System Tazvida
| Musician System Tazvida | |
|---|---|
 System Tazvida | |
| Born | Fanuel Nyasha Tazvida May 2, 1968 |
| Died | February 4, 1999 (aged 30) |
| Nationality | Zimbabwe |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1980s to 1999 |
| Known for | Singing |
| Home town | Masvingo |
| Spouse(s) | Barbra Mabuyaye |
| Relatives | Peter Tazvida, King Tazvida, Isaac Tazvida |
System Tazvida was a popular Zimbabwean Sungura musician who rose to prominence in the early 1990s with hits such as Anodyiwa Haataure and Bhebhi Rakanaka, Mushandi ndiMambo. His background influenced his lyrics and his unique style of music.
Background
Born Fanuel Nyasha Tazvida on 2 May 1968[1] in Zaka, Masvingo.[2] He was nicknamed System the microphone wizard after proving that he was a singer in his own right, much to the surprise of his kith and kin.[2] He was married to Barbra Mabuyaye.
Musical career
System started his career with the Spides Band and he was the lead singer.[1] From the Spides Band, he joined Muza's Combination up until 1989 together with Tineyi Chikupo.[1] He became a household name after the release of Mabhauwa which was written by Cephas Karushanga who was also a member of the Khiama Boys as well as Alick Macheso.[2] After having made an impact backed by the Khiama Boys, Tazvida and Karushanaga left Khiama Boys and formed Mabhauwa Express.[2] The Tazvida-Karushanga led Mabhauwa Express which flopped.
Tazvida went on to join the Sungura Boys led by Ephraim Joe who is believed to be the pioneer of Sungura music.[1]
In 1993, he formed his own Chazezesa Challengers together with his young brother Peter Tazvida, Leeroy Lunga and Lucky Mumiriki.[2] The band mixed elements of Sungura and traditional sounds, creating an appealing blend [3] that resonated well with mostly the rural folk. Backed by his Chazezesa Challengers which was also known as Boys dzeSmoko. Tazvida's career blossomed as he released a string of hits. Some of the songs which became popular include Mushandi ndiMambo, Anodyiwa Haataure and Dai Hanzvadzi Yairoorwa amongst others.
The albums released by Tazvida and his band in the mid 1990s were amongst the top selling albums during this time. Rudo Tsika Nemagariro sold more than 20 000 copies, while 'Mutunhu Unemago' sold 30 000 copies. At the time of his death, Tazvida was amongst the top 5 selling artists in Zimbabwe.[1] As the title of the albums indicate, Tazvida's music was social commentary mixed with humorous lyrics and satirical subjects.Tazvida's music resonated well with the rural and farm folk whose way of life he included in his songs. These people were never noticed since they lacked the buying power, but Tazvida revolutionalised this notion. Tazvida popularised these very people and helped link them to the urban folk which had a different lifestyle altogether.[4]
His Death
Tazvida died on 4 February 1999 after suffering from an undisclosed illness. After his death, the remaining members of Chazezesa Challengers regrouped and tried to carry on the legacy of Tazvida. Peter and Isaac Tazvida tried to revive the band, but their efforts were in vain.[5] Leeroy Lunga also tried to do the same and he renamed Chazezesa Challengers to Boys dzeSmoko. Lunga however failed to make an impact.[5] In 2014, King Tazvida, Tazvida's young brother announced that he was determined to revive the 'smoko' music. King was expected to release his first album before 2014 but he is yet to release this album, as of yet.
Albums
- Rudo Tsika Nemagariro
- Mutunhu Unemago
System's Videos
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Funny Mashava,Top Local Musician Passes Away, "Lifestyles"Published:,Retrieved:4 Feb 2015"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Tapfumanei Chirikure, He-e Tazvida Wezhira irombe, "Intimacy with Zim Musicians", Published:15 Nov 2011,Retrieved:3 February 2015"
- ↑ Simbarashe Maengewa, 'Boyz Dze Smoko' release 7th album, ZBC, Published: 29 May 2012, Retrieved: 11 Apr 2014
- ↑ thandowako, The Farm Compound Culture That System Tazvida Gifted Us, Thandowako, Published: 1 Oct 2012, Retrieved: 11 Apr 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Tatenda Kunak, System Tazvida legacy lives on, "NewsDay", Published:4 Feb 2014,Retrieved:3 February 2015"
