BY AGATHA CHUMA GWEVEDZI is a Shona name given to a suitor’s friend/messenger in a courtship.
This person plays a major role in courtship because suitors are traditionally not supposed to approach ladies directly.
The group, therefore, named itself Gwevedzi because it believes it is a bridge between the young and old generations and most of its songs are centred on love.
The Afro-acoustic trio said their six years of working together had made them understand one another through learning each other’s preferences and sharpening each other’s skills.
Made up of three talented males Tinashe William Masangadza, Wilfred Nikisi and Nyasha Murada, Gwevedzi is a musical group which strives to create a new generational sound which appeals to both the old and the young through hybridising the local African sound with the European by combining the guitar, mbira and percussions.
Speaking to NewsDay Life & Style, Masangadza who is the group’s representative said: “Our group took root in 2016 and ever since it has been working together as a family. We realised that as an individual there are some things which you cannot achieve but if you work together with someone you can easily achieve it.
“When working together we have to appreciate each and every effort that one of us puts and that alone has kept us together and has strengthened our bond. We are no longer just a band but brothers and we urge other groups out there to learn to understand each other as this results in a long and strong relationship in the industry.”
Currently, the group is working on its third album, comprising 12 tracks, and among the 12, two are international collaborations with Barbora Xu from Czech Republic on a track Tirivamwe and Marilia Zangirandi from Brazil on a track titled One song.
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Their first album Tsambo released in 2018 comprises songs like Vhunze and Vanoronga dondo which are used as a background soundtrack for local drama Vhunze shown on ZBCTV.
The song was nominated as the best soundtrack for the African Movie Academy Awards 2020 in Nigeria.
To aspiring groups, Masangadza said: “Let us be ourselves, do not do music because others are doing it, rather appreciate the process of growing and also let’s know that when we are making music it is not all about making people just dance, we are our community’s mouthpiece, let us heal them, give them hope and educate them. Experience is the best teacher, let us be consistent in whatever we do, results will come.”
- Follow Agatha on Twitter@AgathaChuma
