Tocky introduces ragga marimba

By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka

There was once a group from Mutare called Assegai Crew led by the late Stobart Chidikano. The group was famed for fathering a genre which was known as ragga Manyika, a type of reggae sung in Manyika dialect.

Oddly enough, the genre’s longevity ended with the demise of Stobart who did it to perfection. The long and short of it is that sometimes longevity in music is not guaranteed for as long as there is no continuity.

And now, Zim dancehall act Tocky Vibes has introduced his own genre – ragga marimba again it is a fusion of reggae and marimba.

Fans first heard of the music during Tocky’s debut appearance at the Lion Lager Summer Beer Festival over the weekend where he performed for the first time backed by a live band.

Based on popularity vote, Tocky is the man-of -the-moment however, he seems to have developed a penchant for experimenting with the crowd.

That alone causes a lot of problems because he is still trying to find himself.

And where is he taking his fans?

In other worlds, his experiments are not only shocking but also highly risky.

Some experiments work and others don’t.

The ragga marimba fusion that Tocky performed was one example of how music experiments can be futile.

The sound didn’t come out as he wanted and the whole performance was disjointed.

Years back superstar Oliver Mtukudzi did the same thing when he hired Charles Chipanga to play marimba.

The result was magic but fans did not approve of that change and Mtukudzi was forced to go back to the guitars and keyboards.

Tocky might be lucky this time around since he is the artiste everybody is talking about.

But as for longevity it remains to be seen and it might be sooner than later that another Zim dancehall star is born.

Like Stobart and his ragga Manyika everything died with him the same could happen to Tocky.

He could be the only ragga marimba artiste to emerge from Zimbabwe and no one will follow that route the same thing he has done with his weird garbs.

Ever wondered why there are no dancehall stars who wrap themselves in black cloth like Tocky is doing?

Take Nyamasvisva of Mawungira eNharira for instance, the man dresses and looks well on stage as a mbira artiste.

But when it comes to Tocky you get the impression of someone who is not fashion conscious and seeking a lot of attention due to his stage attire.

The last time he showed up in a weird attire was at the Old Hararians Sports Club where he performed alongside Jamaican star Kalado.

There, he came dressed like a butler in a bright coloured long dress.

In fact, there were several jokes on the social networks that Tocky is a Mbuya Nehanda impostor due to his weird attire. The Herald