System Tazvida
Encyclopedia
System Tazvida was a Zimbabwe
an musician very popular in his home country mainly in the 1990s, though not as well known internationally. Tazvida wrote and performed songs mainly in his native Shona
tongue.
Tazvida was best known for his hits Anodyiwa Haataure and Mushandi Ndimambo. However, it was his 1993 hit Rudo Tsika Nemagariro which propelled him to national stardom.
Tazvida performed with his band the Chazezesa Challengers. He recruited some experienced musicians, including his bassist brother Peter. The band of five are veterans of the Zimbabwe music scene. System Tazvida had previously played with the Khiama Boys, the Mabhauwa Express and the Sungura Boys. His brother Peter is a Nyami Nyami Sounds alumnus. Guitarist LeeRoy Lunga had played with both the Super Sounds and the Kasongo Band, while percussionist Lucky Mumiriki had experience with the Hurungwe Sounds and the Sungura Boys.
The group successfully mixed elements of sungura, jazz, South African mbaqanga and traditional sounds, creating an appealing and popular blend. The Chazezesa Challengers produced a string of hit albums in the mid-to-late 1990s; their debut, Rudo Tsika Nemagariro, sold more than 20 000 copies, while Mutunhu Unemago topped 30 000. Some of their top songs include Anodyiwa Haature, Mabhauwa, and Vaforomani. The Challengers were known for their humorous lyrics and satirical subjects. The band also toured in Mozambique, where they were popular.
The band
experienced two deaths in quick succession, as drummer Wezhira Shoko and talismanic leader System Tazvida both died near the turn of the millennium
. The group has continued without System and Wezhira. Since their deaths they have produced three album
s, including the tribute record Panopfungaira Pane Moto in honour of their former leader. The band has also assumed a new name, Boyz dzeSmoko, in which "Smoko" is a unique acronym for their self-titled style of music. Unfortunately, System's successor and younger brother Peter died in 2002. This, however, has not stopped the group. Under the leadership of Lee Roy Lunga, the boys released their twelfth album, Smoko Pachena/Chabvondoka, in December 2002.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
an musician very popular in his home country mainly in the 1990s, though not as well known internationally. Tazvida wrote and performed songs mainly in his native Shona
Shona language
Shona is a Bantu language, native to the Shona people of Zimbabwe and southern Zambia; the term is also used to identify peoples who speak one of the Shona language dialects: Zezuru, Karanga, Manyika, Ndau and Korekore...
tongue.
Tazvida was best known for his hits Anodyiwa Haataure and Mushandi Ndimambo. However, it was his 1993 hit Rudo Tsika Nemagariro which propelled him to national stardom.
Tazvida performed with his band the Chazezesa Challengers. He recruited some experienced musicians, including his bassist brother Peter. The band of five are veterans of the Zimbabwe music scene. System Tazvida had previously played with the Khiama Boys, the Mabhauwa Express and the Sungura Boys. His brother Peter is a Nyami Nyami Sounds alumnus. Guitarist LeeRoy Lunga had played with both the Super Sounds and the Kasongo Band, while percussionist Lucky Mumiriki had experience with the Hurungwe Sounds and the Sungura Boys.
The group successfully mixed elements of sungura, jazz, South African mbaqanga and traditional sounds, creating an appealing and popular blend. The Chazezesa Challengers produced a string of hit albums in the mid-to-late 1990s; their debut, Rudo Tsika Nemagariro, sold more than 20 000 copies, while Mutunhu Unemago topped 30 000. Some of their top songs include Anodyiwa Haature, Mabhauwa, and Vaforomani. The Challengers were known for their humorous lyrics and satirical subjects. The band also toured in Mozambique, where they were popular.
The band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
experienced two deaths in quick succession, as drummer Wezhira Shoko and talismanic leader System Tazvida both died near the turn of the millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
. The group has continued without System and Wezhira. Since their deaths they have produced three album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s, including the tribute record Panopfungaira Pane Moto in honour of their former leader. The band has also assumed a new name, Boyz dzeSmoko, in which "Smoko" is a unique acronym for their self-titled style of music. Unfortunately, System's successor and younger brother Peter died in 2002. This, however, has not stopped the group. Under the leadership of Lee Roy Lunga, the boys released their twelfth album, Smoko Pachena/Chabvondoka, in December 2002.