MAFRIQ Music Factory (MMF) co-founder Lovedale Makalanga – popularly known as DJ Discord – said he had a nocturnal encounter with some spirits that instructed him to give his new music genre the brand name Muringa.
BY ALOIS VINGA
DJ Discord described Muringa music as an evolution from the urban grooves genre which was largely influenced by Western music varieties.
“I was visited by spirits in a dream and I was instructed to name the genre Muringa. The music is laden with feel-good and positive messages to uplift and bring happiness in the gloomy economic environment,” he said.
He described Muringa music as having a distinctly Zimbabwean identity and a feel that soothes the soul, just like the Muringa tree – from which it derived its name – which is believed to cure various ailments.
DJ Discord was speaking ahead of the Muringa Music Festival due to take place next month.
“Urban grooves was largely an imitation of Western genres, but if you listen to songs we did as Mafriq, for instance Ndokuudza Sei and Chizevezeve, you can tell that our sound was pretty much distinct from the urban grooves bandwagon,” said Makalanga Another MMF official, Tungamirira Zimonte, said Muringa was the local adaptation of the Moringa tree that abounds in India where it is believed to have medicinal properties.
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He said the adaptation of Muringa music was a step forward in the journey to bring originality to local music.
“Muringa music comes at a time there has been raging debate with regard to the failure of Zimbabwean music on the international arena as shown at the recent MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMAs) which exposed the struggle Zimbabwean musicians have with regard to receiving honours on the continental stage,” he said.
Mafriq Music Factory is in the business of making music which defines Zimbabwe.
The Muringa Music Festival will feature the likes of Roki, Ammara, Ishy X, Herby, Danger, Deejay Smylie, Blaqsyd, Fyerstarter and Toto.
