Interview with Zhakata: . . . as Zora rules

By Prince Mushawevato

After spending years in the music wilderness, veteran musician and Zora founder Leonard Karikoga Zhakata (LKZ) appears to have finally re-discovered the codes that made him a household name in the 90s.

Though die-hard Zora fans argue Zhakata never lost touch, it is an open secret that the musician had long been forgotten and had become a withdrawn shadow of his former self.

Conversely, the musician, who is famed for yesteryear hits like “Maruva Enyika”, “Mugove”, “Hupenyu Mutoro” and “Gomba Remarara”, contends his allure is back, thanks to the Christian community support and the void currently characterising the sungura genre.

His latest album “Zvangu Zvaita” has ushered in a new lease of life for the musician. A track from the album “Dhonza Makomborero” last year won the Song-of-the-Year award at the revived Zimbabwe Music Awards (Zima) and also scooped the top position at the annual Coca-Cola Radio Zimbabwe Top 50 charts.

Zhakata’s other songs “Dollar Boy” and “Chapter Yerudo” from the same project (Zvangu Zvaita), were on second and seventh position respectively on the same charts.

Our reporter Prince Mushawevato (PM) had a chat with LKZ on the sidelines of the Coca-Cola Radio Zimbabwe Top 50 prize handover ceremony in the capital last week. Read On…

PM: Having won all these awards, would you say you are on course to regain your lost glamour?

LKZ: Developments are indicating that there has been a shift in the market. The changes we made to our music were first criticised, but people are beginning to understand the new style hence they voted for three of our songs to be in the Top 10 of the Coca-Cola Radio Zimbabwe Top 50. I trust God will continue to give us the ability to compose and play our music in a better way that satisfies the interests of our fans.

PM: Previously your compositions have failed to make it big on the charts with your last notable hit(s) having been recorded before the turn of the millennium. What do you attribute your current success to?

LKZ: I learnt today that when a song enters the charts, it starts collecting points that have a bearing on the final results on the Top 50 by year end.

The support we got from the Christian community and the original Zora fans was massive and overwhelming. The Christian community sort of welcomed me while the Zora fans stood their ground with regards to supporting me. But you find that as a person who no longer had the same stature I used to have back in the days, some people were still giving my music a cold shoulder.

However, beginning of this year I have noticed that people now have renewed interest in my music following the Top 50 victory. Attendance at our shows has improved tremendously so has the visibility of our album in record bars as well as in the streets. Some people are even coming to me confessing that they did not know I was still producing good music. I thank both groups (Christians and Zora fans) for they have brought me back to the limelight and helped renew appreciation of my music by some people who had long written me off.

PM: How do you rate your shows at present?

LKZ: I can say our shows have generally improved but because of the prevailing economic challenges, we haven’t reached a point that we desire but we are working on producing more videos so that people can sacrifice to come to our gigs knowing what will be in store for them. We have to make them realise that we offer value for money.

PM: Does this mean we should expect new videos from LKZ this year?

LKZ: This is a challenge that has been passed to me by my fans. They have supported me and I should respond by giving them new stuff that is creative and well polished in the shortest possible time.

PM: The music industry landscape has evolved in the last decade, how do you compare the current market with that of the 90s or before?

LKZ: Indeed there has been a total change or rather should I say a total shift. Sales have been wiped out by piracy and music marketing strategies are no longer the same. Also there are new genres that have come on board and are competing effectively.

Our genre, which is one of the old sounds, is at a stage that requires high level of creativity. The younger generation is easily embracing their genres (Dancehall/Urban Grooves), while our mature listeners are proving a challenge to convince.

The mature listeners demand creativity in terms of sound and lyrics and we are working on that.

PM: How far true is it that you want to shift your music from secular to pure gospel?

LKZ: My position does not change, I’m now a born-again Christian and will remain such. People think when one sings gospel he or she has to continuously sing or make reference to Jesus, which is not the case. My music teaches about righteousness. This kind of misinterpretation is the reason why my music was always quoted in political context.

When teaching, you should not only focus on church-goers or your friends but everyone else. Whether one will interpret it as gospel or not it’s up to them, my guiding factor is righteousness. The Sunday Mail