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Flash Gordon back in town

Life & Style
Tucked away at college on the Italian riviera for three years, one of Zimbabwe’s key depositories of the urban grooves music genre, Flash Gordon, is back in town with not only glowing musical and academic success stories, but matters of the heart to show off too. Music buffs who followed Gordon’s musical exploits will attest […]

Tucked away at college on the Italian riviera for three years, one of Zimbabwe’s key depositories of the urban grooves music genre, Flash Gordon, is back in town with not only glowing musical and academic success stories, but matters of the heart to show off too.

Music buffs who followed Gordon’s musical exploits will attest to his adept skills as a producer credited for developing many young upstarts into notable artists.

When Gordon left Harare in 2008 he pursued a degree in Communication Sciences in Italy, but music always remained very close to his heart.

Now, upon return Gordon (real name Gordon Mutekedza) does not only twiddle his fingers on the mixer and keyboard — what we all knew him to do with so much expertise — but he sings too, and reggae for that matter, far from his hip-hop trademark.

“Being alone in Italy gave me time to look closely at my life and discover myself. Yes, now I sing Bob Marley, Ray Charles . . . I sing the blues and I also sing my own music.

“I am now a complete artist and can handle any situation that presents itself before me. Soon I will be launching my debut CD, Black Prisoner, a reggae hip-hop fusion. The CD is in Italian, Spanish, English and Shona,” Gordon said.

“My music is cross-over where I fuse reggae and hip-hop, but you will hear underneath the music a deep African connection. I would say that as a singer maybe now I am doing more reggae than anything else, but as a producer I am doing even more hip-hop, producing electronic music, techno, garage, drum and bass and other genres.

“I even play with a rock band in Italy.

“My stay in Italy was an eye opener where I saw musicians as young as six years old going to college to learn music where they could read and write music. That was so encouraging and I realised I had to improve myself musically.” One cannot fail to decipher the deeply philosophical and spiritually conscious tone about Gordon now, perhaps a result of the three years of introspection that Italy offered.

“I believe in God and believe He will take me to greater heights. Every day I learn new things about life and love.

“I have always been a Christian and believe in God. My mother taught me to believe in God ever since I was a young boy.

“A whole lot has changed in the last three years. I am more positive in my thoughts about life. But we can be better people as a nation if we believe in ourselves more and respect the next person and their individual rights.”

But should there be anything that Gordon wants to hear that melts his heart it is the mere mention of his queen — Serena — his Italian girlfriend.

“I have an Italian girlfriend. Her name is Serena which means ‘happy’. I am happy that we are happy together with Serena.”

Gordon lights up when he speaks about matters of the heart, but entertains no further questions about his damsel.

But he hints that Serena might just be somewhere in Harare with him and does not want her privacy violated by the paparazzi.

“My love life is a personal issue, let’s leave it there.”

When he finally returns in November, Gordon wants to “pick up the pieces” and help revitalise urban grooves which he believes is entirely moribund now.