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Nyari launched her album ‘Zvatiri’ on November 11

Fred Zindi Music
“Listen to me you people. You are fathers. You have families to feed, but you do not regard music as a job.“If you do, why don’t you come to your job on time? I told you we would meet by NSSA House at 330pm so that we can all proceed to Zimbabwe-Germany Society to do a sound check at 4pm. I waited at NSSA House from 330 until 4pm but none of you turned up. You are the same guys who demand payment after a gig, yet you do not regard music as a job.

“You are the same people who complain about exploitation in the music industry yet you are the same people who are killing the industry by being irresponsible. Shame on you! If you are going to be professional musicians, you have to start behaving responsibly.”

These strong words came out of Nyaradzo Mashayamombe on November 11 , the day she was about to launch her third album, “Zvatiri” at the Zimbabwe Germany Society. The names of the ‘fathers’ she was addressing will remain anonymous.

She had made prior arrangements with these session musicians to meet at NSSA House at around 330pm in order to transport them to the show venue so that they would prepare for the album launch that was scheduled to commence at 630pm.

The musicians appeared at the venue well after 5 o’clock. The sound-check engineers had already left and the visibly angry Nyari was left with egg on her face. She had no option but to utter those strong words.

Indeed, self discipline is required among musicians if the industry is to improve. I agree with Nyari about how musicians take each other for granted and the lackadaisical attitude with which they give to the job which puts food on their tables.

Now when you hear the word “discipline” I’m not talking about a belt to the ass. I’m talking about self-discipline. Self discipline includes professionalism and one’s approach to his/her chosen career. It is pointless to be talented at one’s instrument and fail to make it for gigs or fail to fulfil contractual obligations. Time keeping becomes one of those essential elements of self- discipline.

Some musicians fail to turn up for concerts after agreeing to appear, thus wasting the promoters’ time and money for publicising the event while at the same time attracting anger from their devoted fans.

Self-discipline is the willing mechanism to make yourself improve on whatever it is you are doing. It plays a vital part in your musicianship, and if you are real about wanting to be a good musician, this is the heart and soul of your way to be one.

It is the process of making the habit and second nature actions to get you where you want to go. According to Nyari, there are some talented musicians she would really like to work with, but she would not touch them because of their attitudes towards their careers. “They see this thing as one big joke and at the end of the day promoters and club owners refuse to engage them. In the end it is such musicians who end up suffering.

“They are surprised to see some younger and less talented musicians making progress in their careers. They wonder why. All they need is introspection on their self-discipline,” she retorted.

By deciding to use self-discipline to dedicate yourself to it, all of these obstacles will be eliminated and you will find yourself becoming more and more developed into your practice.

Nyaradzo, is a no nonsense, passionate, hard-working and self-disciplined musician who wants to dedicate her music career to the suffering girl-child of Zimbabwe. She is also the founder and director of Tag a Life International Trust which is dedicated to the rights of girls.

Nyari was born at Makara Village in Shurugwi on March 18 in 1980. She, together with seven other siblings were raised by a single mother who was 36 at the time. Her mother fought hard to find school fees for the eight children following the death of her husband when Nyari was still in her mother’s womb.

Nyari attended primary school at Chekenyu and Ndawora in Shurugwi before moving to Kwekwe High to do form one and two, then she went back to Rusununguko High in Shurugwi for form three and four. She started singing in church and it was not until she moved to Harare that she decided to develop her singing career. She even did a collaboration song with the late Chiwoniso Maraire.

Her third album which was launched a couple of weeks ago is filled with gospel songs, love songs and political songs. It is difficult to pin her down to any one particular genre. It is safe to say that she plays beautiful music.

She is also passionate about developing Boterekwa as a tourist attraction centre in Shurugwi and will soon be in talks with the Minister of Tourism. “I remember Simon Chimbetu singing about Boterekwa and I kept wondering what it was all about until I went to Gweru and branched off the road to Shurugwi. It was there that I discovered this beautiful and spectacular scenery.

In the middle of the Boterekwa is the 100 metre trail to Dunraven Falls. Just like the Mutarazi Falls or Nyangombe Falls in Nyanga – the Dunraven Falls have been hijacked by various apostolic sects in Shurugwi for religious ceremonies. The falls are still spectacular nevertheless”, she said.

And for the convenience of tourists, perfect places have been put up some 10 kilometres out of the mining town along the Shurugwi-Gweru highway. You just have to see it for yourself. By this time, if you have really let it sink in, you will know for sure if you are deeply ready to dedicate yourself to the future of music just like Nyari has.

Self-discipline is the answer. Keep in mind the idea that this feeling of wanting to be disciplined that has hit you, is exactly what you will one day give to others.

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