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Peter Tangwena

Problem Masau Arts Correspondent
FORGOTTEN musician Peter Tangwena is mulling a comeback after years in oblivion with an album that he hopes to release before the end of this year. The talented yet underrated Tangwena has been lying low in the last few years and had actually become a vendor, selling pirated discs at Mereki Shopping Centre.
The rhumba musician said he had penned several songs over the years and would soon be back in the studio.
“It has been a while now since I last recorded. I have a notebook full of written songs and I hope to record them before the end of this year,” he said.

The ever jovial singer said he would maintain the beat that gave him fame minus fortune.
“People know me as a rhumba musician but if one listens closely to my music, I fuse rhumba and sungura. I will continue to do that on my next album,” he said.

Tangwena had no kind words for music promoters, whom he labelled opportunists.
“We don’t have promoters in the country. Real music promoters help musicians when the chips are down but most of the so-called promoters, in fact, suck out the blood from musicians. When one is enjoying a purple patch that is when they appear, ask Joseph Garakara or Josphat Somanje, they will tell you,” he said.

The rhumba musician said he was struggling to make ends meet and blamed satellite television for his the dip in popularity.
“Gone are the days where people would tune in for ‘Mvengemvenge’ (a popular TV music programme) and see Peter do his thing. Making a video these days is a sheer waste of resources, promoters search for musicians who are popular, since my popularity has waned, I am struggling to make ends meet,” said Tangwena.

Once he has recorded the album, the musician said he would market and sell his album to patrons at the popular open-air joint in Warren Park popularly known as KwaMereki.

Born in Honde Valley in 1969 near the Mozambican border, Tangwena took up music after being inspired by the likes of the late Leonard Dembo, Simon Chimbetu and Oliver Mtukudzi.

Before he started out on his music career, Tangwena was in business of selling music from flea market stands and hence his love for singing grew.

It was only in 2000 that he decided to try out music and he arrived with a bang.
He released the album “Pamuchato Wamukoma” that features the popular track “Pamuchato”.
The video of the song was packed with raunchy dances courtesy of different rhumba queens.

The choreography was simply out of this  world and in no time Tangwena’s name  was on everyone’’s lips. The following year, another scorcher from Tangwena titled “Love Songs” put him in the spotlight as it featured the hit “Ndiyani”.

As a tribute to his neighbourhood, Tangwena released the album “PaMereki”, the place that nurtured him and has become his hunting ground.