A critique of Mhiripiri.docx

A critique of Mhiripiri's 'Dancing through the Crisis'



By
Mushiringi De Villiers
















Introduction
This is a critique of Mhiripiri (2012). The work "Dancing through the rain" was indeed done to perfection but certain crevices were left out in keeping with trends in the industry. These are pointed out and areas that could have been emphasized which were also left out are discussed in this paper. The critique is done with a view to promote thorough and polished work in the media and research area.
Mhiripiri (2012) fails to place enough emphasis on the fact that live performances are the real source of revenue and not CD sales. This is because even the most experienced and polished artists are affected by piracy. Only live performances can guarantee a definite profit in the Zimbabwean music industry. This usually means that the artist needs to have a band without which they may not be invited to curtain raise for more famous artists in the industry. CD sales only constitute a fraction of the profits major and minor artistes make. Mhiripiri (2012:14) says that,
Zimbabwean musicians can play as many as three shows per week, and even more when there is a public holiday. Record sales also depend on live shows as musicians who conduct live shows often sell better than those who do not. However, a variety of shortages – fuel, transport, beer and beverages – diminish the earnings of musicians. Fuel shortage often restricts musicians and audiences to easily accessible venues.

Mhiripiri (2012) seems misled that into thinking that real marketing of products from the music industry is done by major companies like Ngaavongwe and Diamond Records. In the digital age, Youtube play a critical role in getting the word out that an artist is about to release or has released. Advertisers now rely on the number of views per week or downloads per week. A case in point is Jah Prayzah's Mudhara Vachauya aulbum that had 9 million views in its very first week of release. No one needs Grammar or Diamond or Ngaavongwe for effective marketing anymore. Whatsapp has proved to have a similar effect as music groups are formed and notices of impending albums are made before they are released. Mhiripiri (2012) seems to adopt a more analogous understanding of the Music industry and fails to come to terms with recent changes in the digital age.
Piracy is no longer seem as a scourge in Zimbabwe in the sense that there has been cases of understandings and pacts reached between the artists and the vendors where the former gives his/her music to the pirates to make their album famous. Upcoming artists are particularly inclined to have their music pirated. It can be said that Mathias Mhere relied greatly on pirates to raise during his early days because Blessing Shumba already had a market. Andy Muridzo similarly leaned on pirates in order to get famous. The piracy pivoted them to success and did not militate against them. Once they had a certain level of fame, they would look for contracts or opportunities to perform live and make some money.
Mhiripiri (2012) is also out of touch with common practices in the music industry with regards to the marketing of music in Zimbabwe. Instead of relying on Ngaavongwe or Grammar records, artists have a do-it-yourself method where they approach various bus termini and give their latest albums to taxi drivers and bus drivers. This has become a trend among Zim dancehall artists who also take advantage of drivers going on long trips and have a captive audience to present their latest releases in the course of the journey. Termini like Mbare are frequented by artists who give their music to drivers taking long trips to places like Chiredzi or Mutare and they freely give their CDs to them or VCDs depending on the type of media player the bus possesses. This works effectively for them because the passengers are like a captive audience. This practice has become so widely practiced that the bus drivers even charge the artists for this service because many compete to have their music played. Pastors and prophets from various churches also market their sermons in similar ways. Mhiripiri (2012) makes no mention of this practice.
Mhiripiri (2012) fails to make proper reference to the impact of underground music production houses like, Mount Zion, Basement, More Fire, GM records, Dangerzone, Chillsport and Levels productions as well as Gunhill productions that are not as exclusive as Ngaavongwe but dominate local productions. Through them artists like Winky D, Freeman, PTK and Legion have made it to national and international platforms. Underground production houses like Sunshine even drew the attention of Power FM in their inception because their products were reaching the South African market faster than Ngaavongwe and Diamondf which follow bureaucratic and tiresome procedures to accomplish set objectives. Most of these underground music production houses like Kenako started small but major artists have recording deals with them. They have overseen the rise of individual like Toki and given life to the music of Roki and SQ who were facing virtual extinction. These are some of the realities of the music industry.
Mhiripiri (2012) completely fails to emphasize the importance of an HD and creative music video is guaranteeing a spot to musicians in Zimbabwe. This was the case for Clive Malunga's Nesango back in the day and Jah Prayzah's Jerusarema in the present day. The song may go for years or days without being known but the moment an HD and creative music video makes its way to Youtube or ZTV the artist rises along with it. The Zimbabwean music industry has become obsessed with good videos to couple the launch of an album to such an extent that lesser known artists have started releasing singles and making their videos for them before releasing their actual album. The number of views on Youtube or downloads before pursuing a project.
Mhiripiri (2012) rightly makes mention of collaborations and how they are giving sustenance to artists. Famous and big artists like Macheso have found themselves doing "collabos" with the likes of Jah Prayzah and Sulumani in order to draw crowds. A single artists no longer fills all the seats. Artists are now bundled together like vegetables because big artists like Oliver Mtukudzi are also failing to fill venues or make enough ticket sales. This has become a real hurdle to such an extent that when there is a show artists like Charles Charamba find themselves teamed up with fellow artists like Mathias Mhere, Olinda Marowa or Brian Bande. This could be due to the fact that the economy is struggling and audience may not have enough money but if they are promised to get more for less they are willing to make the sacrifice. According to Mhiripiri (2012:12)
Musicians are trying to maximize attendance figures by embarking on collaborations and stage sharing at shows and by performing at state-sponsored galas. Most of these have been within a given genre, but there are now combined shows of stars from different genres, such as Mtukudzi and Macheso, Macheso and Roki (Urban Grooves). Family shows are also organized during school holidays to attract the youth market and their parents at convenient daytime hours and appropriate venues, maximizing revenue by playing again in the evenings for adult revellers. Incidentally, it is in the genres of gospel music where numerous female stars such as Fungisai Mashavave, Shingisai Suluma and Mercy Mutsvene have emerged, although other secular rhythms have stars such as world-renowed mbira player Chiwoniso Maraire, and Plaxedes Wenyika in Urban Grooves

