By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
Soloist Steve Dhongi Makoni is expected to drop his much-anticipated new album this winter simply titled Munibho.
The Rusape-based guitarist who has six albums to his credit said Munibho is a slang word for streetwise chaps born and bred in the ghetto.
According to Makoni, the upcoming album is a mixed bag with songs that will set tongues wagging.
“It’s a whole mixed bag both in English and Shona. One or two songs in Cewa/Nyanga thrown in. One Zulu for Cyril Ramaphosa and Fikile Mbalula, not forgetting Lazarus Chakwera (meaning there will be a song or two for everyone. The usual humor and razzmatazz,” he joked.
“Munibho is our own lingua in Rusape which we use that for those who don’t understand it you won’t be able to converse with us.”
Handiende, is arguably one of the most successful songs by Steve Makoni and since its release in 1993 the song has stood the test of time in the last 30 years.
The track won Best Selling Single Award in 1994 at the Zimbabwe Music Awards while Leonard Zhakata’s Maruva Enyika won Best Selling Album for that year.
Apparently, Handiende was Steve Makoni’s first Shona single since he started out recording music.
The B side featured another Makoni’s hit titled Maidei performed in English while on the A side it was Handiende.
There have been several renditions of Handiende by other musicians including Oliver Mtukudzi, Selmor Mtukudzi and Tadiwa to mention a few popular ones.
In an interview with the singer/songwriter/performer Makoni said Handiende might as well be his best song to date.
“So far I am in the process of compiling all the greatest songs that I know fans would want to hear. Handiende was and still is a great song to date and it has been amazing 30 years,” he said.
He explained further when asked the meaning of Handiende: “Well, the song is based on a true story. Long back when I was still in Kwekwe we wanted to launch a project called Was My Child together with Oliver Mtukudzi. So, at the time, there was this foreign guy, in fact a Greek national. Most people wanted his services but would not want to pay him knowing that he was a foreigner. But this guy grew up in Zimbabwe and he was not leaving the country.
“He would insist that he was not going anywhere! That is where I got the idea but then the song looks at domestic issues that exploiting each other in one way or the other is bad. Kana vaya vanosakadza vakadzi votanga kuda kuvasiya zvakaipa izvozvo.”
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