The Sunday Mail
Veronica Gwaze
AFRO-FUSION singer Andy Muridzo is set to drop his seventh album “Zunza” this Friday.
The launch will be held at Bar Rouge, situated at Long Cheng Plaza in Harare.
The Jeetaz Band frontman said the 12-track album features a song called “Chihwerure”, a collaboration with Zim dancehall chanter Shinsoman.
Suluman Chimbetu, Baba Harare, Virimai “Vee Mhofu” Nhedega, Carlos Green, Peter Moyo, Diana Samkange, Feli Nandi and Sasha are some of the artistes that are expected to grace the event.
The physical launch comes as a special event for the “Dherira” hitmaker who was forced to officially unveil his last offering “Sango neDziva” virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Zunza”, “Suzana”, “Hosana”, “Mutengambiri”, “Chatamba Chana” and “Hwahwa” are some of the tracks on the album that Muridzo has been sampling during live gigs.
The song “Suzana”, with part lyrics “Susan ayitamba-tamba”, is gripping many as fans sang along during a family show he recently held at Tanza Centre in Chitungwiza.
“We are happy to be physically launching the album this time around on August 26. There is this vibe, emotion which comes with playing in front of a packed auditorium,” said Muridzo.
“The album is almost 100 percent ready for release for our esteemed fans that we work for. They are the ones that decide if it is good or bad,” he told The Sunday Mail Society in an interview.
Baba Keketso as the singer is affectionately known said he is dedicating all his effort to the new album.
The singer reckons the project will be better than “Sango neDziva” which carried hit tracks “Varaidzo” and “Dziva Guru”.
“We noticed areas that needed attention from our previous album and we have since worked on it. We worked hard to try and come up with a flawless project. Releasing an album comes with pressure, we have done our best and we are ready to give it to the fans,” added Muridzo.
In the new album, the singer tries to revisit his vintage art, and appears to be picking up pieces from his Military Touch Movement heartbreak.
“Zunza” has a bias towards a rich traditional sound that is accompanied by thought-provoking lyrics and well-defined vocals.
The traditional sound is what made the singer popular in the early days.
His desire, he said, is to please his die-hard fans who have stood by him over the years despite some negativity that has stalked him.
“Lyrics may change; instruments improve but fans have that one thing that they need to identify you with every time which is what I try to always make sure they find in all my projects,” he said.
“The target this time was to do better than before whilst at least meeting or surpassing expectations from our fans.
“A lot has happened along the way but I have fans who have stood by me and it is time to repay them. With each day comes maturity and an enhanced way of understanding life.”
The band’s schedule is usually tight but Muridzo said it was his duty to keep the team motivated.
“I always work to cheer everyone up, even if we are tired from traveling, I need to ensure that my team is pepped up and excited.
“At the moment we are rounding up launch rehearsals and this entails putting in more hours.”
