A week ago I marvelled when I realised no one had had the chance to compare the two most talked about urban groove hits released in the just-ended year.
Believe it or not the songs Wenera by Alicias “Maskiri” Musimbe and Godo by Desmond “Stunner” Chideme are the most sought-after urban groove songs for 2011.
Of course this is after Winky D’s numerous hits. I know a number of critics have done this already — making the subject rather tired — but the temptation is irresistible in the light of reports that the King of Bling, Stunner of the self-coined Tazoita Cash Records, was recently booed off the stage by fans at shows in the United Kingdom.
Our moles, who attended the highly-publicised Three Kings Concerts, say Stunner was reduced to a mere supporting act in parts of the tour.
Whether it was due to negative publicity after the leaking of his sex tape or pure distaste, one would not know, but the fact, they say — Stunner was heckled by fans.
Turning to the topic, the song Godo was an instant hit — no doubt about that — but what exactly is it about? Does it fit into the basic model of a song? Personally I feel Godo is a self-praise song that has little in as far as themes are concerned.
One can never suppress the fact Stunner is a great artist, his rhymes are near-perfect, but similarly, one cannot ignore the lack of sabstance in his lyrics.
His music is self-centred and that is the major weakness considering the gift he has in cajoling audiences with interactive choruses. From opening to finish the song is all . . . tisu mashark, a phrase he coined to mean, “us the men”, in street lingo.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
In a nutshell, his music is nothing beyond self-praise.
On the other hand, Maskiri’s Wenera, is a song replete with themes and meanings anyone can relate to. Wenera is a term used to refer to the Diaspora and considering the huge number of Zimbabweans in the Diaspora, then lots of people will be grooving to the tune.
Throughout the song, Maskiri explores one theme after the other; each new line is a separate theme ranging from love to various other life experiences.
The battle for supremacy between the two last year was captivating, with the climax being a clash at the popular venue, City Sports Bar.
Those privileged to be at the venue aired divergent opinions. Some said Stunner stole the show while others were biased towards Maskiri.
But if truth be told, Maskiri had been out of the limelight for a number of years and he had to sweat to get the same recognition as Stunner. Even though he unleashed a hit after collaborating with Nox on Wenera.
The two artists’ histories will definitely come into play, with Maskiri’s dirty lyrics, compared to Stunner’s relatively cleaner ones.
No doubt Stunner is likeable and a character most people would love to associate with while Maskiri is the exact opposite, but if composition and content are measures of talent and if the two artists’ last two hits are anything to go by, then Maskiri is the way to go.
