I never thought Zimbabwean musicians used juju to enhance their careers and earnings until I interviewed former Kasongo band member Knowledge Kunenyathi in 2005. Now a born-again, Kunenyathi says; It is not easy. All of us went on tour armed to the teeth with magic. We only communicated on stage and when we broke for recess, we could not look each other in the eyes.
‘The problem was that we all wanted to lead. Ketai wanted to protect himself and remain the leader. I wanted to fend off assaults from Marko who envied my position. As a result, we consulted n’angas in order for us to be strong. Surviving without magic was difficult.
‘We also used magic to lure fans to our shows. There were times when we were so popular that we jammed all venues we played at.’
He was attending a morning session at the Zaoga church in Seke the Saturday I hunted down former Kasongo Band member, Knowledge Kunenyathi. I had walked all the way from his lodgings in some part of Chitungwiza when I missed the early morning appointment.
Even at the church, I had to wait since Kunenyathi was in session. But those whom I spoke to at the church said the deacon was a very good musician.
When he eventually emerged from the sprawling church, Kunenyathi who had a sash on looked the same dancing hero on Kasongo’s videos.
He was one of the people who popularised Kabhasikoro dance which Alick Macheso later improved to create Borrowdale dance. Only that Kunenyathi and his band mates, Ketai Muchawaya and Marko Sibanda would dance while standing on one position unlike Macheso who moonwalks.
He was not at Nachingweya Camp in Tanzania when Kasongo was formed by Ketai, Major Mirirai, Fainos Mapurisa and Rex Moto Moto. At the time, Kunenyathi was a war runner in Buhera before he was locally trained as a guerrilla.
His story is about how the group trudged on despite internal strife.
Read his story below
The outfit Kasongo band created a name for itself in the early 80s and the middle 90s mainly because of its trademark rhumba beat which had a lot of influences from East Africa.
Most people did not understand the meaning of the group’s popular song Asante Sana which was released in 1982 yet they danced to the song and it was not surpising that the hit sinlge topped the cahrts for a long time.
Decades down the line, it appears the group’s has now disappeared. Knowledge Kunenyathi former vocalist and founder member of the group who is now a deacon with Zaoga church in seke is a survivor.
Out of 18 members, only Kunenyathi is alive. And of eight members of his own group muzokomba movers formed after the disbandmenrt of Kasongo in 1989, only Kunenyathi is alive.
‘I am alive and am sure god has a reason for keeping me alive,’ he said adding that he woke up one day in 1999 and decided to to hand his life to God.
To show how instrumenbtal he was in the music industry and to the two groups he served, both Kasongo and Muzokomba Movers are no more.
A war collaborator who was trained locally by freedom fighters and served in his home area of Buhera, Kunenyathi met the late Ketai Muchawaya in Chitungwiza in the early 80s.
They were both members of the Zanu-PF People’s Choir that was also known as the zanla band. Some of the band’s members were Cde Chinx and Max Mapfumo.
‘The People’s Choir had ex-combatants and war collaborators as its members. Many of them had their won groups. Thus we had kasonog as a band whose members belonged to the People’s Choir.
Inmates of Nachingweya Training Camp in Tanzania during the war formed Kasongo Band. It had four members who are all late – Ketai, Major Mirirai, Fainos Mapurisa and Rex Moto Moto.
When the war ended, the band became a co-operative. Members paid a joining fee to enable the band to acquire a minibus and some instruments. A total of 18 people joined the band including some who could not sing, play any kind of instrument or dance.
With instruments available, Kunenyathi who haisl fronm the same area as Ketai and looked like twins becaue of their afro hairstyle came into the limelight as a nacking vocalist when the group releaesde Asante Sana.
Kunenyathi was chosen ahead of Marko Sibanda who had joined the banbd earier because he spoke the same ndau dialect like Ketai since Marko was Ndebele. And this would affect their relationship over the years until the disbandment of the group.
‘Marko’s voice could not match ketai’s so after voice tests, Ketai picked me.’
Indeed during those days Kasongo was second to Devere Ngwena and it won people’s hearts by its fascinating footworks which were accompanied by fast beat that became the Kasongo trademark.
But behind that face of camaradie seethed untold hatred for each other as members jockeyed for leadership.
That Kasongo recorded several chart topping songs and toured the country as a unit was just a miracle because the deep-seated differences led members to seek magical powers from faith-healers and traditional healers.
‘It is not easy. All of us went on tour armed to the teeth with magic. We only communicated on stage and when we broke for recess, we could not look each other in the eyes.
‘The problem was that we all wanted to lead. Ketai wanted to protect himself and remain the leader. I wanted to fend off assaults from Marko who envied my position. As a result, we consulted n’angas in order for us to be strong. Surviving without magic was difficult.
‘We also used magic to lure fans to our shows. There were times when we were so popular that we jammed all venues we played at.’
The differences finally boiled over in 1987 leading to Ketai’s departure from the band when non-performing members demanded that he shared with them the composer’s fees.
Ketai then founded the Simba Brothers together with Peter Majoni. ‘Ketai wanted to lure me from Kasongo to Simba Brothers. But I told him to go first and get something going before I joined him. In fact, I had seen in his departure an opportunity to take over as the leader.
‘Well when he realised that I was not moving an inch, Ketai approached me and asked why I was still with Kasongo? I laughed and told him that I was not joining him and that he had to work hard because Kasongo would challenge him.’
When he took over Kasongo, Kunenyathi released albums such as Baba Handishaye Narushoka as well as Gedyo. He also released Kuwirirana Mumabasa, Sadza, Zvirango, Zvaita Sei and Kasongo Muzimbabwe.
But the difference with Marko who was still with the band worsened and Kunenyathi had to leave and Marko dug in as the new leader of the band.
‘Sometimes we fought each other before shows and both of us used magic to outdo each other. I tried to fight him but later realised that it was useless and I left.’
He formed Muzokomba Movers when he left together with his young brother Lovemore. With Muzokomba Movers, Kunenyathi released Maisiri Muvhimi, Panemutauro and Kugara Nhaka.
In early 1999, the remaining members of Kasongo asked Kunenyathi to return after the sacking of Marko who later Insiza Brothers.
Before the end of 1999, both Kunenyathi and Ketai were converted to Zaoga. Ketai had just finished serving a three-year jail term for manslaughter for beating an alleged thief to death.
‘When Ketai left jail, he was frail and could not play.’
Today Kunenyathi plays with church members and has released several albums among them Kudanwa.
‘Although I am singing gospel, my beat has not changed. Kana kutamba ndinotamba asi handichatambisa chiuno. Kumakumbo computer ichiriko.’
But with all the fame and the top 10 hits that Kunenyathi churned out, what kind of life is he leading?
‘Musicians in this country are poor people. They are oppressed by their record companies. We work hard but die poor. It is even worse when one does own instruments.
‘The new and young DJs are also making life difficult for us. Most of them are killing our songs by not playing them. They opt to play their new type of music which in most cases is mere noise. They deprive us of income.’
He said most of sungura musicians use juju to sell their products, ‘When we used to do it, people would start paying even before the band has appeared. Check their guitars and drums, chances are that you will find juju, especially in the drums.
‘It is not difficult to see who uses juju and who does not because those who use juju will quickly and inexplicably fade out.’
Kunenyathi was born in 1956 in Muzokomba and left school after completing standard three to work as a gardener in Harare in 1974.
When the war came, he went back to Buhera to become a collaborator and at ceasefire; he went to Dzapasi Assembly Point. He then joined the national army briefly.
No comments:
Post a Comment