AS the year 2016 comes to an end, there are a number of highlights in the music industry that will make the year one to remember.
Entertainment falls in the social needs category under Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and local musicians saw to it that they provided that necessity and they did it with aplomb.
There is a lot to write and reflect on about the local arts industry and its contribution in entertaining the masses in 2016, but this writer will only focus on the music highlights.
It is important to note that local musicians, despite facing numerous challenges, have kept at it and matched the standards of their counterparts elsewhere.
Never mind the low returns, local musicians have delivered quality.
As the world was enjoying the release of new albums from international musicians such as Adelle, John Legend and Beyoncé, among others, Zimbabweans enjoyed works from local talents.
The year 2016 opened on a high as many artistes released albums.
First to show off and announce his comeback on the music scene was Alick Macheso, the sungura giant.
Clutching the much-awaited album, Macheso popularly known as ‘Baba Sharo’ announced his rebirth.
For three years, the sungura legend had starved his fans who were almost giving up on the coming of the maestro’s 10th album.
Simply titled Tsoka Dzerwendo, the album was released and flooded the market with 100 000 copies that sold within a week.
Fans were hungry and were duly satiated.
Critics attacked the album, but it seems the die-hard fans were satisfied.
Baba Sharo, for the first time in his career, announced the launch and release of the album through a press conference.
This had never happened in the history of Macheso’s career.
It is a move that was not only calculated to announce his return, but wiped away the so called ‘chipurazi’ that was believed to go hand-in-hand with the identity of Baba Sharo.
Speaking at his album launch at Star FM Radio, Macheso made it clear he is far from being a spent force.
“Tinoziva chinopera isipo nemafuta, asi munhu haapere,” he said.
The release of Baba Sharo’s album in style might have pushed and forced fellow musicians to up their game in the competition.
To match or surpass Baba Sharo’s comeback, popular contemporary musician Mukudzei Mukombe, popularly known as Jah Prayzah, announced the release of his seventh offering Mudhara Achauya.
The Uzumba-born musician proved he is the man-of-the-moment or the ‘Mudhara’ in music circles.
Just like Baba Sharo, the launch of the album was held at Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) and it had all the glitz and glamour.
The launch of the 11-track album was not only well-marketed, but was cemented with the release of a classic video for the song ‘Watora Mari’ which featured Tanzanian superstar Diamond Platinumz.
To show that he is on top of the game, Jah Prayzah and his team staged a road show between Harare and Bulawayo before launching the same album once again at Large City Hall in Bulawayo.
The musician went on to win the MTV Africa Music Listeners’ Choice Awards against 19 nominees from all over Africa.
Jah Prayzah became the first Zimbabwean musician to win an MTV MAMA.
Still in the genre of sungura, young Romeo Gasa of the Simbi Hombe fame did not want to be left out in the race as he also released his sixth album tilted Bhoo Zvekuti.
Launched in Harare at the Portugal Restaurant, also known as ‘Pensao’, the album proved the lad is fast maturing and can stand the heat in the music industry.
Gasa remains one of the musicians who keep ‘competition’ in sungura alive.
The year 2016 also witnessed the release and launch of Oliver Mtukudzi’s 65th album titled Eheka Nhai Yahwe.
Apart from showing that he is not just a legend in the game but can bring raw talent and make it work, Tuku featured his wife Daisy Mtukudzi on the track ‘Haasi Masanga’.
The music granddad launched his album at his Pakare Paye Arts Centre first to journalists before releasing it to the public at the classy Borrowdale Country Manor.
The album is testimony of Tuku’s icon status and proves he is one of the best musicians that Zimbabwe has ever produced locally and internationally.
Stars in the dancehall genre Wallace Chirimuko, aka Winky D, and Kelvin Kusikwenyu, better known as Killer T, also did well in the year thrilling their mostly young fans.
Winky D delighted many when he took advantage of the much awaited Morgan Heritage concert to launch his album titled Gafa Futi Chi Extraterrestrial.
Though the 12-track album sparked a fight between Winky D and his producer Oskid, it was well received by revellers.
Killer T did not abandon his fans and home ground as he launched his second album at Mbare Netball Complex.
To spice up his career, which many feared was now on the wane, was Sulumani Chimbetu who released a new album on his wedding day.
After seven years with wife Linda Loveness Samuriwo, Sulu took the opportunity to show some love to both his wife and fans by having a white wedding and releasing an eight-track album titled Jamboree.
Whether he killed two birds with one stone is a story for another day.
Other musicians who released albums in 2016 are Willis Wattafi, Leonard Zhakata, Pamela Zulu (Gonyeti) and Edmore Madhangi, among others.
And not to be outdone is the talented Gift Amuli whose new album Masvingo is still sizzling hot and fresh from the oven.
Only the revellers can choose the best album released this year.