What is the Sound of a Drum that can sing? Killer T: “Ngoma Ndaimba” explained

By Tsungai Chipato

Dodging potholes, avoiding police officers from traffic checks or making needless and incessant stops in order to pick up more customers; there is always an unspoken understanding amongst all individuals who share a “Kombi”{Commuter omnibus} and pay a fare to a “Hwindi”{Fare Attendant} within Zimbabwe for tolerating anything involved with the hustle.

To the outsider who wishes to tap into this psyche of “povo” {public} way of thinking, music is the key. Whenever you ride in a “Kombi” always try to listen to the radio; the true essence of what is going on around you within the local metropolis usually becomes revealed within the music being played.

Currently within Zimbabwe Killer T is one of the leading underground artists who has risen from this “hustle and Flow” mentality of a grimey Zimbabwe; created after the fallout of 2008.

Are You A Hustler, Do You Understand The Struggle?

Zimbabwe Dancehall was birthed out of a sense of struggle and ambition, with most of its artists being youth who refused to accept the lot they had been given in their lives and instead sought to recreate their own reality through sheer grit and talent.

Killer T’s latest album “Ngoma Ndaimba”{I made the Drum Sing}; is philosophically cut from this same cloth of grit and hunger.

In “Zvese Zvandairota” {All that i dreamed off}, Killer T defines the hustle according to the frustrations of never having had the wealth he dreamt off. Plotting all the past and future strategic moves he will make, Killer T lyrically tries to draw comparisons similar to Jay Z’s album “Reasonable Doubt” and Robert Frost’s poem “A Road less Traveled” in trying to explain his life and where he sees himself.

If you were a born with a silver spoon or never had to hustle then unfortunately Zimbabwe Dancehall might not be for you; and may i suggest you just enjoy the phonics and beat patterns the same way you may listen to any other genre of music on your playlist or cloud.

In the ghetto “povo” always adhere to the rule of real people always recognizing other real people. With everything else being seen as just a means to make money and survive. If you do not understand this precept then it probably means that you are a consumer, and i suggest you stop reading this article at this point.

Who Is Killer T?

“Kuviringa Pattern”{Hating the Hustle}, although a track mainly expressing Killer T’s bravado, is a track that has an underlying street-code philosophy on how not to fraternize with, “matsaga” or weak minded people prone to following anything or anyone.

Weak people breed weak results, a fact commonly known in any ghetto globally. Only the hungry will more likely find ways to eat; and most of the time we as humans willingly and stupidly associate ourselves with people who we know may lead us to our own downfall.

Killer T is very cognizant of this issue and encompasses it as an underlying theme in his album.

“Mundinzwewo”{Hear Me Out}; is a reminder to the listener clarifying that being poor is not a curse or disease and shouldn’t be used as a discriminatory factor in judging a person. A persons worth shouldn’t be judged on his status alone but on his communal spirit and integrity.

What’s In It For You, Why Should You Care?

The album “Ngoma Ndaimba” {I made the Drum Sing} is Killer T claiming his abilities of making a percussion instrument sing as if with a voice of its own. This is an album meant to motivate and propel your day forward, with Killer T envisioning himself as the pied piper of Zimbabwe dance hall.

“Kumanikidzira Rudo”{Forcing on Love} one of the softer tracks, delves into how raw ambition can comprehend love or relationships different from the norm. This song along with “Misodzi Yangu”{My Tears} try to reveal Killer T’s softer side with a dismal attempt at a feint towards an urban mainstream crowd.

Body-Slam Records to its credit quickly regains its footing by cooking up a club banger on the album with “Ngoma Ndaimba”; a track loaded with more bravado and a direct challenge to anyone who tries to dismiss Killer T for best dance-hall artist for 2015.

Going old school and taking it back to an African traditional culture where only the best individual in the village back in the day, actually played the drums.

The title track “Ngoma Ndaimba” which is a play on the words, states its “HNIC” status by issuing a challenge to all other competitors for 2015 lyrically; if they can best Killer T as King of Zimbabwean Dancehall for this year.

Do You Understand Zimbabwe Dance-hall?

If you take the time to listen to Killer T’s lyrics and peel off the layers of bravado and self aggrandizement accompanied by his style of delivery, with time while you listen to the album an underlying depth and raw emotion slowly begins to emerge.

“Kufamba naro Bhora”{Moving with the ball}, “Vanoona Moto”{They will feel the heat}, or “Haupore”{You will never heal}, all stress on staying focused with ones’ eyes always on the prize.

Using lyrical wordplay such as “Tauya Kuzonetsa seMunhu weChikwereti” {we come to bother, just like a person owed money}, the simplicity of his words yet the manner in which he juggles them around draws the listener in for more in-depth listening.

“Maisafanirwa Kundirega”{You Shouldn’t Have let Me Go} is that track wrote specifically for treacherous women of this world that Killer T grew around and saw. Using the the biblical Samson and Delilah narrative as a backdrop, Killer T creates a track where he asks’ his close family why they let him fall into such a dangerous situation due to a woman.

How Do I Tap Into Zimbabwe and its Hustle?

“Takumbofarawo”{Can We At Least Have Some Fun Too} is the call to arms for any hustler, focused individual or entrepreneur who listens to “Ngoma Ndaimba” in its entirety.

Cognizant of the hard-knocks and nonsense we all go through, this track salutes you the listener; and pays homage to those who struggle everyday to better their lives. Asking only that you pause for a moment and acknowledge that you are a human being and should celebrate your life while you still have it.

If You Haven’t Heard Of Killer T

This album which includes popular club tracks such as “Vagara Vonongovenga”{They Will Always Hate}, “Vanofanirwa Kutendwa” {Those Who Should be Thanked} “Kukosha KweChikorobho”{The Value of a Mop} and “Itai Ndione” {Let Me See, Then I will Do}, clearly defines to a listener what the definition of a “Zimbabwean Ghetto Youth” really is.

Please support your local artists. 

Tsungai Chipato is a Journalist, and is also currently the Creative director for a grassroots Cultural online Zimbabwean organization called Bongogzozo. In order to reach him, contact him at [email protected]