The Sunday Mail
Veronica Gwaze and Dennis Chimanzi
THE past two years have been difficult for artistes as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic took a toll on them.
To control the spread of the novel virus, Zimbabwe, like other nations, enforced a series of lockdowns.
Gatherings and live shows were banned, forcing artistes to look for other sources of revenue.
Very few musicians released albums, with others temporarily putting their careers on hold. As 2022 came to an end, The Sunday Mail Society had a chat with some artistes, who shared their experiences during this difficult period.
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Alick “Baba Shero” Macheso
The past two years were very difficult for us. Most of our income is derived from live shows. We, however, had to make do with what was on the ground. When the lockdown restrictions were eased, it took a long time for our fans to attend our shows.
Later on, things began to fall into shape and the “Tinosvitswa naShe” album launch was successful.
We are looking forward to having live shows across the country.
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Mark Ngwazi
We thank God that we managed to make it through the Covid-19 times. It was not easy, though. During the lockdown, we managed to release the album “Chamugwegwedu”.
“Taurai Madzoka”, a track from this album, was named the Song of the Year.
Despite the album having some hit songs, we failed to market it very well because there were no live shows. In 2022, we launched “Nharo Nezvine Nharo”. The album performed exceptionally well.
This year, we are releasing another album. We have a lot of songs that are ready for release, as we do not want to starve our fans of new material.
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Andy Muridzo
We have a pending tour of Ireland. Following its postponement in December last year, the tour will take place later this month, although the exact dates are yet to be announced.
We have also lined up collaborations with three international artistes.
Currently, we are working on videos for songs from the “Zunza” album.
Our fans must expect a new album anytime this year.
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Respina Patai (popularly known as Mai Patai)
Last year was a difficult one for us, especially when we tried to put together the “Watch and Pray” album. The album did not sell very well because people were still financially constrained. We are praying for a better new year.
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Dorcas Moyo
The past two years have been very tough for me because I survive on live shows. During this period, we launched “Bvudzi Rangu Ramera”. The album was good but the sales were very low due to the effects of the coronavirus. New projects for 2023 are underway, and we pray for the best.
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Leo Magozz (real name Tavonga Magombedze), Fire Emoji hitmaker
The year 2022 is a memorable one for me. This is when I made my breakthrough with the song “Fire Emoji”. The success of the song motivated me a lot, and this year, I will be releasing more songs that I am already working on.
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Voltz JT (real name Nkosilathi Sibiya)
Despite going through difficult times at the start of 2022, I managed to release an album titled “Life of Muvhimi”. I am grateful that by the end of the year, things were back to normal for me, as I had a number of live shows that were well-attended.
My fans should watch out for something bigger this year.
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Seh Calaz
The past two years have been very tough. We lost some of our colleagues, and others turned to drug and substances abuse.
However, the situation improved late last year, when we started having live shows. It is then that I understood that, for some artistes, music is a rescue plan that keeps them away from idleness and drug abuse. The festive season was busy and it revived my hopes for a better 2023.
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Sculptor and artist Nathan Chengera
The lockdown period was a life-changing experience for me. I produced more stone sculptures, wood carvings and paintings.
I was inspired by David Ngwerume’s Covid-19 sculptural piece titled “Survival”. This work of art captured global attention. It prompted me to have a try at sculpture, and it worked out.
In fact, I discovered a talent I never realised I had.
This year, my target is to produce at least 30 pieces, and enter some of them in competitions.
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Rising poet Kwathini Bhila
I took advantage of the lockdown to author my book titled “Mirror of My Heart”. The book was my second project after “Painting My Thoughts”, a poetry anthology I did with Tawanda Nyanyiwa. This year, I am already working on new projects.
