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Kudzai Sevenzo

Fred Zindi Music
A few weeks ago, some young man stopped me at Joina City and asked if I was Fred Zindi. When I said “Yes”, he asked if he could have a picture taken with me.

He asked his friend to do the photo shoot. He then showed me some other pictures he had taken in the past with JahPrayzah, Oliver Mtukudzi, Suluman Chimbetu and Alick Macheso. Before I could ask him the purpose of the picture taken with me was or what his name was, he had left the scene. I only speculated that the picture would be used for name dropping.

He will say to his friends, “I know Fred Zindi. Here is a photo we were taken together,” and his story will sound credible. By definition, name dropping is the practice of casually mentioning the names of famous people one knows or claims to know in order to impress others so as to appear cool vicariously during a conversation.

But the question is “Does that famous person know you?” If he doesn’t then you are name dropping. What you should ask yourself is: “Will that person you keep referring to call you by your name or greet you the next time the two of you meet?”

Without name dropping, I, Fred Zindi know that I am known to musicians such as Dr Oliver Mtukudzi, Dr Thomas Mapfumo, Hosiah Chipanga, Alexio Kawara, Jonah Moyo, Peter Moyo, Mehluli Moyo, Willis Watafi, David Scobie, Trevor Dongo, Dino Mudondo, Willom Tight, Samaita Zindi, Tariro neGitare, Cindy Munyavi, Hope Masike, Stella Chiweshe, Edith WeUtonga Katiji, Clive Mono Mukundu,, Lovemore Majaivana, Peter Muparutsa, Comrade Chinx, Jah Prayzah, Winky D, Sulumani Chimbetu, Alick Macheso, The Rusike Brothers, Albert Nyathi, Isaac Chirwa, Isaac Kalumbu, Mechanic Manyeruke, Philbert Marova, Noel Zembe, Toggy Chivaviro, Mokoomba, Emmanuel Thomas, Eve Kawadza, Charles and Olivia Charamba, Fungisai Zvakavapano-Mashavave, Prudence Katomeni-Mbofana, Tanga Wekwa Sando, Leonard Zhakata, Dorothy Masuku, Rozalla Miller, Busi Ncube, Plaxedes Wenyika, Patience Musa, Kudzai Sevenzo, Ivy Kombo, Prince Mafukidze, Saani Makhalima, Rocqui and many others I have not included here due to lack of space.

The truth is if I bump into any of the above mentioned artistes, they are bound to stop and say hello to me because we know each other.

I know I can use their names in conversations with others without bragging about who I know. That sounds like name dropping, but in reality when you mention people whom you claim to know and they also know you, the equation is balanced. In such a case you are not name dropping.

Dr Mtukudzi once told me a story when two of his drunk fans were arguing in a night club about the lyrics of one of his songs at four o’clock in the morning. Mtukudzi was already sleeping at home when one of the drunkards suggested; “I know Oliver very well, I even have his phone number. We can call him to find out what he meant when he sang ‘Wasakara.”

He did. Oliver was trying to get some sleep after an exhausting show in the capital. That phone call was annoying because he did not know who was calling him at that unsocial hour. What that drunkard did is what we call name dropping. He just wanted to impress his friends by pretending that he knew Oliver Mtukudzi without taking into consideration the effect of that phone call on the person receiving it. Worse still, Tuku did not even know who was calling him. This type of incident had happened a few times before to the extent that Oliver was forced to change his phone number.

Name dropping is often done by people who want to be close to celebrities. They think that being associated with celebrities will boost their importance in society.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a celebrity is a person, who has a prominent profile and commands some degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media. In America, the term celebrity is often synonymous with wealth (commonly denoted as a person with fame and fortune), implied with great popular appeal, prominence in a particular field, and is easily recognised by the general public.

In Zimbabwe, we have a lot of so called celebrities who are broke but because of their daily appearances on television or in the press, we hold them with deep and affectionate respect as celebrities.

Still in Zimbabwe, we are also fascinated by popular musicians such as Dr Mtukudzi, Jah Prayzah, Alick Macheso, Suluman Chimbetu, Tocky Vybes, Killer T and Winky D and we brag about them whether or not they know us.

When one becomes famous, you not only have to prepare for never-ending paparazzi flashes and mobs of fans, but you must also brace yourself as you enter the world of crazy celebrity stalkers. With all the glitz and glamour can come a whole lot of insanity. I have read a lot of stories of celebrity stalkers and some of the things crazy and overzealous fanatics do to the celebrities are just incredible. Sometimes, it involves a fan who is so dedicated to a celeb, that they go to extreme measures to meet them.

I remember one Jah Prayzah fan who, despite being restrained by bouncers, forced her way to the back stage on New Year’s Eve hoping that she would at least shake his hand. That did not happen because as soon as Jah Prayzah left the stage he escaped through the back door and disappeared. The fan was disappointed. She had to console herself by talking to the rest of his Third Generation Band.

What seems like fanatical yet pretty harmless behaviour can sometimes turn out to be nasty when fans do not achieve what they set out to do. Some fans will take their love for the celebrity a little too far and will begin to stalk him, send him e-mails and just simply pester him. The star becomes a victim of his own fans. Sometimes a restraining order becomes necessary.

Psychologists all over the world are in agreement with the fact that the majority of the world’s population are afflicted to some degree by what is termed “celebrity worship syndrome”. Celebrity culture can be a defining disease for most people, especially teenagers as music often brings out crazy emotions in some people. If the celebrity is weak and succumbs to the pressure from his crazy fans, or fails to control himself, the situation that follows often ends up a disaster.

Both name dropping and celebrity stalking can be dangerous games to play.