BY DR TONY MICHEL MONDA
Emerging from Zimbabwe’s stable of Urban Grooves musicians of the early 1990s that were
exploring and fusing Shona rhythms with American R&B, Soul, and Rap music, the Zimbabwean
Rhythm and Blues singer Trevor Dongo is known for his sultry smooth Shona Neo-Soul, savant lyrics and unique vocals that boast an impressive range.
As a solo artist, the Zimbabwean soul singer developed a distinctive vocal style popularised by the song Ndozviita Sei in 2004, sung in his powerfully resonant voice. The title track became an instant hit within weeks.
Since then, Dongo released a string of hits including: Tivanyadzise, RuvaRashe, Takonana and Ndashamisika. The latter was one of the most popular tracks in 2012; topping the charts for an unpredictable eight months.
A description of Dongo in an international music tabloid reads: “The soft caresses of his romantic Voice . . . his searing tremolos, clear range of voice and cadenced musicality have made many a lady swoon at his concerts.”
Trevor Dongo‘s natural alto singing voice is strong and penetrating. The gifted soul musician uses a seductive falsetto and passion-over-precision phrasing to woo his audiences. As a vocalist Dongo is a natural talent with the ability to take words off paper and relate to them passionately. His alto voice is an extension of the highest male voice register – a pitch he often reaches at the climax of his singing.
For Dongo, love and music have always been inextricably bound. A sensitive soul musician, his
penetrating lyrics and captivating crooning have enlightened his audiences about Shona courting ideals, patriarchal responsibilities and universal morals.
The psychological impact of Dongo’s lyrics run deep; beneath the surface of his songs are poignant questions about the meaning of love; new love, lost love, infidelity and jealousy. However, his music does not have the rough edges and misogyny that characterises Zim Dancehall.
His heart-felt music, which embraces themes of love and relationships, first courted media and public attention in the mid 2000s. Dongo, literary lives the lyrics with his passionate vocal delivery.
Born on 27 September, 1986, Trevor Dongo or simply Trevor D was raised and educated in Harare’s Highfield suburb.
One of the few young vocalists who flourished in the 2000s, his natural good looks and striking stage presence set him apart from the crowd. He started writing music as a hobby while still at school, and released his first album Ndozviita Sei, after completing his education.
The songwriter, vocalist, producer and arranger’s musical talents were evident early in his musical career, and became cemented with an award nomination for Best Male R&B vocal performer in Zimbabwe in 2000.
Musically, Dongo is an alto-counter-tenor with an almost four-octave vocal range. His vocal range spans from E2 to D6 which is typical of many alto R&B singers, like El Debarge, Gregory Abbot, Peabo Bryson, Tevin Campbell and Luther Vandross with whom Dongo shares many musical qualities.
Today as a musician of steadfast positiveness, still passionate about his profession, Dongo continues to sharpen his skills and widen his sights.
In 2007 together with Zimbabwean musicians Nox and Tawanda Mugodi Dongo formed the group AfroUnik, which released an album entitled “Uniqueness”. The gospel track “Musipo” was the most popular track of on this album.
Dongo debut internationally in 2012, embarking on a tour of the United Kingdom together with local hip hop artists Leonard Mapfumo and Maskiri. Whilst in England the group recorded the song Dairayi, based on the insecurity of long distant relationships experienced by Zimbabwean economic immigrants abroad and the loneliness they encounter when separated from their loved ones back home. The animated urgency in the lyrics underplays the psychological pressure wrought by this insecurity.
The loneliness and estrangement is brought to life in the video Dairayi, which was shot in a phone booth in the centre of London, with landmark clips of Trafalgar Square and London Bridge. One cannot ignore the infectiousness instrumentals and vocal chorus of Dairayi a track which ingeniously fuses Rap and Shona Soul.
In May 2014, as part of an entourage of six Zimbabwean musicians on a tour of England, Trevor Dongo’s singing abilities fully roused the audience at the 2014 UK Summer Festival.
The tour which were staged in towns where large numbers of Zimbabwean immigrants resided, namely in Luton, Coventry, and Manchester, proved again that Dongo is more than simply a studio or session musician.
As a measure of his appeal Trevor Dongo’s is often invited to share the stage and perform with local and internationally popular musicians. In 2015 Dongo shared the stage with Nigerian superstar Davido at Belgravia Sports Club, in Harare, and in the following year, in 2016, he performed with Diamond Platnumz at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC), and performed live that same year during Jah Cure’s show at the same venue.
On 26 and 27 February of 2016, Dongo performed in Canada with Freeman. In 2018 he performed in a much-touted concert at the Indigo O2 with Ammara Brown, Charlie Kay, ExQ, Stunner and Tocky Vibes. He also performed in Cyprus with Enzo Ishall in 2019 in a show dubbed Cyprus Uncut.
Dongo’s sultry signatory voice and perceptive lyrics have left an indelible auditory memory of a
generation fans of Shona R&B soul music.
A year later, as COVID-19 with its multiple variants rampaged across the globe, peaking in 2021, most public performances were halted. As a result, many Zimbabwean musicians today are in the process of reviving their public performances.
Despite the fact that Urban Grooves and Zimbabwean Rhythm and Blues Soul music have not been clearly defined as part of Zimbabwe’s contemporary heritage, veritably this music genre from 1990 to the present is a defining part of our modern-day musical history.
Admittedly, as a music columnist and curriculum consultant for the Zimbabwean Music education development programme, I have always been an enthusiast of the exceptional musical talents of Zimbabwean Urban Grooves’ musicians. I mused and spent time analysing the identity, styles, social orientation, diction, communication, technical merit and socio-cultural aspects of contemporary Zimbabwean musicians.
Although this genre of music has not been analysed or recognised as a social critique of urban
African contemporary life and its inevitable histories, there is an undeniable amicable consensus regarding its characteristics, sound, authority and collective impact on Zimbabwean society.
Trevor Dongo’s sensitive lyrics capture the imagination of young and old alike. In the wake of such massive popularity, the expected release of a new album by Dongo is to be a highly anticipated event for a growing base of fans.
Dr. Tony Michel Monda is an arts, culture and music critic for Gemnation News. He holds a PhD. in Art Theory and Philosophy and a DBA in Post-Colonial Heritage Studies. He teaches and plays multiple instruments. For Comments E-mail: tonym.MONDA@gmail.com
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