HARARE - Wakatumwa singer Gift Amuli says recent claims that dancehall music has overtaken sungura music are out of touch with reality.
The Zvishavane-born singer, who has just released a new album called Bhora Mugedhi, added that the fact that dancehall and other urban grooves genres are receiving a lot of air play on Zimbabwean radio stations should not be used as the only yardstick to measure dominance.
“People are wrongly saying sungura is being outclassed by dancehall,” Amuli told the Daily News.
“I cannot deny that urban grooves music is enjoying an upward swing currently but to say sungura has totally been overtaken is totally unfounded.
“Zimbabwean music has undergone various phases but sungura has stood the test of time.
“Sungura haimbopere vanouya vapfanha ava vagopera asi sungura haipere (The young stars and their music will fade away but sungura will not fizzle out).”
Amuli insisted that the young musicians have not yet earned stripes to be compared with sungura musicians.
“It (sungura) is our identity as Zimbabwe, people who want to compare us with dancehall are not doing justice, it’s not proper. We encourage the young ones to keep it up but we (sungura musicians) and the young musicians are not in the same league."
“Sungura musicians continue to command huge crowds despite the popularity of the dancehall stars,” said the musician.
Amuli is confident that his new offering will make him a sungura darling once more.
“The new album which is a motivational composition is receiving fair airplay on radio since it was released on October 2. Our shows have been receiving good responses and people love our music.
“I have never felt this supported before,” he said.
“The very popular Wamatuka took about six months to penetrate the market but this one has made an impact in just two months. The heavens are opening for Amuli. Even some big artistes are acknowledging this. We think the album will be our best yet.”