THE ARTS

Zimbabwe Musician Turns Acoustic Jazz into Household Word

Zimbabwean musician Kireni Zulu has become a household name thanks to his distinctive style called "Marabi" -- which could be defined as acoustic jazz. The guitarist grew up in the town of Kadoma and worked as a street photographer before he launched his musical career. Now he sings about social issues that impact Zimbabweans' lives on a daily basis. He's released his 6th album titled "Sekuru", meaning “Grandfather.”

The album's opening track is called "Ndoendepi". It's about a husband who's lost all affection for his wife. But his spouse insists she's staying put because she doesn't know what's gone wrong. The wife asks the father of her child to explain what she's done to alter his feelings.

In the song Muzvibate, Zulu urges men to be faithful to their partners, warning that if they're not, they'll die of HIV/AIDS. The musician acknowledges being faithful isn't always easy. But he concludes if we all stray our families will die of hunger.

One of the CD's most popular tracks receiving a lot of airplay on Zimbabwean radio is Gadzirisai. Zulu sings about an adulterous man who takes advantage of widows in the pretext of helping or comforting them.

Other songs on the album include Mari,Vakadzi, Usandikanganwe and Munyama -- a song about problems in a relationship.

The musician says he's been inspired by the late Zimbabwan comedian Safirio Madzikatire, popularly known as Mukadota.

Sekuru is available at most music stores in Zimbabwe, and is marketed and distributed by Record and Tape Promotions (RTP.)

New Compilation CD Features 'The Best Of' Lucky Dube's Music

Music fans who mourned the death of reggae icon Lucky Dube in October last year should be pleased to hear his record company has released a compilation of his greatest hits. The 17-track CD is titled Lucky Dube – The Best Of. It features all the hits that made the South African musician a household name across the continent, and abroad.

The CD was compiled by Dave Segal, Lucky Dube's sound engineer from the moment he launched his career until his death.

Dube launched his career by singing traditional Zulu music, called mbaqanga. He recorded his first album with the Super Soul band in 1982. He then swapped genres and seemed to find his own voice in reggae, producing "Rastas Never Die". The song ended up being banned by the former apartheid government of South Africa.

Dube was one of a handful of performers and artists who openly called for the end of the whites-only regime. His 1989 hit "Together As One" asked why racial segregation remained if so many hated it. He sang that while cats and dogs seemed to be able to forgive one another, people - who claim to be the most advanced of species - seemed unable to do so.

For decades Dube continued to sing about injustice. After the birth of a democratic South Africa in 1994, he sang about corruption and the tax collector, who seemed to take a large slice of hard working people's income.

In the song "The way it is" Dube pleads with politicians to remain "good to people" on their way up the ladder of power, as they'll meet many on their way down.

The compilation CD contains sleeve notes listing "fun facts" about Dube's life. It states the vegetarian star never drank nor smoked cigarettes or marijuana - despite the reputation of many Rastafarians.

Dube was also the only South African artist to have a contract with the legendary US company Motown Records.

The reggae icon recorded 22 albums in his lifetime; he also won 20 local and international awards. Dube fans eager for more information should visit his website www.luckydubemusic.com