BY TITOS MAKONDO
IN Africa, down in the southeastern part of Zimbabwe has a musical wave which the world shouldn’t miss out.
There emerges rooted music forces who hail from a tribe called Hlengwe, and is a minority in Zimbabwe is spread from Chiredzi and Mwenezi district. The Hlengwe are part of Tsonga people found in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
The musical pride sings in bilingually mostly in ChiShona and Xitsonga as it endeavors to preserve mother their mother tongue and culture.
The Hlengweni stars have no qualms letting the world know of their presence as celebs of the southeast region of Zimbabwe even though being thwarted from shining as stars due to a sly of support given to them.
With acquaintance that music realm have turned into a jungle where survival of the fitness is the way to go, rising Hlengweni stars have called for support and keen promoters to drag them to limelight.
A temptation in a musical plate, are the words that can fully explain their sort of lavish music. Despite being virgins in music, their hot talent has music lovers dragging them to the centre of their gossips.
They have potential to rule the musical jungle if they acquire huge support. Hence fishers of new talents are tipped to cast their nets in the southeast Zimbabwe.
So far there are more than sixty Hlengweni stars, according to statistics by Chiredzi based conservative trust Hluvuko Wa Hina [Our Development]. Their quantity music is rocketing upwards day by day with Avuxeni FM working tirelessly to expose and nurture the Lowveld new talents. However, as newbies they are hardly promoted and so they are likened to the Biblical harvest that is truly great but the labourers are few.
A call To Make Hlengweni Artists Great
In an epic discussion with this publication about the extraordinary talented Hlengweni stars are faring, popular radio personality, DJ Hagamugaga from Radio Zimbabwe felt that it was health if music from all dialects in Zimbabwe could be promoted. He urged every DJ to treat every dialect as equal.
Hagamugaga, a super fan of one of the Hlengweni stars DJ Mnisi, said he really loves Xitsonga music to the bone and vowed to help to push more artists.
His sentiments are sweet news to the Hlengweni musicians who are currently stuck on fence to fame due to lack of support. Most of them are refined acts and are calling for more of DJ Hagamugaga’s calibre in the country and the entire world.
“I want to challenge all Hlengweni artistes to work hard, not to be discouraged and never despise your language or your background because that’s your identity. Good music knows no language. Your music is pregnant with potential to take not only the country by storm but the region,” said DJ Hagamugaga.
“If we can play music by Yondo Sister from DRC who sings in Lingala, a language we do not even relate to, why not play our local talented musicians from Chikombedzi? A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle but gain a friend in the world of light”, he concluded.