Music is a mirror reflecting the experiences of any society and what its inhabitants go through on the daily.Just as any journey has a beginning and an ending the greatest journey of all which is life only starts so that it can end.For some when its time to bid farewell to this our temporary homestead you have an actual feeling and its no different with musicians in general and the sungura masters of old.Listening to some tracks one cant help but shed a few tears at what seems like prophetic words these maestros wanted us to remember them by.
Take for example John Chibadura's Zuva Rekufa Kwangu.Mr Chitungwiza used a sombre reggae beat to ask the powers that be his death date.Its a question many of us have often asked because when death comes it more often than not catches us by suprise leaving us no time to organize our estates or to have that one last joyride with friends and family.Nobody has bothered to carry Mr Chitungwiza's torch at least musically and his pertinent question 'Kana ndafa hupfumi hwangu huchadyiwa naniko' leaves us wondering if the riches in question was a rich musical legacy that has stood the test of time even without an heir to take it over.
Kwekwetown legend Tongai Moyo also had a sit down with God in rhyme about his fate at his demise.In Zvondouyako Leonard Dembo's protege saw death around the corner and used the chance to confess his transgressions in song.He also took the opportunity to plead with God to not mete out punishment for his wrongdoings to his offspring because his sins clearly had nothing to do with them.As Peter Moyo and his siblings charter their way in this chaotic world without Tongai's hand to guide them the words he left behind surely offer a bit of solace to their grieving hearts.
Who can forget Samatenga that cult classic by dendera co-originator Simon Chimbetu.His song also took the form of a question asking the ruler of the heavens why hard times were humanity's staple.He further enquired about the whereabouts of our loved ones who pass on and the reason they never bother communicating with us.He would later wear the shoes of a late person and plead with those he left behind to keep his favorite tunic of colors because he was in the process of interceding with the rulers of heaven to give him google maps and a route to return to planet earth.
2019 saw the demise of Dr Oliver Mtukudzi and his discography too has joints dedicated to the grim reaSuper.Panorwadza Moyo with Winky is a fairly recent addition to said catalogue unlike Rufu NdiMadzongonyedze.Rufu ndiMadzongonyedze went a bit deeper to outline that death was more than the untimely passing of a loved one with its unexpected coming often coinciding with rifts in the family unit.The family drama that almost shrouded his funeral and sharing of his estate afterwards therefore became an uncanny fulfilment of prophecy.All this makes it seem like Tuku and others before him wrote songs about death with prophetic goggles on and the resultant classics were not just songs but soundtracks to be played at the end of the movie like lives they lived.
Notable mentions include but are not limited to Simon Chimbetu's Haina Window,Cephas Mashada's Danga Rehwai,Tongai Moyo and Somandla Ndebele's Masimba Amwari as well as Marshal Munhumumwe's Rwendo
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