The Sunday Mail
Rosenthal Mutakati
THE year 2020 is one many would want to end and quickly forget about. Just like any other year, it looked promising in the initial stages. Ordinarily, people made resolutions which before long turned into useless wish lists following the advent of the coronavirus. The global pandemic pushed the world backwards by many factors. Thousands of lives and jobs were lost worldwide, while many companies closed.
To survive and protect their citizenry, governments across the globe introduced lockdowns to keep the pandemic at bay. Schools closed. Students were deprived of their learning time. Also, revenue streams for people who invested in educational institutions like pre-schools, colleges and vocational training centres were abruptly cut.
“Mutambo wapasi hama dzangu. My workers want payment, yet I’m still closed. I am in deep trouble. This year has just been like a bad omen to me. Ndakuvara!” said one pre-school owner who said some parents were finding it better to conduct private lessons for their children.
Bottle stores were initially closed before being restricted to a few trading hours, making prospects of a merry Christmas this year remote. Lockdown has slashed profits for businesspeople and those who survive on selling various goods and services at imbibing joints.
“Nhasi Jonasi wakadziruma, atambira bonus yake iwe,
Nhasi kumba haamborarako, anonorara kuhotera nhasi iwe, Teni dhora yachinjwa yese, yoperera mujuke box iwe, hwechirungu teburu yatotsvuka huri kuita kunaya,” blurred radios with this classic done by Patrick Mukwamba and the Four Brothers. The song “Wapenga Nayo Bonus” was so popular during this time of the year in the past. Actually, it attained “National Anthem” status. However, it is not the case this year.
The coronavirus brought with it countless challenges for many. Only a few people have disposable income.
A different sort of Christmas awaits the world this year, what with coronavirus restrictions. Worst-hit are musical groups which have not staged gigs, their main source of income, since March when the lockdown restrictions were effected. Called “varidzi vemafaro”, “boys dzedhanzi”, “varimbinyuki”, “gen’a rechipisi”, “pleasure masters”, among a host of other monikers, musical groups are going through a rough patch. As I commit pen to paper gentle reader, a good number of the country’s artistes have since resorted to other income-generating activities to make ends meet while their instruments gather dust in storerooms elsewhere. The naughty ones have been playing cat and mouse with law enforcement agents, though Government has since issued a stern warning against them.
“This year has not been good. We make our money through staging shows, but these were stopped way back in March and we had no choice but find other things to do. This has killed our artistic progression,” complained Marondera-based drummer Vengai Sikanena.
He said he had temporarily shelved music to venture into the construction industry. One celebrated artiste who preferred anonymity railed: “This coronavirus has killed business. As the band leader I can commit my time to composing new stuff. But what about my band members? There is nothing for us to survive on. We must be given a chance to stage shows so that children survive.”
Some artistes with livestock farms or rural homes are reportedly slaughtering cows to feed their band members, but a majority are singing the blues. Gentle reader, while the year 2020 has been painful for all economic sectors, the arts industry appears to be the worst-hit. The few privileged ones are making a killing on social media.
But, consumers of music, the fans, will have to make do with the old stuff as only a few new albums were released.
Inotambika mughetto.
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