BANKER-CUM-MUSICIAN Tongai Tarubona has released his second album Zvinangwa (Goals). The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe employee turned to music for two specific reasons namely passion and agony after losing one of his twin daughters in a bus accident a few years back.
Report by Silence Charumbira
The pain gave birth to his debut release two years ago which he named Ndingafare Sei. This time around he comes back with another album which spells out passion more than anything else.
He may not be the best musician around and may not even make it to the top, but there is uniqueness in his presentation that leaves one satiated with the message. Starting off with Tariro Yevana the musician departs from his initial sungura style riding on a jazzy flare.
Although it is a good song, its lines lack the dramatisation that would have made it striking.
Maminimini Pakirawa is a song laced with deep Shona words challenging fake Christianity where some cult prophets are misleading people with their varied ways of praying.
He presents the situations that various beliefs are familiar with and in the end declares Jesus as the only way for Christians as well as denouncing over — reliance on miracles.
The song has an interesting melody which the artist accedes is influenced by his love for the late Simon Chimbetu.
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On Varaidzo, Tarubona sings about encouragement to work within a marriage set-up for the sake of the children.
The harmony of the song is quite familiar on the jazz scene with an underlying booming bass while the seemingly congested lead and rhythm guitars whine away. Rugare Muenzi comes in with yet another different presentation starting off on a sungura note, but with a Chimbetu feel.
Mukadzi Musha has a touch of kanindo on the drums and portrays a conflict between a woman and her brother- in-law.
It is a typical social story in an African home where chauvinism no longer has space as women are standing up to the occasion providing for their families. Dandaro is a sombre song that presents facts about life and death that are carried on a reggae rhythm.
What Tarubona needs to work on are his vocals and arrangement of his music. A bit more exposure to a stage set-up would do magic for him especially considering the depth of his messages.
