BY TAFADZWA KACHIKO
AWARD-WINNING author and journalist Stanley Mushava (pictured) has released his second poetry collection — Rhyme and Resistance — which betrays his deep love for music.
The collection is his second full-length project after his debut offering, Survivors Café.
Mushava told NewsDay Life & Style that his bias towards music shapes his writing.
“Music is a recurring theme in this collection and this is the natural result of my attachment to music. The anthology features poems about the sungura and jit greats, Thomas Mapfumo, Oliver Mtukudzi, Zimdancehall – from Winky D to the newest stars like Poptain – and even Pan-African cousins like Lupe Fiasco. Besides these, other poems consistently refer to the great Zimbabwean music canon,” he said.
Mushava said he has largely been influenced by the music of Leonard Zhakata, the late Biggie Tembo, Solomon Skuza and James Chimombe, with sungura having been the soundtrack of his life.
The poet, however, dedicated much space in the book to demystifying Zimdancehall music, which is stereotyped by some sections of the public.
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“Zimdancehall is typecast as an imitation genre that’s going nowhere, but those who listen to it know better. The genre is what chimurenga music and sungura were back then, as far as relevance and resonance is concerned,” he said.
In Sungura Timekeeper he celebrates Zhakata, Alick Macheso, Charles Charamba, Nicholas Zkaria, the late Leonard Dembo, John Chibadura, Tembo, Marshal Munhumumwe and Simon Chimbetu.
Mushava also dedicates the poem, An Oral History of Charles Mungoshi, to the late author, describing him as an inspiration to the literature industry and the nation at large.
Mungoshi died on February 16.
