By Fidelis Manyange

THERE is an issue that has over the years not been fully probed and the issue revolves around the question: Does a child of a talented artiste make an artiste?
My take is that being a child of a prominent artiste, writer or footballer does not mean that one automatically fits into the parents’ shoes.
Here is why.
In anything that one does, it is talent that counts.
Talent is the natural aptitude or skill of doing things.
Most sons and daughters of both live and departed artistes tried to venture into the music industry, riding on their fathers’ coat tails but many soon found the going tough.
The late musicians’ children who managed to venture into the industry mistook sympathy for good skills on their part.
Because of the sentimental connection between fans and the departed parents, children who follow their parents’ footsteps have been entertained or tolerated.
But that is as far as they have gone.
Fans are a patient lot; they give support to whoever takes the mantle but sooner rather than later, they want performances.
And most of these children discover that they are no match for their parents and resort to just playing old music without offering anything new.
Oftentimes the bar that has been set by the parents is too high.
The boots are too big to fill.
Derrick Majaivana, son to Lovemore Tshuma, popularly known in the music industry as Majaivana, tried to venture into the music industry, capitalising on the long absence of his father but he failed to satisfy the legion of his father’s fans countrywide.
Bruce Mpofu, son of the Murambinda hitmaker Paul Mpofu, sooner found out there is more to carrying the mantle of his father.
Paul Mpofu once introduced Bruce to the fans on stage in 1992 during one of his shows, though he was totally against his son taking up music as a career.
He just wanted Bruce to man the gate to minimise income leakages because he no longer trusted his cash handlers.
During one gig at Saratoga, Machipisa, a backing vocalist left the stage in the middle of a performance over a misunderstanding, Mpofu had no choice but to call his son from the gate to join him on stage.
After his father’s death, Bruce tried his hand in music and recorded the album Mabasa Kuwanda, but it was a monumental flop.
He was no match for his father. He ended up employed at a food outlet near the ‘Charge Office’ bus terminus where he worked till the time of his death last year.
The Chibadura siblings Knowledge, John, Simba and Munyaradzi ventured into music after the death of their father, John Chibadura, in 1999.
They managed to record two albums Makatiraira and Inguva Yangu, again these did not do well on the market.
The albums did not satisfy their father’s fans both local and those abroad.
Like their father, they tried their luck in Mozambique but failed to make a mark there — their father always received red carpet treatment in that country.
The Chibadura Brothers’ latest album, despite getting some airplay, is yet to appeal to the Tembo Brothers’ fans.
Despite being a promising lead guitar wizard like his father, Tendai Dembo has tried very hard to revive his father’s music but it’s an uphill struggle.
His voice and compositions are nowhere near the great Leonard Dembo’s works.
The ‘Chitekete’ hitmaker’s standards apparently were set too high.
However, the boy is soldiering on and surviving through sympathetic promoters, businesspeople and fans.
Hosiah Chipanga’s son, Donewell Curtis Chipanga, a good lead guitarist, tried to fuse dancehall and sungura as he tried to follow in his father’s footsteps, recording the album Gamba last year, but the industry is yet to take note of him.
Clive Malunga tried to assist Marshall Munhumumwe Jr to carry on with the music of his late father Marshall Munhumumwe but it seems, like the others, he is still to make the grade.
The other sibling, Charles Munhumumwe, thought the year 2014 would catapult him to stardom but the music strings proved not elastic enough.
Tryson and Douglas Chimbetu by now must have grasped the fact that music is more than aping the voice of Simon Chimbetu, that great artiste and master composer.
James Chimombe’s eldest daughter, Tendai, joins Selmor Mutukudzi and Chiwoniso Maraire, the other daughters of prominent musicians who took over from their fathers.
Tendai, who has been holding shows and playing his late father James Chimombe’s music, is yet to prove her worth as she is currently in the studio recording her debut album.
Her brother, the late Freddy Chimombe who died in 2012, tried to carry on with his father’s music but he didn’t appeal to his dad’s fans and he quickly quit.
However, the story is different with other artistes’ offsprings.
Sulumani Chimbetu is one exception to the rule in the industry.
Sulu, with six albums under his belt, proved he is a good composer and a talented artiste in his own right.
Sulumani believed in his talent and quit his civil service full-time job to front his late father, Simon Chimbetu’s band, Orchestra Dendera Kings.
He was wise enough to retain the vital band members like bassist Moffat Nyamupandu and lead guitarist Knowledge ‘Nodza Nodza’ Nkoma.
These two were regarded as the backbone of Dendera Kings by Simon.
Though not as talented as Sulumani, Tongai Moyo’s son, Peter, has roped in his father’s favourites, Spencer Khumulani and Gift ‘Shiga Shiga’ Katulika to maintain his father’s legion of fans.
Despite getting help from Pastor Charles Charamba on voice, Peter has failed to match his father.
The boy’s talent is in football, not in music.
The late Sam Mtukudzi was a promising artiste whose compositions, vocals and guitar playing skills matched those of his father Oliver.
The few songs that he left behind bear testimony to this.
Chiwoniso Maraire, the late music diva and daughter to the late mbira maestro Dumi Maraire, became an international musician whose music received international acclaim.
Till her death, she was consistent in her compositions and performances.
Amara Brown, daughter of the late great Andy Brown, is a good composer and performer.
They are examples that musical talent can be hereditary.
On international examples, Bob Marley’s sons David ‘Ziggy’, Stephen, Julian, Ky-Man and Damian ‘Junior Gong’ Marley, all have fared well as reggae artistes.
Ziggy and Damian have both won Grammy Awards as reggae artistes.
As much as we want our favourite artistes’ children to take over from their fathers and mothers, they should be talented and not just be opportunists who want to capitalise on their parents’ fame.