By Fred Zindi
I don’t usually like to write about who is the most successful or who is the best among musical artistes in Zimbabwe because if some followers find out that their favourite musician has not made the cut, the non-stop hurling of condemnations and insults might follow. I have witnessed situations like the Zimbabwe Music Awards 2021 (Zima) where criticism was levelled against the organisers by showbiz followers over their adjudication process.
However, I have been under pressure for some time to write about this from those who see this as a worthwhile topic.
If I start by telling you that Oliver Mtukudzi has been Zimbabwe’s most successful musician so far, I am sure 99% of you will agree with me, but as I expand the list, I know that opinions will begin to differ.
First of all, let me define what I mean by a successful musician.To me, it is that musician who has achieved wealth, respect , fame, corporate endorsements or titles through the accomplishment of the desired purpose in his or her musical career. Tuku, no doubt, falls in this category.
The music industry has always been competitive and cut-throat at heart, and these days, with the Covid-19 pandemic, income in this area, is becoming harder and harder to find. Making money playing music is not as easy as it used to in pre-covid times. So in order to turn a passion into a career, one has to want it more than anything else. Successful musicians don’t wait for opportunities to come to them — they seek them out or create them themselves.
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Though there is a tonne of luck involved, many factors can be influenced to put one in a position to launch a musical career. However, it’s important not to have unrealistic standards about how things will be once one is able to quit his or her “day job” in order to be involved with music on a full time basis.
Some professional musicians got where they are today due to the fact that they struggled to get other work, or just weren’t capable of doing anything else. When there is no Plan B to fall back on, Plan A will have to be what works out as it becomes the only option one has.
In an interview I did with Mtukudzi, years ago he described how he tried out several jobs, but did not find them appealing. He enjoyed playing music. Though this alone did not guarantee him a successful music career at first, he found that he had no other satisfactory career to go back to. He persevered and success came at last.
In these days of scarce resources, a professional musician must fill many hats instead of just sticking to one role. Often within a band, members will split the roles of manager, promoter and booking agent between the group. A good example is when Mtukudzi decided to use his drummer, Sam Mataure as manager, booking agent as well as promoter of his act. That worked and saved hima lot of money which would have gone to middle men. Of course, the pay-off is that there is one or two less people to pay, and in the case of Tuku, hewas thus able to make a sustainable income. That is success.
There are also many solo artistes who take on all of these roles or more by themselves. Thus, it’s important to be able to educate oneself on the many different aspects of professional music-making, and to enjoy this process.
Depending on the path one takes in the wide world of music, it’s possible that one may never have a stable income. Even if it is stable, it might take years or even decades before it’s large enough for one to enjoy certain luxuries. This doesn’t have to be a source of fear or anxiety as long as the musician knows how to live within his/her means. In the end, it comes down to the question of living an easy life versus a fulfilling life.
Those young musicians who enter into this business thinking that within months they will own a fancy car and a house will soon get weeded out of this business. Unless they are really lucky, which is not often the case in Zimbabwe, they have to pay their dues first.
A career does not appear overnight, and especially not one in the arts. Very few people know that even artistes such as JahPrayzah, who seemed to have appeared in an instant and blew up the charts out of nowhere, had been planning and preparing for that time for years.
For as long as one is making steps to improve every day, they will eventually be one of the best out there. However, it could take years before one is capable of competing against other professional musicians.
No matter which aspect of music or the arts one is passionate about, it’s essential to practise every day. When one is not practising, someone else is. In this hyper-competitive musical world, it’s absolutely vital to be on top of one’s game at all times, and be consistently raising the bar. And in order to make the most out of it, one hasto learn to really enjoy the process of improving and practising as well.
Those who don’t want to put in time to practise, might as well see music as a hobby.
Being a successful musician in a small country like Zimbabwe is a very hard game to play especially if one is in it for the income it may or may not bring. This is why many parents do not see music as a career when advising their children on what to do. Many people should go into it to fulfil a passion rather than to make money. I can actually count on my fingers the musicians who have really made serious money out of this craft from 1980 onwards. These are what I have termed successful musicians. They are seen as role models by those aspiring to become musicians too. The thinking is “If he can do it, I can do it too.” But it does not always follow as things keep changing. Who ever thought that there was going to be Covid-19 from 2020 onwards?
Zimbabwe’s music has evolved with time and we have seen a range of musicians come and go with time but the same cannot be said about the classic songs and memorable performances they impacted us with. These brilliant minds are just, but a few of the great individuals that have given us something to dance to in all the hard times we have faced as a nation. It is with this in mind that I have crafted a list of musicians who have made an impact on the nation and have therefore been successful within their own careers. The criteria used to select the successful artistes include: pioneering sound, impact, charisma, mainstream appeal, sales and streams, standing the test of time, paving a way for younger artistes and creating anthems. The individuals highlighted in this article have proven how important it is to thrive in an industry that is constantly depleting. Listed are 25 of Zimbabwe’s most successful artistes of all time. Some of the artistes found on the list are predictable. Mtukudzi and JahPrayzah easily fall under the top 25 list of successful musicians, while others like Tendai Mupfurutsa might be more surprising, to others.
No matter how they come to music or what genre they fall into, almost every recording artist privately shares the same dream: to become an icon in the industry, transforming the face of music along the way.
The bottom line is that the following 25 acts (not necessarily in order of success) have had the ability to sustain themselves through their art of music:
These are what I call Zimbabwe’s 25 most successful musicians and they should be part of your music library. Each one will have at least one song which will make an impact on your life.
- Feedback: frezindi@gmail.com