Zim Dancehall thrives on the Kombi Economy which government is destroying in 2016. Despite dancehall musician Tocky Vibes’s win of two National Merit Awards 2015 edition (NAMA), analysts are of the view that the genre has reached its epic and is now on the decline.
Tocky, real name, Obey Makamure got away with two awards in both the Outstanding Song and Outstanding Album categories at a colourful ceremony held at 7 Arts Theatre in Avondale on Saturday night, representing the rise of Dance Hall music.
In an interview on the future prospects of Dance Hall Music, social analyst, Alexander Rusero argues that should the fortunes of the country’s economy change, the genre is likely to suffer a natural death.
“Zim Dance Hall tends to have a niche` market on the unemployed youths and the majority of Commuter Omnibus drivers and their assistance where the tunes are always humming in the omnibuses’ stereos all day.
“Now given the Government’s move to ban and outlaw Kombis starting in 2016, it means Zim Dancehall is also under siege,” he said.
Rusero went on to argue that if the country’s unemployment problems are to be reduced, the genre will also be affected.
“Should unemployment levels be reduced through robust employment creation programmes like road construction, the decrease in unemployment will also realise a decrease in the popularity of this genre,” said Rusero.
However, Godfrey Bakasa, a manager for one Dance Hall musician, Seh Calaz argues that as long as Jamaican Dance Hall music is in existence, Zim Dance Hall will not die.
“Zimbabwean Dance Hall music is a reflection of Jamaican Dance Hall and the only difference is that we sing in Shona.
“So, as long as Jamaican Dance Hall is in existence, Zim Dance Hall will continue to survive,” he argued.
Furthermore, he said people may predict what they want, but “as long as people continue producing the music, the genre will not die.”
The sentiments leading to the predictions of Zim Dance Hall demise are largely coming from the demise of Urban Grooves music, a genre that took Zimbabwe by storm in the early 2000s.
Writing back in 2009, former radio DJ, Musavengana Nyasha, argue that Urban Grooves was not going to survive because it was not originally Zimbabwean.
“Zimbabweans love their music to bits, and of this there can be no doubt.
“That is why they do not spend their hard-earned cash on urban grooves.
“If you will permit me to say so, urban grooves are not Zimbabwean.
“Singing over foreign music in Shona does not make it local.
“The fact that it is Zimbabweans singing the music still doesn’t make it local,” he wrote then.
As it is, it remains to be seen if Dance Hall will survive into the future.
Tocky, real name, Obey Makamure got away with two awards in both the Outstanding Song and Outstanding Album categories at a colourful ceremony held at 7 Arts Theatre in Avondale on Saturday night, representing the rise of Dance Hall music.
 |
| Tocky Vibes |
In an interview on the future prospects of Dance Hall Music, social analyst, Alexander Rusero argues that should the fortunes of the country’s economy change, the genre is likely to suffer a natural death.
“Zim Dance Hall tends to have a niche` market on the unemployed youths and the majority of Commuter Omnibus drivers and their assistance where the tunes are always humming in the omnibuses’ stereos all day.
“Now given the Government’s move to ban and outlaw Kombis starting in 2016, it means Zim Dancehall is also under siege,” he said.
Rusero went on to argue that if the country’s unemployment problems are to be reduced, the genre will also be affected.
“Should unemployment levels be reduced through robust employment creation programmes like road construction, the decrease in unemployment will also realise a decrease in the popularity of this genre,” said Rusero.
However, Godfrey Bakasa, a manager for one Dance Hall musician, Seh Calaz argues that as long as Jamaican Dance Hall music is in existence, Zim Dance Hall will not die.
“Zimbabwean Dance Hall music is a reflection of Jamaican Dance Hall and the only difference is that we sing in Shona.
“So, as long as Jamaican Dance Hall is in existence, Zim Dance Hall will continue to survive,” he argued.
Furthermore, he said people may predict what they want, but “as long as people continue producing the music, the genre will not die.”
The sentiments leading to the predictions of Zim Dance Hall demise are largely coming from the demise of Urban Grooves music, a genre that took Zimbabwe by storm in the early 2000s.
Writing back in 2009, former radio DJ, Musavengana Nyasha, argue that Urban Grooves was not going to survive because it was not originally Zimbabwean.
“Zimbabweans love their music to bits, and of this there can be no doubt.
“That is why they do not spend their hard-earned cash on urban grooves.
“If you will permit me to say so, urban grooves are not Zimbabwean.
“Singing over foreign music in Shona does not make it local.
“The fact that it is Zimbabweans singing the music still doesn’t make it local,” he wrote then.
As it is, it remains to be seen if Dance Hall will survive into the future.
