The Sunday Mail
IT is not often that Zimbabwean artistes are recognised for their dressing — awards ceremonies in this country tend to focus more on the “serious” aspects of the musicians.
But this is showbiz — the world of glitz and glamour. A lot of effort goes into how an artiste looks on stage or in public.
Below, our Leisure Reporter Prince Mushawevato looks at some of the best dressed artistes and their stage costumes. Read on…
THEY are young, on the rise and swagger defines them.
But theirs is not that usual kind of swag that we have become accustomed to.
Top musicians Suluman Chimbetu, Jah Prayzah, Wallace “Winky D” Chirumiko and Cindy Munyavi have made it a policy that they go out of their way just to look exquisite on stage. After all, it is said the seriousness of a musician is determined by the way they present themselves both on and off stage.
But before we dwell much into this new breed of ‘fine and unique’ dressers and who among them is the best, it is important to first acknowledge that this trend was birthed decades ago.
Those who remember the golden days of the local music industry will certainly agree that the late musicians Safirio “Mukadota” Madzikatire and his Sea Cottage sisters and Simon “Chopper” Chimbetu were second to none when it came to stage outfits.
They were particular in that aspect.
It is musicians like Chopper and Mukadota who set standards which motivated later stars like Tongai “Dhewa” Moyo to emulate and later surpass. Dhewa is largely credited of having helped revolutionise dressing in the sungura genre.
He had various outfits, ranging from “Kassamoto’s” and “Prada suits”, for almost each one of his shows. Before the late Kwekwe-based musician, sungura artistes were considered the worst dressed in the music circles.
However, the smart trend continues.
Apart from enjoying live performances, gigs have somewhat become a platform for fans to compare various outfits that are donned by their icons. Interestingly the leading three male artistes namely Jah Prayzah, Suluman and Winky D have particular but unique styles of dressing.
Jah Prayzah and Suluman are inspired by the military dress code though the former’s regalia depicts that of the ground forces while Suluman aka Captain Sulu draws inspiration from the air force. Winky D, who also trades as the Ninja President, gets his inspiration from the popular martial arts costumes.
But while the regalia has helped spice up their acts, it has come at quite a cost to the musicians since the costumes have to be changed rapidly.
Jah Prayzah
The artiste is always dressed in military-issue uniforms like the Army Combat Uniforms (ACU), Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) and the MultiCam uniform. The military-grade apparel that also includes footwear and military accessories has a specific purpose in a true battle field thus the musician has in turn customised the functions to suit the stage.
He uses specific uniforms for varying gigs basing on the date, place and time of the gig. He rotates among full combat uniforms, tactical trousers, light weight tactical trousers and series tactical pants.
Much of his regalia is sourced outside since Jah Prayzah’s olive drab and tiger trip BDU and ACU are not allowed by Zimbabwean law to be privately manufactured and sold to the public.
It is only his shirts that are manufactured locally by a Manyame Airbase military official (name supplied), who is a tailor by profession.
“My combat uniforms come from outside the country. The regalia is mostly of the Aussie, American and German armies. The uniforms come in different sets and have specific purposes,” explained Jah Prayzah.
The musician added that he usually gets enough stock from outside to cover him for a full calendar year.
“Military uniforms can signify a lot of things about your image. I value appearance more than anything hence I’m not bothered how much it will cost me, smartness is essential. Our behaviour should be in line with that of the army officials. This is the reason why I don’t allow my band members to dress shabbily on stage,” he said.
The prices of the uniforms depend on the type of the regalia in question.
DBU and ACU uniforms cost an average of US$100; the accompanying military boots (footwear) cost an average of US$60 though Jah Prayzah’s special type of boot was purchased for US$280 in Australia. A complete decorated beret with a badge costs US$25 while the shirts cost US$30. Add to this, the group has other supporting accessories like 12 riffles that cost US$85 each.
But, who supplies the regalia that is sold at his shows?
“I do not have a department that sells my merchandise, most of the guys who do so act on their behalf though my management and I are responsible for authorising the use of our brand and our shows as selling points,” said Jah Prayzah.
Captain Sulu
Sulu’s dress code on stage is mostly characterised by the summer like military service uniform for the air forces. The usually white shirts have convertible collars, two upper out pockets, circular lap, flap with front welt with six buttons through. The trousers have a western-style with slash pockets.
The shirts come in two forms, that is, the long-sleeve shirts that are made from terylene-cotton, yarn-dyed fabric and the Jungang woolen-cloth short-sleeve shirts. Accompanying regalia include peak hats, beret and leather shoes.