The scourge of drugs in the Zimbabwean music industry cannot be under emphasized as Mhiripiri (2012) makes no mention of it. The Zim dancehall artists have been caught on numerous occasions abusing Bronchli or marijuana. This has been a trend for quite a while in the industry that seasoned scholars like Mhiripiri (2012) had to make mention of it. Soul Jah Love was arrested for possession of marijuana. The late Chioniso was also caught smoking marijuana before performances. It can be said that this trend is also noticeable in international markets. Marijuana could be a performance enhancer and many songs like, "chamba" by Winky D, "Ndipe Chamba Ndimone" by Legion and "Mapurisa" by Andy Brown go on to prove that marijuana is abused by artists on many different levels. This is due to a mythical belief that it emboldens the smoker when they are about to go before the stage.
Mhiripiri (2012) could have devoted a certain amount of attention to the impact of DJs in Zimbabwe. Most of them do not produce music but simply make mixtapes or play singles by other artists while commenting it. DJs like Smiley dominated the Zimbabwean industry with his "Judgment Yard" ensamples. Artists in Zim in Dancehall relied on him to make them popular. The DJs have evolved over several years Smiley made their impact in Zimbabwe more effective. In South Africa DJ Ganyani on Lingwalagwala FM or DJ Oskid on Jacaranda 94.2 FM have the same effect on their own markets. It is surprising that Mhiripiri (2012) failed to allude to this powerful force in the sense that they can make or break an artist.

Conclusion
Mhiripiri (2012) makes mention of quite a number of issues affecting artists in the music industry and how music has become a source of sustenance for many Zimbabweans. Mhiripiri also makes a fair attempt to discuss key issues affecting many artists in the industry. He however is a stranger to the struggles of many upcoming artists and the new love hate relationship existing between artists and pirates of their music. The use of Youtube as the new launch pad for music is also neglected by the scholar.