‘No hard feelings over Nyazanda’s departure’ - Sulu

Sulumani

Dendera exponent Suluman Chimbetu says the departure of Noel Nyazanda from Orchestra Dendera Kings will not in any way affect the group’s performance. Speaking for the first time since guitarist Nyazanda threw in the towel and returned to the Alick Macheso-led Orchestra Mberikwazvo, Sulu said Nyazanda’s brief contact with his band had not changed anything within the group.

“We gave him a chance to prove his mettle, but unfortunately he found the challenge awesome. “However, be it as it may, there are no hard feelings over his departure. We parted on a good note, and his place has since been taken over by someone who is well versed with dendera.”

Nyazanda, a guitarist of repute, deserted Orchestra Mberikwazvo early this year together with dancer Francis Dhaka aka Slomo after they allegedly failed to get personal loans from the group. However, Nyazanda later made a somersault after it dawned on him that he could not measure up to the dendera beat and immediately returned to Orchestra Mberikwazvo. 

Sulu added that the group had since moved on, and will this weekend hold full-throttle shows in Harare to further strengthen its brand. The group starts off with a show at Mushandirapamwe Nightclub tonight, which has become the home ground for all their shows in Harare.

Tomorrow they are expected to enthrall residents of Norton and its surrounding areas with a gig at Pakare Paye, where their efforts will be complemented by the granddad of music, Oliver Mtukudzi. Tuku, who has been holding shows throughout Harare, will host a solo show, probably to give a breather to his band, which has been holding roller-coaster gigs.

On Sunday, the dendera beat moves to Mverechena in Domboshava, where the entourage of Sulu and Jean Masters is expected to breathe life into the entertainment scene of this peri-urban settlement.“Our brand seems to be getting better with each day, and I am happy to say that our plans this year will also include exploring new venues, and taking our music to the people,” said Sulu.

Since he took over from his late father Simon, Suluman has been on a drive to popularise the dendera genre, while assisting upcoming artistes to find their feet in this highly competitive sector, where a star is being groomed everyday. Culled from Herald