While music and the art sector has for the longest time perceived to be a preserve of those that are not academically gifted, a lot more artists are proving that notion to be a misconception that needs to be ridiculed and thrown out with the contempt it deserves. A lot of professionals ranging from engineers, police officers, soldiers, teachers and even headmasters who people think to be more serious office bearers have come out to showcase their artistry.
Award-winning Zimbabwean Afro-Jazz musician and frontman of Savanna Drive band, Bob “The Headmaster” Nyabinde, is one of the professionals whose name rings a bell in the music industry. His compositions are social commentaries based on various social issues such as education, and his lyrical mastery can never be doubted.
When he arrived on the local music scene with his debut album Pane Nyaya in 2002, he did so with a thud, loud enough that his presence could be felt even by those with the remotest appreciation of jazz music. The jam-packed masterpiece did well with the hit song “Chabuda Hapana” trending and topping the charts, leading to him scooping the Afro-Jazz Artiste of the year in 2003 at the Zimbabwe Musical Awards. No doubt, the album scaled Bob to dizzy heights in his musical career as he was soon to claim his space among the country’s musical luminaries.
Today, Bob is still going strong, despite battling diabetes, which has affected his eyesight. The sexagenarian crooner has not allowed his current condition to kill the artistry in him. Although struggling with his eyesight, he is perfectly in touch with his singing and guitar strumming skills.
For its lyrical depth, emotional sincerity, and stellar performances, Chabuda Hapana is an imperishable classic and must be considered one of the most compelling entries in Bob’s acclaimed discography.
Reckon jazz is just for connoisseurs and is merely a niche genre these days? Then think again, for if it wasn’t for jazz, we wouldn’t have the blues or the myriad of different styles of music that have rocked our world ever since. Zimbabwe’s interest in and bond with jazz music is significant, and it has resulted in numerous outstanding works through collaborations between jazz and traditional musicians at national, continental and international level. All April long, #enthuse through our 30 Days of Iconic Zimbabwean Jazz series celebrates the heritage and history of jazz music and curates thirty songs by jazz pioneers and contemporary musicians who have successfully taken on the genre and defined a sound for the rest of the world to follow.
