Zimpapers Logo

THERE is a time in my short, yet exciting life when I was exposed to a different culture. At the point when I entered the world of broadcasting as a television presenter, life threw me an opportunity to go to Sweden.

The Ministry of Education selected me to participate in a teacher exchange programme. That was in 1995. My part-time broadcasting played a significant role in putting me in the limelight. My regular job as a high school teacher had positively intersected with my new found part-time fad of broadcasting.

I grabbed at the chance and broke the hearts of many who followed my programmes. It’s not every day that one gets to travel overseas in the service of his vocation.

As part of my preparations, it was obvious that one of the cultural elements was to share our music with my prospective hosts. I went about collecting samples of Zimbabwean and African music.

In addition to the Soul Brothers, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Brenda Fassie and Chicco Twala, I added James Chimombe, Robson Banda and The New Black Eagles, the Bhundu Boys, Thomas Mapfumo and Oliver Mtukudzi to my collection. I rediscovered Andy Brown and Storm, who literally blew my mind.

The last show I attended was that of Andy (not Muridzo) at the Sphinx Night Club, Oasis Hotel in Harare. The show was so dramatic that someone released mace in the confined space. Yet the gas did little to poison the impact that I carried with me onto the British Airways flight to the cold climes.

Sweden was nothing like I expected. The language was funny, the food tasted like cardboard, but the people were angels. It was as if I had died and gone to heaven, minus the bad food.

They took to my music and it added a Zimbo-element to the African artists that had toured Scandinavia. I was as much a student of the cosmopolitan culture that I encountered, as I was a teacher. That country also rekindled my writing skills and gave birth to the ‘On the lighter side’ column in the Sunday News.

My colleagues on the exchange programme and the migrant communities infused Ghanaian Highlife, Malian Wassaoulou rhythms featuring OumouSangare and Congolese Rhumba by Papa Wemba. I was also exposed to Euro pop and reggae and Scottish Gaelic music. Classical music failed to stick.

The first and only concert I attended over there was that of a British rock band whose name I cannot remember. Save to say it was quite a jarring experience. It was a potpourri of sounds and influences and I lapped it all up.

On my return to Africa over a year later, I was a transformed person, music-wise and otherwise.

I found to my disappointment that ZBC had pulled the plug on ‘This Week,’ my signature Montrose studio-based television programme. In my absence, Sunday mornings had been reconfigured. The previous presenter who had been roped in to replace me failed to do justice to it either.

Tragic as it was for me, it was a blessing in disguise. I was later roped in to present over 30 episodes of ‘Christianity and Tradition’ as pay back. It was surreal, playing arbiter while traditional, Christian, Hebrew and Muslim clerics tore into each other’s beliefs.

Tula Dlamini, my erstwhile producer and friend, resumed tapping on my presentation skills to launch the talent search programme ‘Showcase’ and the first breakfast TV broadcast of ‘Good Morning Zimbabwe.’ He was to introduce me to my Lower Gweru homeboy, Sam Mkhithika on the radio side.

Mkhithika, a veteran of the airwaves could smell talent in the crosswind. Seasoned Radio One senior producer Phatutshedzo Manala was looking for a presenter at Montrose who could pick up a couple of her popular live programme, ‘Spotlight.’ Bra Sam felt I was the one to do it, and proceeded to tag me to the experienced Radio 2 producer, Sipho Dube to train me for radio.

I then assumed the mantle as alternate Spotlight presenter for the next four years. The issues I tackled included Bulawayo’s perennial water shortages, contentious factory closures, ‘dabulap’ and tribalism. I was even given a commendation by the late development committee of the city of Bulawayo’s Eric Bloch for highlighting these issues.

Spotlight was unceremoniously yanked off the air in 2001. I must admit that it made some people uncomfortable.

In 1999 when Radio One (later SFM) was recruiting producer/presenters, Mkhithika pushed me to apply. I went for auditions in Harare and the technicians there were surprised to see me. To them, I was already a veteran with eight years freelancing under my belt. I insisted on going through with the multitudes and made the grade.

I joined the Radio One team in July 1999 at Pockets Hill under Musi Khumalo and Petrus Masakara. It was not until December that I, along with my colleagues, Zorodzayi Machekanyanga, Walter Mupfanochiya and Ms Mazambani, were allowed to fly solo on-air.

Along with the ‘tough as nails,’ Phatu Manala, we went through the able hands of Comfort Mbofana, Obert and Lilly Mandimutsira, Steve Vickers, Jill Darke and Jethro Nyamabi at the ZBC library.

The highlight at the time was when the team broadcast the burial of the late Vice President Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo. The snippets about Father Zimbabwe that preceded the late hero’s burial, under the stewardship of Manala, set a new trend for live radio.

At Radio One I was duty announcer in addition to producing three programmes, ‘Personal Encounters,’ ‘Viewpoint’ and my flagship Afro Jazz on Thursday. The latter was a first in the genre and I immensely enjoyed producing.

When I later resigned from ZBC to join the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Company as communications officer, I was allowed to continue freelancing at Montrose studios, with the programme, in addition to taking on a three-hour Sunday morning shift.

I would either record the programme or do it live at its 10PM slot on Thursdays. I did research and made Afro Jazz on Thursday informative as well as entertaining. I featured the likes of Sankomota, Bra Hugh Masekela, Letta Mbulu and Caiphus Semenya, Stimela, Don Laka, Abdullah Ibrahim, Louis Mhlanga, Selaelo Selota, Sibongile Khumalo, Manu Dibango, Zakes Nkosi, Khaya Mahlangu, Moses Molelekwa, Sipho Gumede, Themba Mkhize, Zim Ngqawana, African Jazz Pioneers, Winston Mankuknu Dlozi, McCoy Mrubata, Judith Sephuma and Dorothy Masuka. The list is endless.

Its 2017 and radio beckons once more. Though my latest offering on Capitalk 100.4 FM is about public relations, the music bug is not far off. The man with the golden voice will soon be paying homage to his music DNA. Watch this space.