Yesteryear singer-dancer Taso leaves ‘tough’ music industry

By Problem Masau

Do you still remember the song Vaka Zimbabwe which was a regular on ZBCTV’s Mutinhimira Wemimhanzi/Ezomgido?

Well, Taso real name Shepherd Kunodziya is probably one of the few musicians in Zimbabwe who tried the pantsula genre with much success.

Though he made a comeback in 2012, he has been quiet on the music scene with many of his fans wondering about his whereabouts.

Taso is one of the few musicians who quit music to pursue other business interests.

The musician is concentrating on his career as a hospital equipment technician working for private hospitals at the same time buying and selling cars.

“I have to survive my friend and the country’s economy in the last few years saw musicians struggling to make ends meet. I had to do something to eke out a living,” he said.

Taso said he now has his sights on mining.

“I will be venturing into mining. I’m ironing out a few logistical problems but by March I would be full time in mining,” he said.

On the music scene, the musician said he has a few songs that he has penned but was not sure if he was going to record.

“As a musician one constantly pens songs and I’m happy that I have songs that are good enough to make an album but I do not know if I am ever going to record,” he said.

“I am still playing pantsula although I have added new things. New styles can come but that doesn’t mean we should discard what defines us. That is the reason why chimurenga and sungura are still the same after so many years despite other genres that are trending”.

Taso worked as a teacher at Kambarami and Dombodzvuku Secondary Schools in Murehwa before training as a hospital technician with the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare in 1990. —Gemnation