The Sunday Mail
Takudzwa Chihambakwe Leisure Correspondent —
SOME called him the prodigal son when he rejoined Transit Crew in 2014 after an unceremonious departure three years earlier.
But nobody ever anticipated that Mannex Motsi would once again leave Zimbabwe’s renowned reggae band, “this time for good”.
News of his departure from the band where he was the lead vocalist filtered to avid reggae fans just a few days before the Jah Cure concert in the capital late last year. However, the group’s management was quick to quash the news, saying everything was “alright” in their camp and that nobody was leaving.
Eventually, the truth was revealed when Mannex released posters of his solo show with his new band, the Raggaestra at Pakare Paye, slated for the Sunday after the Jah Cure show.
“I joined Transit Crew in 2008 when I was called in to replace Mic Inity who had left to start his own band,” said Mannex.
“We worked very well with the team and the very next year in 2009, we released an album ‘Unity’, which happened to be the last from Transit Crew to date and am so glad to have been part of the project.”
Mannex said in-house squabbles caused him to leave the band in 2011 and start his own thing.
“As time went on, there was some tension in the group as other vocalists thought I was hogging the limelight as the lead vocalist, so to avoid denting the relationship I had with the team, I decided to leave.
“I tried out my own thing but it eventually died off. Simultaneously, Transit Crew was also going through a very tough period with the brand on the verge of collapse. So since I was no longer attached to any other group, I decided to rejoin my elders and resuscitate the group and amazingly things started to pick up.
“We would get regular gigs at venues such as the Book Café and land a number of private gigs in and around the country.”
Mannex indicated that the death of elder Munya Nyemba was the key reason leading to his recent departure.
“As I highlighted earlier, things were really beginning to shape up for us and we even managed to drop a single ‘Sweet Loving’, back in 20015. However, the death of elder Munya saw the introduction of a new Professor Fred Zindi-led management and I began to have clashes with them as I felt that they were failing to fulfil the vision of the band.
“I tried to speak out but nobody was listening so eventually I decided to leave and this is what has led us to where we are now. The difference this time around is I am not returning to Transit Crew,” revealed Mannex.
Mannex, who is now backed by a new management team spearheaded by Tatenda Chimanga aka Sisqo Lion, said he is now working on new material and is set to drop an album this year.
“One of the other reasons I left Transit was because there was no change in our playlist, we were now becoming monotonous and the fans were getting irritated and they would always inbox me airing their views and again I would report to management to no avail.
“I appreciate the fact that recording with live instruments is expensive but we could surely have tried to work on fresh material than to be always playing golden oldies mixed with a lot of covers. At the moment I am in studio working hard and we are set to drop two singles by March as we prepare for the album later in the year.
“I am also glad to tell fans that I will be mixing it up, real reggae on a lovers tip alongside some high energy dancehall tunes, it’s going to be massive,” said Mannex.
His manager revealed that they are currently working on rebranding Mannex and in March, the new brand will be officially revealed.
“We are working hard to push Mannex and the band, and so we are leaving no stone unturned in our mission to create a brand that music fans will not only fall in love with but become loyal to,” said Sisqo Lion.
Added Lion: “There are a number of new elements that we are trying out such as Mannex on the percussion and guitar, all this will be unveiled when we launch the new brand in March so fans can brace themselves for some extraordinary stuff.”
