The plague of having a hit song in Zimbabwe

ARGUS MEPO

 

Music just like any other profession is an industry that opens floodgates of opportunities and better career prospects to hard workers. Likewise, it’s a field where stakeholders can achieve and win, like any other occupation.

One of the yardsticks that is used to measure achievers and hard workers in the music industry is the capability and capacity of artists to release hit songs that can bring the streets to halt, congest the airplay and dominate the social media, online and streaming music platforms.

In the contemporary times, there are many musical heroes and heroines who have been making both good songs and hit songs as well, the list is endless but among them include Jah Prayzah, Winky D, Ammara Brown, Tamy Moyo, Nutty O, Seh Calaz, Freeman, Killer T, Ex Q, Poptain, Holy Ten, Enzo Ishall and Voltz JT the list is endless.

With the popularity and traction, they have made through their art and with the hit songs they have made, they could have been bigger and better brands than they are today.

What pains the most is that producing a hit song in Zimbabwe is indeed a curse, it brings unexpected calamities, anxiety as well as tremendous setbacks to the artists rather than massive material or monetary value especially when comparing with other big music brands across Africa.

For instance, our neighbouring South Africa and the world over, one hit song like Hello Mwari (Jah Master), Handipere Power (Nutty O), Chidzoka (Roki), Juzi (Kae Chaps) or Kure (Ishan) is enough to change the life of an artist, including buying a mansion and living a luxurious life in general.

Back in our motherland, a hit song will get you famous but without any generating life-changing tangible assets and this has been the case for many artists.

To make matters worse, such artists will be used as case studies to prove that music is not a viable career prospect and to discourage other potential great musicians who also want to venture into music.

Sentiments such as music career is for the uneducated, is not a viable and a worth-pursuing career have been dominating discussions all over.

The recent case of a former music star Paradzai Mesi a befitting and most appropriate example which assists in feeding up this narrative.

Also associated with this fame is also limelight which comes together with other unruly traits which are offsprings of fame.

History has a number of successful artists who became big headed during the prime days of their music careers but doom followed in the aftermath.

They failed to acquire assets and other developments because the economy is not conducive enough for the triumph of the arts sector in general.

More so, hit makers in Zimbabwe in the present-day times have also been vulnerable to culture vultures (mbingas).

These culture vultures are fully aware of the nature of the music industry and they trap these hit makers with incentives and stipends, use and in some cases abuse them in order to gain influence, following and popularity.

Some artists who once did wonders are labelled as one-hit wonders or opportunists, but that is not always the case.

The music industry is not inspiring and highly rewarding to hit makers.

After having a hit song you will come to terms with reality as such, some of the artists have opted for other hustles apart from music.

 

 

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