Music life as an under dog

Music life as an under dog

By Munashe Rungano

While a lot of hard work in the mainstream music industry is credited to the top players and well established entertainers, little or less is known of the efforts exerted by the seasoned but unknown – in the music circles. These are artistes who are mostly confined to the musical doldrums and chasing shadows of the big names who have made it in the industry.

With a number of such artistes out of favour with music promoters, who prefer popular names for obvious reasons – to a major extent guaranteed profit when hosting gigs, the unpopular musicians have been left to scramble for curtain raising slots, organising less rewarding gigs in the rural, farming and mining areas and struggling for airplay.

Facing a similar predicament is unheralded but multitalented sungura musician Hebert Majeke.

Having been in the game for almost ten years with nine studio albums under his belt, the former all round Puritans instrumentalist – is yet to make name or at least a reasonable impact on the music scene.

Boasting of experience from being part of many music outfits as a session musician Majeke told Showbiz that sheer talent is not enough to sustain one as complete musician and scale them to dizzy heights.

He said life as an underdog artiste was ruthless as one is vulnerable to exploitation and marginalisation by both promoters and broadcasting stations.

“Even the media does not want to associate with less popular artistes,” he said.

“It’s very difficult being down there. Imagine while we still struggle to get shows when you eventually manage to stage one, getting a reporter to come and attend the show you have to think twice as most of these guys demand that you buy them drinks to give you media coverage. Some of the gigs do not pay at all so to go on and have an extra cost is unimaginable. Sometimes l end up sneaking out of the venue to avoid the media,”

He said sometimes to make an impact as an unknown musician one had to rely on riding along with the big guns, pointing out that since his debut album in 2007 he struggled to get air play but it was only until 2011 when he recorded his album, Takashinga under Alick Macheso’s now defunct Last Power Studios.

“There is a lot of politics in this industry. Back biting is also rife. All this is mostly a result of the exchange of money between some individuals who want to stay on top at the expense of upcoming talent,” he lamented.

Majeke, who is also a qualified and experienced sound engineer, added that piracy had crippled the industry to an extent that artistes of his stature were finding it difficult to stand as full time artistes.

“Most of the recording companies have abandoned their roles as music promoters and distributors as the market is flooded by counterfeit studio projects. This has left us with no option but to distribute CDs ourselves. At the end of the day if you rely on the record companies to market and distribute your music you will starve as you are guaranteed paltry or zero royalties,” he said.

Being a Grammar Records artiste, he said the neglect of the minnows by the recording stables had forced him to shelve some of his recorded master copies at home to protect and innovate a strategy to market his music.

He said: “It’s just demoralising especially when l look at my last album, Ndezveziya (Sweat). It just vanished into thin air. I did forward copies to various media houses but unfortunately it seems my efforts were fruitless as it never made it on air or in the newspapers. This is the case not only for me but a number of artistes out there. Without financial muscle your talent is suppressed paving way for those who can throw around a few dollars,” he said.

Disillusioned: Herebet Majeke is disappointed by the state of affairs on the music scene

Although he has been a curtain raiser for a number of popular musicians namely Alick Macheso, Jah Prayzah and Sulumani Chimbetu- he said such shows were not served on a silver platter as in some instances he had to bribe club management to be involved on the night’s performing line up.

“The grounds are just different, when you are well established you get it all easy at the opposite end we strive to at least go on stage and warm it up for ten minutes. What makes you as an artiste is publicity whether good or bad,” Majeke said.

Majeke’s outcry is a follow up to another blast of the way musicians are treated differently in accordance of stature by another sungura artiste Ronnie Mudhindo.

The Orchestra Vazvamburi front man and Utakataka Express founding member took a swipe at the Radio Zimbabwe Coca Cola Top 20 accusing the state owned station’s DJs of taking bribes from musicians in order to have their songs topping the chart show.

In a recorded audio note the bassist pin points sungura ace Alick Macheso as the chief culprit in peddling corruption by paying Patricia Jeremiah, the chat show presenter, money to maintain top positions on the weekly shows.

Although these remain allegations that have not been substantiated, the toil of local artistes has been worsened by the economic situation that has forced the majority of music consumers to relegate purchase of the arts to leisure.

While the allegations against the media are not new, lack of innovation among record labels have not helped as they continue to stick to old business models instead of adapting to the economic dynamics of the day.

Although it remains debatable, it appears some musicians that concentrate on the less popular venues, towns and growth points are living a far better life than those confined to Harare.