the back of a couple of corporates that have committed to working with it on this ambitious project. One such is FBL, a regional company that has interests in energy.
“Soon after launch, we will be running a competition for local studios where producers stand a chance to win a state-of-the-art studio kit. We will ask them to produce six songs for a riddim they would have made and we will then put the vote to the Chitungwiza public to choose who they consider to have produced the best.
“Thereafter, comes the competition for the artistes themselves and we will put at stake a car to be driven away by the winner in this category.
“All this is aimed at motivating the players in Zimdancehall, including those who work tirelessly behind the scenes. That (competition) will remain an annual event on our calendar with the objective of promoting outstanding and polished works,” said Boss Tate.
“What has motivated me the most to work with the ghetto youths of Chitungwiza is that I share the poor-boy-makes-good story with them.
“I grew up among some of them or their folks, listening to Zim dancehall from the time of its inception. It is a type of music I identify with and love owing to its relation to the life script of many young men and women in Chitungwiza and other ghettos throughout the country.
“But being someone who is a spiritual leader, I have taken this opportunity to mentally and spiritually rehabilitate a good number of youngsters who would have gone astray were it not for the morals and values I instill in them,” he said.
But the turning point that subsequently made him decide to actively participate in musical programmes came when a group of artistes invited him to a local studio to experience, first-hand, how they produced their works.
Once there, he was attracted to the performance on one teenager (name withheld) whom he was later to learn was an orphan who had no home.
“l took him in and provided a home, clothing, transport, studio time and acquired a passport for him so he could travel regionally to perform.
“Over the years l have been doing this just to bail the ghetto youths out until recently when I thought I now needed to breathe some professionalism into the way I do things.
“And to be able to preach discipline and other ethos that make a complete artiste, it is important to sign them on so that for a given period of time, we work together to achieve certain set goals. There is great need for an element of belonging to an institution,” he added.
Yesteryear, Chitungwiza was renowned for being home to the largest concentration of sungura and gospel musicians.
Among these were John Chibadura, Leonard Dembo, James Chimombe, Marshall Munhumumwe, System Tazvida, Cephas Mashakada, Paul Mpofu, Yellowman Big Zhanje, Mukoma Ketai Muchawaya, Marko Sibanda, Chinx Chingaira, Alick Macheso, Nicholas Zakaria, Machanic Manyeruke, Diva Mafunga and many more.
Similarly, it arguably harbours the largest pool of popular Zim dancehall artistes, the likes of Guspy Warrior, Dadza D, Hwindi President, Ricky Fire, Jah Master, Lady Squanda and many more.
For this reason, Boss Tate has a mission.
“I want to see this town identified as the ‘Mecca’ of Zim dancehall music in Zimbabwe. All along these artistes have been looking up to stables in suburbs like Mbare for recognition, but that will soon be a thing of the past as BTE has an aim to retain local talent in its hood.
“While its camaraderie to go and perform at birthday bashes of prominent colleagues in Mbare and other areas, for instance, there has to be reciprocacy with those from Mbare coming to Chitown to also celebrate our artistes’ birthdays,” he said.
Recently, Boss Tate was in the studio, doing projects with musicians who include Lenny G, Queen Tabel, Scadda T, Dadza D, Roki and rising hip-hop sensation Dash.
