The Sunday Mail
TRUST Samende is arguably one of the best lead guitarists in the country. This probably explains why he has worked with international stars such as Chimurenga music guru Dr Thomas “Mukanya” Mapfumo, Jamaican reggae artistes Luciano, Etana, Queen Ifrica and Manou Gallo from Ivory Coast. But, what makes the revered man from Victoria Falls tick? Our reporter BRIGHTON ZHAWI sat done with him for more insights
********************
Q: How did you ‘fall in love’ with the guitar?
A: It was on October 26, 2005 after watching Jimmy Dludlu’s live performance in Harare.
Initially, I started on the keyboards, but later learnt to play the guitar. I went to music school to master the art well.
The guitar is not just an instrument, but my voice. It is how I express myself.
Q: What inspires you?
A: I am an open-minded musician; I allow myself to move with the times. I listen to almost every genre, from deep traditional music to trending popular hits. The process of finding answers to what is good about a particular type of music inspires me to learn and create.
Q: Take us through your music journey?
A: My music journey starts in Victoria Falls — Chinotimba township — at the tender age of 10. I started off playing at church and then I was invited to join a band called Motsioaruka when I was 14 years old. We played at Mama Africa Restaurant. This is the point my professional career as a musician officially began. I am now 34 and in the process of documenting my musical journey.
Q: Who is your biggest influence in music?
A: I am sure you think it is a guitarist, but no! ExQ influenced me a lot.
A musician should be able to crossover and stay relevant to new and upcoming generations, and ExQ has done that. He is still relevant.
Q: Besides Luciano, Born Afrika, (and) Zimpraise, which other international acts have you worked with?
A: I have played with Keith Sweat (USA), Etana (Jamaica), Bushman (Jamaica), Turbulence (Jamaica), Fantan Mojah (Jamaica), The Givers (USA), Baaba Maal (Senegal), Manou Gallo (Ivory Coast), Queen Ifrica (Jamaica), Tony Rebel (Jamaica), Judy Boucher (St. Vincent in the Caribbean), Gregor Salto (Netherlands), Jeziel Brothers (South Africa), Keke (South Africa) and Thomas Mapfumo (Zimbabwe).
Q: Any special take-away from the experience?
A: I am honoured to have had the opportunity to work with these amazing international acts on stage and in the studio. It was an amazing experience and a huge learning curve.
Q: Define your relationship with Mokoomba?
A: Mokoomba is home. The group represents me in many respects. It is who I am and where I come from. I grew up in the same community, Victoria Falls, with all the band members.
We have lived, played and travelled together in our touring career as adults. It is more than a band; it is a family.
Q: Tell us about your new studio?
A: I founded Houz of Kulcha in 2016. It is a platform and hub that supports musicians to grow their skills. The studio offers rehearsal space, music lessons, (and) production of content, be it music recordings, live video recordings, music videos and workshops.
In our effort to support promising emerging bands, we offer free rehearsal space on Sundays. I am also a producer and have worked with Allan Chimbetu, Israel Sevenzo, Patience Masiyambiri, Mbeu, Chelsea Mguni, Mary Anibal, Pamzy, Mwenje Mathole and Masa Caroleen over the years.
Q: Apart from the “Meet and Jam” session, what else are you involved in?
A: I am producing a documentary. However, I will share more about it at a later stage. I think the pandemic (Covid-19) has taught musicians that it is risky to have a single revenue stream.
Q: What do you think needs to be done for local music to be more visible on the globe?
A: We need to focus on creating an original and distinct music identity that can compete with other music genres from around the continent.
We should not get easily blown by foreign trends. Local radio stations prioritise American, South African and now Nigerian content during their primetime but the sad reality is no foreign radio prioritises our music.
We have created a situation whereby we are not proud of our productions and our artistes now feel they have to bend towards international popular music to get airplay. We need to revert to over 90 percent local content on local radio.
