The Sunday Mail
OVERWHELMED by grief, hundreds of people last week poured on the streets of Mbare and Msasa Park in Harare to catch a glimpse of Soul Musaka, known professionally as Soul Jah Love’s funeral cortège.
Also affectionately known as Sauro or Chibaba, Musaka was a multi-award-winning Zimbabwean musician.
He was credited as one of the pioneers of mainstream Zimdancehall and declared a hero for his contributions to music.
Covid-19 restrictions notwithstanding, the crowds braved the relentless drizzle to give one of their own a befitting send-off at Harare Provincial Heroes Acre where the dancehall star’s remains were interred with full military honours.
People sang, danced, whistled and ululated as the funeral procession passed by.
“Charova pasi chibaba,” “Achaya corner Sauro”, “Atinywa mufana wemangoma”, “Paita mahwani”, “Kufa ndekwemunhu wese”, people of various opinions, political and religious persuasions could be heard saying.
That Soul Jah Love was a man of the people was there for everyone to see.
He gave people joy and soothed those in pain.
His music provided work for disc jockeys, promoters and many others. He was a hot potato, too hot to handle!
Almost everyone from young children to the elderly spoke glowingly of the “Pamamonya ipapo” hit-maker.
The lanky fellow with a husky voice was a gifted lyricist who captured the imagination of music lovers with his hard-hitting compositions.
What endeared him most with fans is that he grew up with them and his messages resonated with their daily trials and tribulations.
That an orphan who endured a deprived upbringing could rise to become a sought-after star is not without a lesson.
“He might not have been perfect, but that he was a star was there for everyone to see. Airova basa rake mufana uyauya, usadherere. He was a great artiste,” I heard people saying of him in Mbare.
“God is great. He has a way of elevating the downtrodden.
“He might have endured a sad upbringing but in the end, he was exalted. This shows that whatever you do has to be done passionately,” one carpenter said.
“That is sweet. We now have something to talk about. He rose from among the poor and I am sure that whatever you do has to be done with great dedication so that the world can see and raise you to the level you belong to,” quipped another.
Gentle reader, while a lot has been written and said about the late chanter’s shortcomings, he had a lot of good that people can emulate.
He was an undeclared symbol of resistance against poverty through sheer hard work.
Unconfirmed reports say the 31-year-old crooner passed on with a treasure trove of almost 50 unreleased hits, which points to his great industry, dedication and forward planning.
News of his death was so sad to the music fraternity and consumers of art hence the outpouring of grief.
Soul Jah Love towers among people who managed to scoff at death in that although he is no more, his works will live forever.
Death be not proud, Soul Jah Love was a star.
Inotambika mughetto.
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