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Mkhululi Ncube, Showbiz Reporter
Rhumba music is one of the most difficult genres to penetrate as it has numerous bands who constantly release new music, making it difficult for one to get a breakthrough as the artistes will be trying to outshine each other.

This is the case for Mduduzi “Samavitsha” Nkomo who just launched his fifth album, Isivinini at Hillbrow Theatre in South Africa and wants to promote it back home in order to build a local following.

The SA-based Samavitsha who hails from Emthonjeni Village in Tsholotsho has been composing rhumba music since 2015 with the help of his New Challengers band.

He said he is in the process of extending his market to Zimbabwe as he has been focusing on SA for the past couple of years.

“I’ve been concentrating on the South African market with my last four albums, but now is the time for me to bring my music home. I haven’t even been sending my music to our local radio stations, but all this is about to change with my latest product that I launched on Saturday,” Samavitsha said.

Sales for the latest album, the artiste said, are doing well in South Africa where rhumba artistes are getting better returns for their work compared to back home, something he is hoping to turn around.

Samavaitsha who plays the lead guitar sings in a number of languages which include IsiNdebele, Kalanga, Shona and English. The musician is gifted as a guitarist and vocalist and rhumba fans will certainly enjoy this album.

The Isivinini album which was produced at fast-rising TK Mobile studios has hard-hitting tracks. Besides the title track, other songs are Akubenjalo, Umhobholo, Ungihole Njalo, uNgalabezi, Nziyo Yerudo and Omunye Wethu.

“My music touches on various themes emanating from what I observe and experience in life. Like on the title track, I’m telling the public not to always rush things in life as there’re stages that one has to go through,” he said.

Sharing his musical background, he said he worked with Plumtree Heroes and MST Mbamba Express during the initial stages of his career before he formed his band.

“My first album was Sekusele Kancane (2016), followed by Akazange Abonge (2017), Amawala phansi (2018) and Saluphush’ugodo (2020),” he said. – @themkhust