BY AGATHA CHUMA VETERAN sound engineer and producer Norman “Dhara Nodza” Tapambwa has dumped sungura to pursue township jazz.
Tapambwa said he had been into sungura for about 27 years for the sake of his fans.
In his new jazz endeavours, the Mhondoro-Ngezi-born artiste said he was eyeing the international market.
“I never wanted to become a sungura musician. I had always had a strong passion in township jazz,” he said, further pointing out that venturing into sungura was largely influenced by people he once worked with at Grammar Records.
“During the time I ventured into music, sungura was very good on the market so my colleagues urged me to try it, but I never wanted to be a sungura musician all these years.”
And as they say, there is more to a name than what meets the eye, his surname Tapambwa (enslaved) probably encapsulates his “imprisonment” in sungura and he is more than delighted to escaped into township jazz, a genre he believes will fully help him to express himself and tap into the international market.
“I have been doing sungura for the sake of my fans who were supporting me, but deep inside I felt I was not really expressing myself well through sungura,” he said.
“I feel it is time for me to change my type of music. Sungura is struggling to penetrate the international market compared to other genres, so I ought to try something new.”
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The musician said although the fans might not understand his decision, he believed it was time to pursue his passion.
“I am someone who has made a name in sungura, but I believe with time fans will come to understand this new genre that I am now focusing on. I have not really thrown away the sungura genre, no, I will be dropping one or two singles for my die-hard sungura fans,” said Tapambwa, whose latest 11-track album Hunhu Munhu has been well received.
“I am not going back in my efforts to push this new music. My main goal is to penetrate a wider market, so more good music, more flavours and more fireworks should be expected from Dhara Nodza,” he added.
Tapambwa is known by many as a versatile artiste who plays the lead, bass and rhythm guitars as well as mbira.
As a music maker, he has produced for big names such as the late Tongai Moyo, Joseph Garakara, Gift Amuli and First Farai, among others.
He has 15 albums to his name which include Mbama YeGudo, Tendeuka, Ndarangarira Magamba eMhanzi, Ndini Wacho, Tifanane naJesu, Musikana Webasa and Ziso Regondo.
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