To complete the air force regalia, Captain Sulu said decorations such as mid-sized cap insignia, soft epaulets, service mark tags and armbands have to be included.
“I have a strong military background hence this line of action is not a challenge to me, rather it’s a continuation. We have a much wider selection of uniforms that we use during our shows. And that has become our trade mark,” said Captain Sulu.
The dendera crooner said his father (Simon) was very particular about the group’s dress code thus he should never be found wanting in this regard.
Chopper, however, was more of a formal suits person. It is only after Sulu took over that the group’s dress code became inclined to the air force dress code inspired by Sulu’s Air Force of Zimbabwe experience.
“We change our outfits every fortnight. That has been the Orchestra dendera Kings trend since the time of Simon Chimbetu and I have to maintain or even do better. Our group has more than 20 outfits that we can choose from on any given day,” he said
The Orchestra Dendera Kings has a unit that deals specifically with regalia manufacturing.
“We have a department that is responsible for manufacturing uniforms led by Phillip “Phidza Phidza” Dzirike. But supplementary uniforms are imported mostly from China,” revealed Captain Sulu.
Like Jah Prayzah, Sulu is also not responsible for the manufacture or sale of merchandise at his shows.
“We have plans to bring that unit under the Orchestra Dendera Kings armpit. But at the moment we have just left fans do the business,” he said.
The average cost of uniforms is broken down as follows: the shirt costs US$30, trousers US$50, a decorated peak hat and beret US$30 and US$25 each respectively and the imported military type leather shoe costs around US$55 per pair.
Winky D
His is the most unique style.
Winky D has popularised the martial arts uniforms in Zimbabwe. Though borrowing from a dress concept that was developed in ancient Japan as a means of protection and a way of gathering information while remaining hidden, the Ninja president has successfully tailor made his suits for the stage.
Contrary to the reasoning of the costume originators, Winky D’s ninja gear has made him conspicuous. People are left talking each time he performs.
The ninja gear which comes in different forms and a variety of colours has clearly distinguished Winky D from the rest of the pack in the Zim dancehall genre. And of note is the fact that his style has had not even a single person trying to copy it.
According to Winky D’s manager Jonathan Banda, the ninja suits are built to last, though the artiste frequently changes them. They resemble the typical ninja gears with an inner jacket pocket that allows one to carry ninja weapons with ease.
“Art is an inspiration and also inspires. This is why we use different designers though I have the final say on the designs.
“The ninja gears are manufactured locally and each and every manufacturer has different costs depending on specification and the different materials used in the process,” said Banda.
“We experiment with different types of material and Winky recently got a gong for best dressed artiste during the Zim dancehall Awards meaning we are in the right direction,” he added.
Winky D’s most commonly used suits are the viper ninja costume, reptile ninja costume and the alien ninja costumes that all cost an average of US$65. The regalia is made of varying materials depending on the manufacturer that would have been contracted.
The costume is supported by accessories like the ninja face mask (US$7), ninja tabi boots (US$40), ninja utility belt (US$15), ninja tabi socks (US$5) and the ninja tabi headband (US$4).
The cost for Winky D though is not that much since he only focuses on his attire, unlike Sulu and Jah Prayzah. The rest of his band come on stage in their own preferred outfits.
Cindy
In music circles, not many women in Zimbabwe compete at the top. There may be many elegantly dressing out there — but female artistes in Zimbabwe are largely in the background.
One of them, however, stands out. Her outfits are always elegant but often not inimitable. Cindy knows how to present herself for different occasions.
Among the female musicians, she easily ranks top in terms of style in dressing. In most instances, it is difficult to get a person who knows the right colour combinations and at the same time select outfits that fit.For the musician dressing and self care appears natural.
“Costumes depend on the event you are attending. For corporate functions, you need something steady but at the same time artistic.
And costumes for commercial events costs more, for instance, at the Miss Carnival I used a jump suit that cost me US$280 before I even factored in other expenses like hairdo, manicure and pedicure,” she said. Cindy’s fashion shop, Cindy’s Fashion Corner, is behind the supply of most of her outfits.
But in rare cases she enlists the services of designers.
The artiste argues that promoters should put into consideration “silent expenses” that women incur in preparation for gigs.
“Different gigs require different outfits but by and large the money being paid by a promoter for a show determines the costumes that we use. Apart from the outfit there are things like, hairdo, manicure and pedicure that contribute to the overall dressing expense and need to be considered,” she said.
Who do you think is the best dressed artiste in Zimbabwe? Have your say on [email protected] or comment on our website www.sundaymail.co.zw///
