By Joseph Mtebe  The Fiesta Jipanguse might have ended a few weeks ago with the final gig at the Leaders Club, but the show remains topical as it has helped bring so many things into light.  

As the young fans responded to the chants of the musicians, a silent revolution was taking place.  On the performance list very few old guards in the Bongo Flava industry had made it.  Instead, there was a host of young artistes whose names barely meant anything three years ago.

From THT, we had the likes of Linah, Barnaba, Amini.  There were also the likes of Belle 9, Roma, Diamond and Mwasiti among others.  Not only did they make an appearance, they also resonated with the youthful crowd who sang along.  A source privy to the organisers was blatantly open to say that the old guards had lost out because they had failed to keep up with the pace in the industry.   “These guys have failed to know that the market has changed. Look at this crowd, many of these young people were toddlers 10 years ago, and therefore, they identify with what they know,” said the source.  

Dramatically disappeared There are many Bongo Flava old guards who have dramatically disappeared from the centre stage. Back in those days, for instanec, Mr Nice was a heartthrob across East Africa.  His ‘Takeu’ style appealed to a cross section of fans both young and old.  However, his influence gradually waned and with time. Mr Nice was no more as he seems to be lost beyond trace. Word has it that he now performs with a certain band in Tegeta.  He’s not alone. 

There are many other Bongo Flava artistes who once ruled the industry, sending crowds into frenzy at their performances, yet are no longer anywhere to be seen.   Instead, event organisers seek services of crowd pullers like Joh Makini, whose appearance on stage alone drives crowds wild as they sing along. In comparison to established names such as Juma Nature who is apparently stuck in the mud of monotonous beats, like the ‘Rap Cartoon’.  It’s in this line that pundits think that our artistes lack the art of reinventing themselves, which is a major ingredient in every artiste’s growth and survival. 

“I have always said that music is like bubble gum, at one point your music will lose taste.  It’s on you as an artist to be creative and know how to reinvent yourself,” says Master Jay of MJ Productions.    Apart from their lack of creativity, most artistes who have been in the game for long, experiment with music all the time, because their fans do not have a platform to tell them verbally what they like or want.   It is only though experimentation that they connect with their fans through performances. 

Lady Jay Dee for instance who has been in the bongo music industry for 10 years now, started off with an R&B debut single ‘Machozi’ and over the years, she’s been struggling to identify and fit herself with the evolving and thirsty audience.   The result is that she has had to explore other genres such as Zouk, Afro-fusions, ‘Kwaito’ until she finally came up with her own, Machozi Band.  “In 2002 when I met Tuku (Oliver Mutukudzi), he advised me that I should try doing my songs with live instruments because studio made music does not live long,” she told Weekender recently.  

According to Ngwair, the quality and creativity of the work always stand out, and therefore, one cannot afford to stick to an old style.  “There is need to read the signs of time and reinvent yourself, respond to market pressure and the needs of the fans. That is why you see hip hop in America is constantly changing,” says Ngwea, of the Chamber Squad.  Veteran musician Lionel Richie, has been in the industry since the days of the Commodores to the present.

The songwriter, singer and instrumentalist has moved from one genre to another, Pop, R&B and Soul. But even with over 40 years of performance, he remains solid and still a crowd puller worldwide.  According to Dr Imani Sanga of the University of Dar es Salaam's Fine and Performing Arts department, the influx of new artistes threatens the existence of artistes whose careers have stagnated.

  “There are many artistes storming the industry daily, whose creativity appeal to the ever changing needs of the audience,” he says.  According to the don, it is not only about the creativity but the massive publicity sometimes can also be detrimental.   “It’s not just about low quality of the music, but the issue of being so regular in the peoples’ eyes and ears itself makes  the work less appealing,” he says. 

When it comes to media outlets and promotion, O-Ten, of the defunct East Coast group, believes that the reason some artistes wane out is the fact that they are product of privileged promotions.  “Let’s do away with make-believe artistes who venture into music after they’re promised promos.

So they do certain type of music, however, when things go off track, they fail to rock, lack gigs and eventually disappear,” says O-Ten.  In a career that is facing sunset, others have discovered that the only way to match the needs of the market is by doing collabos.  “Collabos help develop a new taste…if you look at it carefully, you’ll realise they at least help you blend well and gain some new taste,” says Ngwair, who featured different artistes in his recent album. 

The affected are not only individual artistes but even some local bands that of late have seen dwindling numbers of patrons who used to flock their performances.   Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it         

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites