Music
Boy Swaps
AK47
…his music is pregnant with a conscience
The Parade Reporter
A
round 1978, a freedom fighter
briefly gave his AK47 to a fouryear old boy and another hero
was born. Instead of a gun, the
boy grew into a man who chose the guitar
to wage war on social misfits who prey on
the young.
Victor Kunonga looms above his peers
when it comes to music that sounds good
while speaking to our conscience. At a
time when louder seems to be better,
Kunonga’s name has become synonymous
with quiet, but powerful music.
The album Such is Life released in
2003 received a lot of airplay, firmly
placing the soft-spoken musician as one of
Zimbabwe’s most respectable musicians.
Although
other
tracks
like
‘Ndamanikidzwa namai’ were also
popular, it was ‘Maidarirei, his song
reprimanding child molesters, that set
apart Kunonga’s music and making it
clear that he is all about the message.
“When I was young, I would read the
paper every day and in almost every
edition, there was at least one story on
child abuse. But then I would listen to the
music and there would be very few songs
protesting against this.
“So when I went into music, I was
determined to use the platform to
highlight such social issues that people
avoid talking about,” he told The Parade
in a recent interview.
Kunonga manages to carry his
messages with style. His music, which he
Page 18
The Parade - Zimbabwe’s Most Read Lifestyle Magazine
April 2013