Tambaoga attempts comeback

By Felix Share

Zanu PF praise singer TAMBAOGA is back! After close to seven years under the radar, Tambaoga, real name Last Chiangwa is trying to change his ‘praise singer’ tag and be accepted as a serious musician.

Tambaoga, has come up with a third album set to hog the limelight for the touchy topics he fearlessly croons on.

Backed by Severende Group, Tambaoga recorded the eight-track album — Hakata — at PJB studios in Chitungwiza.

In an exclusive interview with The Herald on Monday, Tambaoga said the album was a social commentary on the struggles faced by Zimbabweans.

“We have tracks like Wemusango, Chipembere and Hurombo Hunonhuwa which talk about experiences faced by the poor,” he said.

“We will officially launch it in a few weeks time before releasing it in December,” he said.

Other songs on the album are Kuraya, Hana, Marirangwe, Firapo and Vavakidzani, which are about how neighbours relate.

Hakata, like his two previous efforts Matepatepa and Agirimende is a fusion of traditional music and heavily influenced by the mbira instrument.

“Mbira is our spirit. It’s the only instrument that can link the present world with the past. We can only speak to the ancestors when we play the mbira so we cannot have music that we can proudly call Zimbabwean without the mbira,” he said.

He said he had four albums, which he had put on hold because of financial constraints.

“I delayed the release of my albums because of financial resources but I am currently working with Andy Brown who has promised to bail me out,” he added.

Tambaoga said he was praying for society to accept him as an artiste, not a politician.

“I want people to accept me as an artiste, not a politician. This is what has affected my music so much because even promoters and producers were failing to accept me as I am,” he said.

Tambaoga burst onto the music scene at the time of the new millennium with the politically-charged hit song Agirimende.

He did voice covers for the nuaseating Third Chimurenga jingles — Rambai Makashinga and Sendekera.