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First Farai goes down memory lane

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THERE are two incidents about his turbulent music career that First Farai hates most: being accused of stealing condolence contributions at Cephas Mashakada’s funeral and being photographed dead drunk at a popular joint in the capital.

THERE are two incidents about his turbulent music career that First Farai hates most: being accused of stealing condolence contributions at Cephas Mashakada’s funeral and being photographed dead drunk at a popular joint in the capital.

Entertainment Reporter

First Farai (born Aliya Mwanambo) hogged the limelight for wrong reasons in 2011 when Hosiah Chipanga accused him of converting some money contributed at Mashakada’s funeral for his own use.

The incident attracted wide media attention and First Farai “threatened” to name his new album Mari Yechema (condolence money) to clear his name.

He still feels the accusations had a serious negative impact on his image.

“I no longer want to talk about that incident. It got my family, the Mashakadas, as well as close friends worried and that is why I never got to release the song Mari Yechema which I had composed,” he said sternly.

He says the incident is a closed chapter.

The other incident he hates most was the publication of his image when he was drunk at a popular joint in Harare.

First Farai prefers to call it “water under the bridge”.

The musician talked about other facets of his life and career when he spoke to NewsDay about his upcoming album titled Fantastic Farai: Kubhwada/Delicious which will be launched at City Sports Bar next week.

The name First Farai has always attracted attention whenever mentioned.

Some treat him as a clown while others dismiss him as just another copycat.

Controversy has trailed him since he was labelled a Tongai “Dhewa” Moyo imitator.

Some have even suggested that when Dhewa died, First Farai would take over his late friend’s band.

When it was reported that First Farai inherited a red jacket that Moyo wore on one of his videos, the rumour of an intended hand-over-take-over intensified. But, the bulky musician says the jacket was just a present.

“If you noticed Tongai usually did not wear clothes that he would have used on videos so he gave me the jacket as a present. I could have gotten the trousers as well, but it could not fit,” First Farai said.

The musician, who popularised his music in Mashonaland West playing at As You Like It, Karoi, says although he has been struggling, he is trying his best to make ends meet.

“I had a contract with my then promoter Richard Ziki and I would travel to Karoi from Chinhoyi every Thursday to commence work and come back home on Sunday.

“The contract helped me a lot, but when five years lapsed, I had to move on as I felt I had grown and people elsewhere had started calling for my shows,” he said.

“There was a time when our shows were well-attended. I managed to buy three residential stands two of which are in the Nyatsime high-density area while the other is in the low-density area, but they have not been serviced.”

Despite getting lukewarm responses over the past couple of years, First Farai has soldiered on and keeps staging shows, especially in the countryside.

Recently, he was on a nationwide tour that was cut short after he got injured when a speaker fell onto his left foot at a gig in Mberengwa two weeks ago.

“I had to make sure that my foot recovers before we could launch the album and we will be launching it at City Sports Bar on September 18,” he said.

He said the six-track album would soon be followed by a DVD that has already been shot.

The album carries tracks like Tinofamba Nenyasha, Amai Vangu Chengetekai, Sango Rinopa Waneta, Ruchiva (featuring Romeo Gasa), Tariro and Wenhamo Haatendwi (featuring Ranga Sagombeto).