Chihora’s music matures with age

Standard Style
BY STYLE REPORTER Gweru-based musician Tinomutenda “The Adjudicator” Chihora says his music is maturing with age, thanks to some collaborative efforts that have livened up his beat over the years. Chihora, a music teacher at Cecil John Rhodes Primary School in Gweru, said his forthcoming single to be released next Friday was clear testimony of […]

BY STYLE REPORTER

Gweru-based musician Tinomutenda “The Adjudicator” Chihora says his music is maturing with age, thanks to some collaborative efforts that have livened up his beat over the years.

Chihora, a music teacher at Cecil John Rhodes Primary School in Gweru, said his forthcoming single to be released next Friday was clear testimony of how he has matured musically.

Titled The Emotional Cum-Spiritual Vaccine, the single is a recreation of Chihora’s previous track titled Mwari Vachadzoka. The jazz-flavoured track was recorded at Monolio Studio, owned by revered musician and producer Clive “Mono” Mukundu.

“By listening to the song, I could tell that my music has come of age. I think the song is a clear testimony of how I have grown musically,” Chihora told Standard Style.

“Mono did the guitar work while I played the keyboards and piano with Joseph Chinouriri on the saxophone. It is the saxophone that brought the new piercing weaponry to the song with its soul-touching lines. Played from the gallery of jazz legends, the saxophone can only remind the listener of the late Hugh Masekela.”

The Mberengwa-born musician said he did not temper much with the message from the original track but added a few lines on giving hope in times of natural disasters like Covid-19.

“It is the same message of giving hope and on this track I had to go further and look for elusive answers to life troubles, especially in this time of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

“I invested emotionally and financially in this song and I believe it will reap the desired outcomes for my music career.”

Chihora, a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe, said the song would be available on online shops.

“People can purchase the song using mobile money platforms from me and I can send it to them and it will be available on all music online stores,” he said.

On his relationship with Mukundu, Chihora said his association was more of like minds meeting for a noble cause.

He said he first met the former Black Spirits guitarist 11 years ago when he had come to Gweru for a music show.

“We became friends and we began sharing ideas. I have done two albums at Monolio Studios and these are Ndouyako and Holy Wi-Fi. Mono has helped me a lot and this includes on how to arrange music,” Chihora said.

“Mono also introduced me to this WhatsApp group called Monolio Groove where artistes share information regarding music in general. He is an example of a rags-to-riches story after he was shunned because of being a guitarist, but he defied all odds to study for a Music degree and has authored three books. That’s a great inspiration.”