Will Afrika Revenge reclaim glory? Afrika Revenge on stage after the reunion
Afrika Revenge on stage after the reunion

Afrika Revenge on stage after the reunion

Godwin Muzari Showbiz Mirror
The reunion of Afrika Revenge has brought the duo back on the local music map with a bang. Their new songs are already dominating the airwaves and fans have been attending their shows in numbers to witness how the duo of Willis Wataffi and Mehluli “Taz” Moyo is bonding, eight years after separation.

A lot was said when Afrika Revenge’s relationship turned sour at the peak of their careers. There were various theories about the split.

Some said they fought over a girl while others argued the brightening fortunes had negatively impacted on the group, like most other bands that separate over remuneration.

The split affected the duo’s promising career but they never said why they separated

Up to now people still speculate and the group’s reunion is slowly burying the unclear circumstances of separation.

Although Willis continued with music, he could not make the impact they had made as a joint force.

The reunion was probably made  easy because Taz took most of his time pursuing something outside music.

Taz released the single “Idolophansi” last year and attracted attention for a couple of months but it was clear that these guys could do better as a combination.

Most people have hailed the reunion and the future looks bright for the group.

It is a good development for the music industry at large.

We just hope the duo will work together for a long time and take their vision to another level.

The days of “Wanga”, “Buwe Buwe” and “Hello” were fantastic and fans are looking forward to similar hits from Afrika Revenge.

It remains to be seen if the group will rise to that glory again.

Signs are good so far but time will tell. The Afrika Revenge split and reunion is just a tip of the cases when separations have affected careers of many musicians locally.

While some splits have led to the formation of stronger splinter groups, other musicians have failed to nurture solo careers.

In the 1980s, most band splits led to positive developments.

Names like Tineyi Chikupo, Marshal Munhumumwe, Patrick Mukwamba, System Tazvida and Shepherd Chinyani were all off-shoots of some popular groups of that time.

Groups like Four Brothers, Vhuka Boys, Mabhawuwa Express and Khiama Boys were training grounds for most musicians that became popular in that era, some of whom are still making it big in the art.

However, some musicians that had promising careers faltered after splitting due to various reasons.

In most cases it is not easy for these musicians to swallow their pride and work together again.

Unfortunately, reunion is sometimes the only solution and only those that value career development over ego can do what Afrika Revenge has done.

However, in some cases, the musicians try to pick up pieces of their break-up too late and the reunions fail to work.

In worst scenarios, the reunions do not live long because the differences that would have led to initial separations are not clearly ironed out.

Kelvin Chikore and Ranga Sagombeto of yesteryear group R&K African Sounds separated after they did well with their hits “Tina” and “Postcard”.

They both went on solo careers and realised they could not make it.

They decided to reunite but it was too late because many other young sungura groups were claiming their share in the industry.

The group had to split again as they went on different career paths.

The Somanje brothers Daiton and Josphat made waves as Pengaudzoke and split after the success of their hit “Tsaona”.

Josphat went on to do well with his album “This Time” before he lost the glory.

The going was tough for Daiton and they had to reunite but things could not work out.

They have reunited and separated on several occasions yet they have both fallen from grace.

Dino Mudondo and Willom Tight also have a similar case. The success they enjoyed as a combination was cut short when they separated.

They reunited at some point and failed to bring back the good old days. Now they want to reunite again because they have realised that they need each other. The splits in the industry have brought mixed fortunes.

Watching R&K African Sounds blow away their chance to reach the highest step of the sungura ladder just because of individualism was disappointing.

Just before we could crown Shame and Nathan the kings in serving urban youths musically, the buddies cut the rope that tied their talents together.

While the birth of Mawungira eNharira from Mbira DzeNharira had a positive impact, the further disintegrations of the groups – which led to formation of many small mbira outfits –  dispersed the talents that had built a solid foundation for mbira music.

Apostolic choral group Vabati vaJehovah branched into Vabati Vevhangeri and Vabati VaJesu but all these groups will never match talent of the original outfit.

Such are scenarios that have led other musicians to consider reuniting.

Now, Afrika Revenge is coming back to try and reclaim their yesteryear glory in an industry littered with diverse implications of splits and reunions.

Will the group be able to rise to the task and sustain the reunion for long,  that has to be seen.

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