The fading melody of festive season hits

Harare Bureau
ONCE UPON A TIME, as the festive season approached, local music airwaves would ordinarily be inundated with a symphony of new music — hit songs to be precise.
The likes of Patrick Mukwamba’s timeless Wapenga Nayo Bonus became national anthems, marking the beginning of a joyous period.
Traditionally, musicians would seize the opportunity to release new songs, capitalising on the spirit of a new holiday season.
Record labels would, naturally, strategically plan releases. A combination of annual bonuses, revellers who were prepared to spend and new music was a recipe for success. However, this time-honoured tradition seems to be fading away.
While piracy and technological advancements are often blamed for the new reality, the global shift towards a continuous music release cycle is undeniably playing a major part.
Young musicians, particularly those in the Zim hip-hop and Zimdancehall genres, are less inclined to time their releases for the festive season. As it stands, only a few releases are likely to keep the festive mood alive.
Among them are Killer T’s Kana Ndanyura and Delroy Shewe’s Fona.
Master H is also in the mix, particularly with the song Dhanzi.
For sungura fans, tracks like Alick Macheso’s Zvichada Hama, Simon Mutambi’s Chembere Yako and Mark Ngwazi’s Maintenance will keep them busy on the dance floor.
All these songs were released well before the festive season began.
However, Mambo Dhuterere’s November release, Kudenga Kuna Manuwere, particularly the track Sunungura Nezodzo, looks promising.
While it may not match the impact of his previous hit-laden album Dare Guru, it remains a solid offering.
But what factors are driving this change in the music industry’s seasonal rhythm?
Shift
“Things have changed. In the past, record companies controlled the recording and release of music. An artiste had no say in when their music was released,” explained veteran music producer Bothwell “African” Nyamhondera.
He also believes declining disposable incomes have gradually killed the festive vibe.
“Album sales are a thing of the past. Back then, people received bonuses around this time of the year, giving them more disposable income to buy new music,” he said.
The collapse of major record labels like Gramma Records, Record and Tape Promotions (RTP) and Zimbabwe Music Corporation (ZMC) paved the way for smaller studios to emerge. This shift inevitably altered the production and release processes of music.
“We had a proven system that produced good sales results. By deciding release dates, we protected artistes from competition. Some great songs are overshadowed by poor release dates and competition,” added Nyamhondera.
“We would not release songs by new musicians if there was already good music from established singers on the market. However, I have noticed that most artistes now prefer releasing their music early in the year to accumulate votes for end-of-year Top 20 radio competitions.”
Marabi musician Kireni Zulu noted that in the past, it was customary for artistes to produce new songs specifically for the festive season.
“Record companies like Gramma and ZMC determined when musicians under their labels would release their music. It was not a free-for-all like it is now. However, some of the new songs by established musicians were released several months before the festive season began,” Zulu said.
“Nowadays, young musicians can just wake up, decide to record and release instantly. As a result, their productions are often inferior and do not stand the test of time. I take my time to produce quality songs that last on the market. I do not rush, and I give my songs ample time to be absorbed by the market.”
For Somandla Ndebele, producing songs specifically for the festive season has proven to be a money-wasting experience.
“Recording an album is expensive. One needs time and money to pay band members during recording sessions. The sad part is that after releasing an album, it is pirated and distributed for free and we get nothing. This is a waste of resources. I only release new music when I have the resources and when I feel it is profitable for me to do so,” said the Denda Brothers frontman.
Soma added that he now records new songs to stay relevant and satisfy his fans.
He still fondly remembers the time when contemporary musicians were paid royalties for their work.
“In 2004, I released Zvamauya Zvanaka and sold over 200 000 copies. A year later, I released Makobvu Nematete and sold over 100  000 copies. I earned a lot of money through royalties,” he said.
For him, producing new songs now means enriching others.
“If I produce a hit song now, it will be quickly pirated, and I will get nothing. I will not record to enrich others.”
Sungura musician Nicholas “Madzibaba” Zakaria said nothing motivates him to produce new songs for the festive season.
“Back in the day, Christmas was exciting, and musicians released new songs with the hope of taking advantage of the excitement. The excitement is no longer there. Christmas has become more like any other day. Also, the new music is pirated and we get nothing,” said the Chitungwiza-based legendary musician.
Madzibaba’s last production was released in 2022. Now, he is “not sure” when he will drop his next songs.
Keeping tradition
But there are musicians and producers who are keeping the festive release tradition alive.
Fantan, real name Arnold Kamudyariwa, reckons the festive season cannot be lit without some fresh productions from their stable — Chillspot Records.
“We are certainly dropping something for the fans. We have lined up two or three riddims for them to enjoy during the festive season, in addition to the new stuff we have already released this year,” revealed Fantan.
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“The first week of December will see us launching the ‘991 Riddim’, which will then be followed by the ‘Gangster Chillspot Riddim’ the following week. We worked with a DJ called Gangster on the second riddim, and it is electric. The riddims will be officially unveiled at several gigs that we have lined up in December up to the new year.”
Macheso’s camp also has something up their sleeve. The singer dropped his 13th studio album Kupa Kuturika in August, but one track from the project is yet to hit the market.
“We have some good news for our Orchestra Mberikwazvo fans. We will be giving them a festive season gift in the form of a bonus track. Instead of just dropping the outstanding track Undiregererewo, we now have another accompanying song, which is a Christmas box,” revealed Macheso’s manager and publicist Tich Makahamadze.
Mbira singer Sasha Amadhuve will release two tracks this month — Mudzimu waBaba and Tinotenda Machembere.
“The songs have been well-received during our live gigs, so we have decided to package and present them to our fans as a Christmas present. After the release, we will be hosting almost every day of the month until January,” said Sasha Amadhuve.
Her colleague, Diana Samkange, said: “I have some new music but will not be releasing it this year. However, we will be sampling it during live gigs throughout the festive season.”