JUST as wine matures with age, dancehall singer Killer T’s musical genius continues to improve with each new project, and his latest album Mashoko Anopfuura has proved to be no exception.
Plot Mhako
He achieves a rare delicate feat “walking the thin line between monotony and thrill”. A closer listen to all his albums can give you clear 4-4-2 formation (and scores hat-tricks) and for the simple reason that is working, he doesn’t need to fix it.
Ask Tocky Vibes, he can tell you that a quick switch of music style and sound can be suicidal, but the question is for how long Killer T will be able to maintain his style? Time will tell!
Killer T reads and understands his audience’s needs well and responds appropriately. His consistency, while a delicate walk can continue to pay dividends for a little longer at a time a lot of Zimdancehall greats are struggling to stay relevant and are slowly sinking into oblivion.
The artiste does not try hard to sound Jamaican nor are his beats hardcore dancehall. He follows himself and does so flawlessly, winning the hearts of many in rural and urban areas.
His beat is very similar and related to arrangement and progression. I could call him the Blessing Shumba of Zimdancehall. Look at how Shumba smiles all the way to the bank every year and gongs follow him. The only difference with Killer T is that the ghetto youth has been a serial victim of sabotage from award organisers, but still undeterred.
Rooted in the ghetto’s mass fan base as the Chairman, Killer T has his own formula, a simple but effective one. Back to the new album: He renews and affirms people’s hopes amidst life’s every day struggles and this is reflected in songs such as Every day.
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On Handigumbuke, he understands the religious dynamics in Zimbabwe and delivers songs that connect to the masses who often view dancehall as secular music and also appealing to the mature and traditional audience with Rovai Makuva. His choice of producers is fascinating, ranging from Oskid Productions, Hot Property, Military Touch Movement to Munya Viyali. These producers have mastered how to make great music and produce hits.
Killer T knows how to balance the message and groove on the album. How he comes up with such sing-alongs is mind-blowing.
On collaborations, every duet he does is magic and on Hondo he gels well with Jah Prayzah, making the song a hit. The song Hondo comes at a time when we are heading for elections and with memories of the former President Robert Mugabe’s departure still fresh in people’s minds, the song appropriately addresses the national plea for peace and unity.
Another outstanding song is Kufamba KwaPaurosi. The song which has literally become a national anthem is a masterpiece put together by Oskid. The intro subconsciously strikes nerves of nostalgia in the older generation with a reminder of Yarira Ngoma by the 1990s Frontline Kids.
Through the Mapostori touch and groovy feel, he uses his real “from dust to stardom” story to inspire songs and connect with everyone who desires encouragement and reminds them how possible it is to achieve dreams.
On the song MuGame he reaffirms his unshaken top position in showbiz. .
Take one of his previous albums and you can draw the same graph at a time when Zimdancehall’s frenzy and buzz is slowing down, the Chairman has managed to remain afloat as one of the most sought-after performers both at home and abroad.
He is just unstoppable as a lot of once celebrated Zimdancehall artistes are struggling to secure bookings.
Killer T’s success can squarely be attributed to his consistency and his latest album is testimony to that.
