Zimpapers Logo

Harare Bureau
THE recent lukewarm performances by the legendary Afrika Revenge have revealed that the group is still far from being the enigmatic outfit that once mesmerised fans with their hybrid Qaya music, almost a decade ago.While most fans welcomed the reunion of Willis “Wataffi Afrika” Wachambwa and Mehluli “Taz” Moyo last year, the duo seems to have lost the chemistry that made them a household brand with hits such as Wanga.

Fans have been thronging their shows. On surface, all seems normal but their body language and choreography is evidence that they are still struggling to adjust to the reunion.

“When people spend eight years apart it’s difficult to bring things back to normal. A lot has happened to both of us — we’ve grown and are now different people,” said Wataffi who was reluctant to shed light on the real state of affairs in camp.

“We’re still trying to find that chemistry despite our differences. We just want to bring back Afrika Revenge music.”

Wataffi admitted that he was caught between a rock and a hard place as his loyalty lies with his own band that has sustained him all these years. To him, Afrika Revenge is a side project that he is dedicated to, only because that is what is expected of him.

A source close to the duo alleged that Wataffi resisted the idea of reuniting with Taz for years and only succumbed to pressure after some sponsors intervened.

“We can’t live on past glory. It was difficult for the public to accept that the Afrika Revenge era was over. But I worked hard all these years to keep the music alive.

“I established my own brand that achieved more. But it’s always been public perception that as long as Afrika Revenge wasn’t together, whatever I was doing wasn’t good enough,” Wataffi said.

True to his sentiments, the talented vocalist faced resistance from different sectors of the market when he went solo. But two albums later, he is sitting pretty with local and international awards, endorsement deals, a clothing label (Qaya Wear) and film roles as his solo brand grows.

“The problem is various people including the media sensationalised the split. The return of Afrika Revenge entails that I shed off nine years of my life and all that I’ve worked for. But I’m not ready to throw that away. I’ve no problems in having the two brands, Willis Wataffi and Afrika Revenge working parallel to each other,” he said.

Wataffi said he was confident that his individual brand would continue to excel as he still gets solo bookings, even though people are aware that Afrika Revenge is back in business.

“Those who’ve listened to my music actually believe in me. I’m confident of the Willis Wataffi brand because it was there before Afrika Revenge. And yes I did write most Afrika Revenge hits.

“I was still in high school when I wrote Wanga and Anochengeta when my mother passed away. Buwe Buwe was written while I was herding cattle in the rural areas. Afrika Revenge didn’t exist then,” Wataffi said.

However, the other half of the duo Taz, believes things will work out for Afrika Revenge.

“Let’s be positive, we’re trying to rebuild the band and I hope things will work out. My heart is with Afrika Revenge. It’s my home and I missed home,” said Taz.

“I don’t want to talk about Willis’ band. People wanted us to get back together and we hope all will be well with Africa Revenge soon.”

The duo’s manager, Kudakwashe Humba was optimistic about the reunion and their forthcoming album.

“They’re both brilliant artistes and things are slowly improving and creative juices are slowly coming. The group split for eight years and when they decided to reunite, it was their decision. They might have been doing other things during the split but both Willis and Taz appreciate that Afrika Revenge is the priority now,” Humba said.

“As for the chemistry, it’s harsh to expect it to just come. It’ll take time, but they’re slowly improving.”