By Fidelis Manyange
WIKIPEDIA describes Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe, popularly known by its initials, UMP, as “a very rural and underdeveloped area, populated by peasant farmers who depend on subsistence farming with high poverty levels”.
But for Zimbabweans at large, UMP is the ruling party, ZANU-PF’s political stronghold. This has led some opposition activists and losing candidates to rename it ‘Uzumba Maramba Kufunga’, just because the inhabitants will not be swayed to vote for the opposition.
But it is their democratic right to defend the country’s sovereignty against Western puppets. The bottom line is they are not sellouts.
On the contrary, UMP is a fast developing district of Mashonaland East, bursting to the seams with natural resources and, believe it or not, talented artistes.
One such artiste is a renowned drummer, by the mame Douglas Vambe (now late), whose drumbeat was declared ‘World Heritage material’ by the UN for five decades.
Born and bred in UMP, the iconic drummer died in August 2018.
Vambe’s mbende-jerusarema drumbeat is the signature tune on all ZBC news bulletins.
The drumbeat was recorded at the then Rhodesia Broadcasting Corporation’s African Studios in Mbare in the 1960s, but never used.
Thanks to his self-taught drumming skills, Vambe emerged at number 43 out of 153 entrants in the UNESCO Music Heritage competition in 2007.
In May of the following year, he performed at the Birmingham International Arts Festival, where he shared the stage with R’n’B star R. Kelly, among other top performing artistes.
At the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 2010, he rubbed shoulders with Colombian music sensation Shakira, whose ‘Waka Waka’ was the world soccer extravaganza’s theme song.
Born in Magunje Village near Chitimbe, Vambe —a Standard 3 dropout from Nyamashato and Rukunguhwe primary schools — proved to the world that exploiting one’s God-given talent to the full can bring rewards.
In recognition of his efforts, the Government honoured him with a 100-hectare farm and an all-terrain vehicle.
Vambe went on to declare his Marondera home an ‘arts centre’ to impart mbende-jerusarema dancing skills to the youths.
Prominent mbende groups, such as former Chibuku Neshamwari winners, Ngoma Dzepasi, have also benefitted from the legendary drummer’s mentoring.
However, Vambe is not the only world-acclaimed performing artiste to emerge from UMP. Across the Nyaitenga River, just a few kilometres from Vambe’s birthplace in Magunje, is Mashambanhaka, where man-of-the-moment, Mukudzei Mukombe, aka Jah Prayzah, hails from.
Educated at Musanhi Primary School, the ‘Kutonga Kwaro’ hitmaker has become a tour de force in the local music industry eclipsing yesteryear stars with his exquisite jiti and mbira-playing skills.
The corporate world is clamouring for his brand, while promoters can’t get enough of him. Jah Prayzah has collaborated with several artistes both locally and internationally, among them Jamaican reggae star Luciano, Nigeria’s Yemi Alade, Davido and Patoranking, Diamond Platinumz and Botswana diva Charma Girl.
He also collaborated with the South African Mafikizolo duo of Nhlanhla and Theo featuring DJ Maphorisa on the ‘Sendekera’ video.
With Jamaican reggae legend Jah Cure, he produced a high quality video of the song ‘Angel Lo’, shot in Spain.
Mashambanhaka was also home to the late Nevernay Chinyanga aka ‘Muwengwa’, one of Zimbabwe’s finest actors who featured in the popular television soap opera ‘Studio 263’.
His character, ‘Muwengwa’, was hubby to ‘Sphilisiwe’, played by Pretty Xaba, also late.
Away from the small screen, Chinyanga — like his homeboy Jah Prayzah — also ventured into music, showcasing his jiti skills in ‘Matinetsa’ from his album ‘Mhashu Yemurwere’.
However, ‘Muwengwa’ was not a born actor or musician. Before venturing into
the arts, he was a schoolteacher and member of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.
Then there is Andrew Ngwenya, better known as Andy Muridzo (pictured). This immensely talented son of UMP is at home with any musical instrument, from the mbira to the piano.
The icing on the cake is that his voice suits any genre.
Born to a former freedom fighter mother, the afro-fusion artiste often pays tribute to his Uzumba roots in his songs. The videos, too, typically feature scenic places from UMP along with his kith and kin.
Dancehall artiste Jah Signal, real name Nicodemus Mtize, is also proud to call UMP home. Despite his recent brush with Pastor Charles Charamba over copyright issues pertaining to his mega-hit, ‘Sweetie (Shinga Muroora)’, he has a made a name for himself by fusing jiti and dancehall to create a unique sound.
His sister, Nancy Sibonginkosi Nasibo Mutize, joins the likes of Sasha Maduve, Chiwoniso Maraire, Ambuya Stella Chiweshe and Hope Masike in the top echelons of female mbira players.
A singer, songwriter, percussionist and mbira player par excellence, Nancy is an exponent of a genre called ‘mbira dzevadzimu’, which is mostly played by the menfolk as opposed to ‘nyunga nyunga’. Whereas mbira dzevadzimu is played using both thumbs and two forefingers, ‘nyunga nyunga’ is confined to the two forefingers.
In her budding years, Nancy has collaborated with legendary artistes such as gospel giant Machanic Manyeruke, afro-jazz exponent Bob Nyabinde, Emmanuel Thomas, Willis Wataffi, Dingumuzi Phuti (MP and current Deputy Minister of Information Communication Technology and Courier Services), James Njikizana of ‘Sebede’ fame, Jennifer Maneni, Zuvaidzva and Memory Marimazhira, in the Zimbabwe Heritage Trust musical project called ‘Nhaka Yedu’. The Uzumba-born artiste played all the mbira instruments on the album.
Also hailing from Uzumba was Freedom Nyamubaya, a former freedom fighter, who died in July 2015. A poet, dancer, farmer, feminist and revolutionary, she is regarded as one of Zimbabwe’s most celebrated ‘guerrilla fighter-poets’ with two published anthologies.
During the liberation war, she served as one of a handful of female field commanders. In 1979 she was elected Secretary for Education at the first conference of the ZANU Women’s League.
Her literary works include ‘On Road Again: Poems During and After the National Liberation of Zimbabwe’ and ‘Dusk of Dawn’, which she co-authored with Dr Irene ‘Ropa Rinopfuka’ Mahamba.
In his time, former ZANU PF MP for Uzumba and Mashonaland East Provincial Minister Simbaneuta Mudarikwa hosted several music and dance galas at Chitimbe where local traditional dance groups mixed and mingled with their more illustrious counterparts. The galas, dance and cultural festivals served as a spawning ground for untapped artistic talent in UMP.
The former MP also assisted in the erection of both the Kangara and Chikuhwa war victims’ monuments in memory of those massacred by the ruthless Smith regime. The monuments are adorned by mixed media sculpture art comprising various items such as soapstone and scrap metal.
Last but not least is Radio Zimbabwe presenter Richmond Siyakurima, who is renowned for marketing the arts and cultural activities and hunhu/ubuntu of his home area from behind the mic.
There is no doubt that the arts can help transform the notorious touts or hwindis who mill around the Nhakiwa-Nyadire turn-off into productive citizens.
At the same time, we urge the UMP leadership to continue embracing the arts by constructing cultural centres and hosting more arts festivals so as to bring more Douglas Vambes and Jah Prayzahs into the limelight.
