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GOING PLACES: Franco “Slomo” Daka (centre) and his Extra Kwazvose colleagues

Arts Correspondent
Extra Kwazvose will tonight make a stopover in Marondera before they head to Chipinge and Jerera in a fun-filled weekend as part of a tour of across Zimbabwe.
Dubbed the “National Tour”, this will be the first time the group stages three consecutive shows in one weekend.
Senior band member Francis Dhaka said they wanted to use the tour to build a strong fan base.

“We are a new group and we want to interact with our fans. We have been getting overwhelming responses and we want our fans to have faith in us. The promoters are giving us the support.

“It is now easy for us since people relate to our songs. We have a growing fan base especially outside Harare. They love our music and they come to our shows in their numbers. We are going to give our fans value for their money,” he said.

It seems the group is slowly finding its groove after a false start. Their debut album – “Ndizvo Zviripo” – is receiving generous airplay on all radio stations.

The entry of Extra Kwazvose onto the music has divided opinion among the fans. Their first gig at Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex in mid-July received mixed reactions with some calling the group “rebels without a cause”. They tried so many things at once in the process disrupting their sound and vocal clarity.

The group also relied heavily on the chants they used to do during their days at Orchestra Mberikwazvo, such as “Shika Shika” and “We are sitting on top of the rest, others follow” forcing fans to conclude that they lacked creativity.

However, it must be noted that given time, the group could be one of the favourites for those who love sungura.
Obert Gomba remains one of the best drummers in the country while Noel Nyazanda is also a guitarist in his own league. Perhaps with time the group will deliver a polished album.