RENOWNED poet Chirikure Chirikure says the use of traditional instruments fused with lyrics in their collaborative album, Musoro, with human rights defender Okay Machisa and friends is aimed at promoting ethnic music.
BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
The 11-track album will be launched at The Volt in Harare tomorrow, where prolific novelist Aaron Chiundura-Moyo will be the guest of honour.
Chirikure told NewsDay yesterday that he was confident the fusion of poetry and music on the album would make it a unique product.
“Our album is a rich mix of traditional Zimbabwean beat such as mhande, jiti, shangara, mandandanda and jazz that was driven by the desire to revive ethnic music and provide social commentary that is relevant to music enthusiasts,” he said.
The wordsmith said they fused mbira, guitars and percussion to pay homage to traditional culture and celebrate new ways of expressions through music.
“We developed very solid lyrics, fused with poetry and storytelling. We also fall back on some folk songs, but we gave them new renditions with the aim of not only providing entertainment, but to stimulate our audience into dialoguing about our experiences in the past, present and future,” he said.
Chirikure and Machisa also worked with their childhood friends, Edson Kachuta, Philimon Paswavaviri, Chrispen Tanganeropa Mujongondi, James Chasarira, Owen Shamu, Paul Muchefa and Lloyd Chidikano as part of a band called Machena.
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Machisa described these as “creative individuals” and prolific composers.
“This helped us develop our act in a reasonably short space of time with members contributing pieces which the band then develop together as a team,” Machisa said.
Songs on the album, produced by Clive “Mono” Mukundu, are Musoro, Mhanda, Mwana Wekuwana, Masango, Hondo, Nyuchi, Chirimo, Zvaora, Chipo, Rwizi and Shohwari.