Norman Masamba’s second album is a long-awaited project that originated from a very deep and a faraway place. The 10-track offering has been in the crucible for nearly five years due to some unforeseen circumstances and on the first of February 2021, the album was finally released on various online platforms.
A beautifully played guitar dominants the album. This is complemented by carefully arranged instruments that take you back to Zimbabwe if you are far away from home.
If you are in Zimbabwe, the arrangements will take you back to the legendary Zimbabwean sound. Music on SaMasamba’s album feels like I am listening to Tuku, Andy Brown and Mapfumo all at the same time.
A good example is the sixth track titled ‘Uta’.
This is a famous traditional song that was sang by our ancestors when they were about to go to war or to hunt. The brilliance of this song is that there was not a single word uttered throughout the entire four minutes and 39 seconds.
It is just a brilliant rendition of a guitar topped with a bit of djembe and a corresponding clapping of hands. When listening to this song, if you know the lyrics of the song, believe you me, you will be the lead vocalist. Before you know it you will be feeling like you want to go to battle.
After nearly a month of listening to the album, I am still not sure which track is my favourite. Out of all the 10 tracks, I have connected with every single one. First, it strikes you, then it grows on you and then it relates to you and the world around you.
‘Ziso’ is the first track on the album. The lyrics of the song are directed to the eye – the window through which we see the world. The eye is being warned to be satisfied and not to fall into wanting to own everything it sees.
The second track, ‘Tumirai’ carries an equally important message. This time to city and diaspora dwellers alike, encouraging them to let their children visit the rural areas and learn their culture. The vocals on this track and the rhythm makes you want to stand on your feet and move. For me, this is one of the few tracks that I feel I can dance to as I find most of the tracks too thought-provoking.
‘Meso Angu’, the third track on the album is exactly that. It is a song that makes you reflect and question today’s religion and people who are purporting to be representing God. It speaks to the times we live in where they are so many people claiming to have been sent by God. So basically, it is a prayer to God to open one’s eyes to discern who is real amongst the so-called men of God.
The pivotal song of the album is the fourth track called ‘Kunorima’, the title track.
It is the first song I listened to and instantly fell in love with. It has an up-tempo that makes you want to groove but not for long. The message is deep and so real that once you listen to the words, they become a reality to most Zimbabweans most of whom are struggling to make ends meet.
I am almost certain that when SaMasamba wrote this song, he was going through a very rough patch and the song depicts nothing less. For some time, this too was my favourite track from the album, but things changed.
As I said, the album strikes you then grows on you before it eventually speaks of an experience that happened or is happening in your life.
Now let us quickly jump a few tracks and talk about ‘Pedo Navo’, the ninth track. Again, SaMasamba was just showing how brilliant and versatile he is with the guitar. He sets the scene for this song with an acoustic rock guitar that I have not heard anywhere else in the album until now. I was teleported to a different place. When I was trying to figure out if I was still listening to the same artist, I then got dipped into very calm and heart-breaking vocals narrating the wishes of a dying person.
For most Zimbabweans, the norm has been to repatriate and bury our loved ones back home after they pass in the diaspora. However, some have been away for most of their lives and maybe it is time to rethink this tradition. This is what the song is about and more. I am sure a lot of Zimbabweans who are scattered around the globe, with little hopes of returning home before they die, will connect with this track.
‘Vekwako’ and ‘Dzikama’ are more of social commentary tracks and it seems SaMasamba is about that. He does not just make music to entertain but to also communicate serious massages.
Most of the songs on this album carry the same sentiment. This, I think, is influenced by how he was groomed as a musician. Most of the people he has worked with including the late Dr Oliver Mtukudzi, Chiwoniso Maraire, Bob Nyabinde and Victor Kunonga had and have a similar approach to music. If you look at it that way you will understand and appreciate the idea that indeed a calf does not stray too far from its mother.
I also think that is the greatest investment any musician can make-creating songs that have very long shelf lives, songs that you can still play to an audience when you are 60 years old.
I digress, now let us go back to the remaining two tracks ‘Zindoga’ and ‘Do Something’. These two are love songs and in a way, they balance the album and also show the versatility of the artist-from the serious and profound to love.
I am honestly loving this album. However, there is only one thing I can think of that could have been done differently. I would have loved to see one or two artists featuring in this project. Considering the rich musical upbringing of SaMasamba and some of the big names he has and is still working with, it would have been great to hear him collaborating and fusing his music with other musicians. Local and international collaborations can do wonders for an artist these days and this is something that he should consider in the upcoming projects.
Kunorima is an album that every Zimbabwean should listen to I am certain of it. I have recommended it to people I respect including my 70-year-old aunt who has been in the diaspora for nearly 30 years now and she is loving it.
The album is available on Spotify, Amazon, iTunes, YouTube Music, Deezer and a host of other online platforms, but just in case, here is the link:
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=PSV5648JE2s&list=OLAK5uy_lkUvep27fbGwfUeO66Gh8fnhWIhuzX5DY
