Insights from Sungura Star Mark Ngwazi’s Musical J...

Insights from Sungura Star Mark Ngwazi’s Musical Journey

Sungura musician Mark Ngwazi, who has been riding high with his 2022 album Nharo Nezvine Nharo, has cemented his position in music circles as a force to reckon with.

With the release of the album, Ngwazi, who believes music is not about competition but rather complementing one another, marked the beginning of comparisons between him and sungura giant, Alick Macheso.

Zim Now’s Michael Mashiri, MM, caught up with Ngwazi, MN, and spoke to him about his life and career, among other things and below are excerpts of the interview.

M.M: Tell us about yourself.

M.N: My name is Mark Ngwazi, l am told that when l was born there were issues. l was born in Rusunzwe, Hwedza on April 18, 1988. I am married to Linda Moyo, a woman l love whole heartedly and we live in Harare. We have two sons, Mike and Malvin. I am a member of an apostolic sect.

M.M: Take us through your musical journey.

M.N: It is said that when l was born, l made a long cry, it was a musical cry. When l later realised that truly l was singing, l was in Grade Three, we sang at church. I was not ashamed of singing. l could sing in front of many people, despite putting on small shorts.

In 2021, l made a guitar using oil gallons at home started playing Calisto Nyamhute’s Special Meat. I could hardly sleep. My guitar was always very close to me as at times l would wake up, play it and sleep again.

I reached a point when my love for music was compromising the performance of my other duties at home and my mother would take the guitar and break it. Later, she realised that supporting the talent was the best idea.

I came to Harare after completing my Ordinary Levels and that was when l met Paradzai Mesi, who was helping Batsirai Chinyanga, young brother to the late Studio 263’s Muvengwa. l was close to him when we lived in Mbare.

I would always accompany him whenever he was helping him and I would tell him that l had written some songs but was not sure if I had done it correctly and he would guide me.

I went to the Chibuku Road to Fame and won money, making me realise that despite the short time l had played, I was already winning money. Therefore, I decided that l should give it a go. My first album Zvandigumbura, was recorded in 2015, and l was nominated on the Best Sungura on Zima Awards.

Then l was working for Bhadela Wholesalers. In order to allow myself to concentrate on my newly-found passion, l lied to my wife that l had been fired from work, yet l had left the job voluntarily to pursue music full time. I then did another album titled Gudo Muriwo, which I did with many musicians. That was when l started getting shows.

2018, l did Charger Yetsono, 2019, Mudzimu Wabudira Pambeveve. On this one, l meant that many people expect things to be done by certain people, but do you know that someone who does not see or talk can be given the gift to prophecy, but will have a way of explaining it so that people will understand. So, what happens is people actually prepare a ceremony wanting to know who has been preferred by ancestors. People will be fighting in the family wanting to know.

They are surprised to realise that the ancestors have chosen the most looked-down upon member of the family.

2020, l released an album that is still making waves whose hit song has the lyrics, “Don’t blame people for disappointing you, blame yourself for trusting them.”

Again in 2020, Nharo Nezvine Nharo.

M.M: What is your best song?

M.N: It’s not one, there is a song called, Dzimwe Nzendo Taurai Madzoka, was not my favourite, but it is now becoming my favourite because l cannot be the only one who loves the thing yet there is something loved by millions of people.

There is a song on the album, Mudzimu Wabudira Pambeveve, called, Tisazokanganwa, that is my favourite.

M.M: What happens when you do your songs, do you dream, or have visions?

M.N: Everything l have dreamt about, l have forgotten about it, so what l sing is life, whenever l walk, l see things and write those things, what l hear l put them on songs. I am slow l cannot do a song faster, so when l gather my things l leave them and it will mature and then l come to it.

Some songs for example, Taurai Madzoka, l do not even know when l wrote it, but how it starts and how it ends will be different.

If you are a musician, you must enter into every situation and see it as yourself, not to always see yourself in every song.

M.M: What is your relationship with Tindo Ngwazi and what made you split?

M.N: He is my young brother, l used to work with him from 2015 to 2018. After the release of the album Charger Yekatsono he did his own album, marking the beginning on his solo career. We did not have a fight with my brother when we split. There is no conductor who wants to be a conductor for life. A split is not made by us, maybe it was in God’s plans.

M.M: Who is your inspiration?

M.N: I was inspired by many artists such as Paul Matavire. His death pained me, because he was supposed to release many songs. l can listen to him from 1 to 31 of the month, daily repeating the same songs. You will realise that there is his effect in my songs, l can listen to him every day, there is also Marko Sibanda, Nicholas Zakaria, his music is stable, it’s good music. I have never heard of anything bad that was said against him. There is also Alick Macheso, his guitars are something else. So far, l think he is the best bass guitarist around.

M.M: How many people constitute Njanja Express?

M.N: Njanja Express is like this, we have Donald Gogo, our lead guitarist, he is mostly known for having played for Alick Macheso. We also have Obert Mangani who plays the lead as well as bass guitar, Simon Nyakatangure, bass guitarist, Las Kazonda, on drums there is Barnabus Mandipota and Kelvis Chaitwa.

We have five dancers, Majiggies, Sekuru Gudo, Sekuru Njanja, Forward Antonio, Talent Musoro Bhangu.

For the vocals, l am there, and l also play rhythms together with Katogo. Albert Chanachingu is our manager.

M.M: Have you done collaborations with other artists?

M.N: I have done with a number, l have done with one Indian national, locally, l have one with Agatha Murudzwa, Shantel Sithole, Evangelist Timothy, Romeo Gasa, Simon Mutambi and Nicholas Zakaria, among many others. On the collaborations, the songs that pushed me far is the one l did with Shantel Sithole, it is a Kanindo beat, and the one l did with several artists, including Simon Mutambi, Romeo Gasa, Nicolas Zachariah and many more.

MM: Your future in music?

M.N: Only God knows the future, but we believe we will go far. I have bales of unreleased music. Day and night, we will be working to ensure that things go well and l believe we will get very far.

A number of senior artists have advised me not to ignore fans who have been there before me in order to make it. I also learnt to respect other artists. There is no artist who is not good. In future, we would like to do collaborations with artists outside Zimbabwe, whatever their profile. We also would like to help people in the future.