. . . Firebrands who don’t see eye to eye
By Kudah Nyamugara
I finally met Mukanya after decades having last met him at Boka in 2003 at his Mudhara Wauya gala.
He still recognized me, the cloud of mbanje smoke not clouding his memory in that dinky backstage room at Zebra Valley in Mbare, must be around the time we lost Tuku.
He stretched his hand and greeted me, “aah Cde matitsikawo pano . . . “
We spoke and spoke and spoke . . . while Progress Chipfumo performed on stage. There was a huge crowd, a relief since some of these shows had faced huge challenges.
I asked about the current artistes and who he thought would reach his level.
He was blunt, “None, noone at all. Hapana”
But his face lit up.
“Progress is good but I don’t know what’s wrong. He hasn’t really fulfilled his potential. He is great on stage. Uyu weMuroora (Jah Signal) has a good voice and energy. Tocky is good”
I was waiting for Jah Prayzah and Winky D but he didn’t mention them.
I asked about them.
He paused and puffed, puffed and blew the smoke into the room. My head was aching by that time.I drank water to try to relieve the effects of the crossfire.
Mukanya continued in his low and slow rumbling voice.
“Avo Hapana . . . “, he dismissed them.
“You can’t build a career praising those who oppress the people “
I knew he meant JP.
So, I asked about Winky D.
He is a government critic like you, I pleaded his case.
“Hapana paye. He thinks he can sing like a Jamaican. There is nothing Zimbabwean about him..just Shona translations of Jamaican songs..”
I laughed.
I remembered Winky had once praised Mukanya in song , in his earlier days but the elder had hurt him by calling the Zim dancehall movement bubblegum music.
Gaffa had instantly hit back in the song Vashakabvu…
“Makasiya Mukanya ari pamberi paTuku
Izvezvi zvachinja ruff Zimbabwe yose yongoti Tuku…
Haiwa zvaitwa naVaMtukudzi zvikukutu…”
Mukanya never backed down.
Laughing at the local media who had claimed Winky outperformed Beenieman when he came here, he went, ” Tinenge tichitoseka patinonzwa vachiti nhingi outclassed Beenieman kuno. Ngavaende ka kuJamaica uko tione kuti zvinonomira sei”
Obviously Mukanya has more jabs and of course Gaffa can only respond in song.
It’s fair to say as the sun sets on Mukanya’s glittering career we have little or no hope of seeing the two GOATs collaborate either on stage or in song.
It hurts but as the older generation we know Gaffa may need to humble himself and learn from the giant. Behind the nasty statements there is an elder who traveled a harder trail and reached the zenith, it will be folly not to engage him for timeless wisdom.
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