Released in July, Novus was the third chapter in Garry Mapanzure’s musical journey. His third album in four years. Coming on the heels of his last album “Special Delivery”, released early last year, Novus presented us with a new side of the artist. As he said it himself in discussion of the two albums, “Special Delivery Mapanzure and Novus Mapanzure are two different souls.”
Novus was described by the artist as a refreshed, renewed and revived Garry Mapanzure, bringing with him the love songs, the gospel, the motivation and the truth. A more than accurate description of what Novus brings. It’s not just Garry himself who is renewed but the music on his latest project gives new life to old favourites and even childhood rhymes.
The album is a story told over 10 tracks, and while love is the most popular subject, Garry touches on mental health and gives us some gospel. The album still has the Afropop sound that made us fall in love with him but they’re well nuanced differences from his previous works.
Novus opens with the gospel track Rigiyoni Takawanda. The song makes reference to the biblical “Legion”, a collection of demons that afflicted a mad man in the bible and were banished by Jesus into a herd of pigs. Mapanzure uses “Rigiyoni” as a metaphor for his own personal demons and at heart the song is a prayer. He sings, “Musandirase ini ndiri Rigiyoni takawanda” a phrase that asks God to not forsake him despite his flaws.
Kudeepisa is the second track, and it is layered in the subjects it talks about. Soulfully sung over piano keys, the song features issues of mental health and escapism through alcohol use. It presents the difficulty of finding someone to talk to when you have problems and how we engage in activities to forget rather than face the problems head on. There’s a brilliance in the composition of the song as lyrics play out as a conversation between Garry and a friend.
Kuhardira which features Zimhiphop artist Bagga is a hustlers anthem. As the song title says, it urges perseverance in our search for a better life. Lonely Ogre is a beautiful yet sad love song. It is a song dominated by Garry’s vocals as he sings about feeling incomplete without his soulmate. He makes reference to fairytales, first on the chorus as he goes “I feel like a lonely orge, please take me to my Fiona” referencing Shrek and in a broader narrative on his verses.
Walking to a brothel, I might find a genie in a bottle
And I might ask for a princess in a castle, let down your hair my Rapinzel
All through Novus, Mapanzure gives us a rich vocal performance. The project has a balance of the “get up and dance” songs on one end and the “emotionally heavy” ones on the other.
Pahushamwari Hwedu ft Nashe borrows from an old Shona childhood rhyme and it is a playful yet infectious love song. Chimoko Chidanger ft Takura takes inspiration from Urban Grooves/Zimdancehall artist Nasty Tricks’ hit by the same name. The track title means a beautiful young woman and the lyricism refers to a love interest of the same magnitude. The hook for the song isn’t the best but both artists make up for it with their verses, especially Takura.
On Sweet Angela, Garry serenades us with a particularly melodious ode to a love interest. It seems like a story of what could’ve been and Garry is singing about a love lost that still burns in his memories.
Sweet Angela, sweet mamacita
Wherever you are, I miss you
Sweet Angela, sweet mamacita
Wherever you are, I love you
The genre bending Ayawa blends together Afrobeats influences with the sounds of Jazz and Amapiano. While Iwe Neni reimagines Alexio Kawara and Tererai Mugwadi’s hit song “Tinodanana”. Novus is heartfelt music with particularly good production. Tee Jay Musik leads the way with five production credits and Golden Fingerz, Ghost the Magician, Hoolanwolf, and Ougweibeats all lend a hand to bring this album together.
The softly sung Song for Ya gives the project it’s summation and it’s a near perfect closer. It tells the story of being hopelessly in love, something many of us can relate to. All through this album Mapanzure allowed himself to be vulnerable, and not just on the subject of love. He’s more eccletic in how he expresses his Afropop but it still results in a well put together album.
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