Ivy's New Offering Politically Charged
Saturday, 25 October 2008 20:16
IVY Kombo has celebrated the birth of her third child by releasing a politically-charged 13-track gospel album, Two Minutes.
Baby Tahwyna Maya, a boy, was born on August 27 as the Nguva Yakwana and Handidzokere Shure star prepared to release her 14th album.
He is her third child after Sammy Joe and Atipa.
The singer, who now lives with husband Admire Kasi in England, takes on tough political questions and social issues in her latest offering — from protesting at the unavailability of goods and services to lack of basic medical and educational facilities in Zimbabwe.
She rails off in Chingwa Chapera (Bread/Food is Finished), noting there’s “no more hupfu (maize-meal)/No more meat/No more salt/No more medication/No more sadza/No more books” and cries “Jesu huyai (come Jesus)/Come Lord.”
Kombo says Zimbabwe rulers are at a loss for ideas as she summons the Lord to “take-over”. “Wenyama washaiwa zano (man of flesh are at loss for ideas),” she wails.
Continuing on that theme, Kombo captures the hopelessness of Zimbabweans caught up in a decade-long political crisis and rising poverty in Inokwira Mudendere — contrasting their problems with those of a pigeon which at least can take shelter in its nest, while Zimbabweans have no nest to hide in.
A trip to Zimbabwe last November triggered this new political protest that finds expression in her music, she said.
“I went home, stayed in a hotel in November with my daughter and did not eat bread until I came back. I gave people money but they would not buy anything because of the scarcity of commodities. There is nothing on the shelves,” Kombo said.
“People walk to as far as Chitungwiza and Norton because there is no fuel. You find people just roaming the streets because of unemployment; they buy medicinal supplies from street corners because there is no medicine in hospitals or clinics and you find them with truckloads of money because the dollar has no value.”
In Nyarara Zimbabwe, Kombo encourages Zimbabweans to place their trust in God, while predicting “deliverance is imminent”.
While political references in the album are many, most tracks are pure praise and worship songs.
Perhaps the only criticism of the album is it’s bland and overly repetitive beats and lack of an outstanding hit to threaten her past chart busters like Sammy Joe.
That said, Kombo’s soulful voice still comes through to rescue the album which should be well-received by her fans.
Kombo claimed asylum in Britain early this year, saying she feared for her life after helping opposition MP Paul Madzore and teachers’ union leader Raymond Majongwe record their protest albums in Zimbabwe.
Her Nguva yakwana gospel shows have been targeted for hijack by pro-government gospel artists and she lives in constant fear of an attack on her Gospel Train Studios in Harare where some of Madzore and Majongwe’s material was produced. — NewZimbabwe.com