By Patrick Tagarira

THE Zim-Dancehall genre currently reigns supreme and is getting more popular by the day with both the young and adults appearing not to get enough of it.
But there is more to music than dancehall as is being proved by artistes like Thulani Kutsanza, also known as Kasu, who is about to release a Chimurenga album.
Kasu, a Chimurenga and reggae artiste, is about to complete work on his second album.
The album, titled Flame of Liberty, comes nine years after his debut album For better, For Worse which sold more than seven thousand copies.
Speaking to Patriot Arts, Kasu attributed the long ‘silence’ to farming.
A beneficiary of the successful land reform programme, the musician said he has been engaged in agricultural activities in the last nine years.
Born in the winter of 1981 at Regina Coeili and bred in Chitungwiza, the talented artiste ventured into music in 2001.
The forthcoming album, he said, was a voice of Zimbabwean youths advocating patriotism and unity of purpose.
Songs on the four-track album are ‘Flame of Liberty’, the title track, ‘Zimbabwe Don’t Cry’, ‘Madzimambo’ and ‘Rock Me’.
“The album challenges every Zimbabwean to stand up and defend the gains of the liberation struggle and this can only be achieved through unity and patriotism.
“We need to love one another, and fight any negative forces such as those that brought about sanctions,” said the Chimurenga musician.
Kasu said he saw it fit to sing three songs in English to get his message to the British to stop interfering in the internal affairs of the country or try to dictate how Zimbabwe, a sovereign nation, must be governed.
“l have been following our political situation of late and have discovered that the Western powers are now targeting the youths who are the future leaders.
“And their activities want to influence the youths not to embrace the Zimbabwean history and heritage,” he said.
In the Shona track, ‘Madzimambo’, Kasu encourages Zimbabweans to respect traditional chiefs who are custodians of cultural values.
“The people of Zimbabwe must be proud of their culture and it is the chiefs that are at the centre of maintaining our cultural values thus we must respect and always recognise their important role in our society,” said Kasu.
He said his father, Patrick Mapume alias Cde Tendai Mudzimu, who sang Chimurenga music in Mozambique during the liberation struggle at Doroi Base 4, was his source of inspiration.
His father worked with the popular war veteran and musician Cde Chinx Chingaira.