B-Metro
Langalakhe Mabena
Czech Republic based all-rounder artiste Mamozi (real name Robin Mlauzi) released his much-anticipated album on 30 May titled Gijimi which loosely translates to Run.
This is Mamozi’s first album under his name but after one gets to lend an ear and listen to the eight-track project, a high level of maturity and necessary creativity usage based on each song was crafted and weaved accordingly.
If you are Afrocentric, Gijima is a must have album on your playlist. It traces on Africanism, the beauty of African music, love, loyalty, disappointments, the affection of a mother and it has several prayers to God, asking him to answer devotions as the human race is suffering.
Gijima, a song which won the title of the album is track number one. The rhythm of the song allows one to chew nostalgic bones and reminisce the old sound of Zimbabwean music.
If one listens closes, the song can be mistaken to that of Ilanga titled Shosholoza. Gijima’s thematic concerns boarders around a child who is far away from home, overseas perhaps just like Mamozi himself.
The lyrics of the song are crafted on a dream scenario, where Mamozi meets his mother in a dream and she encourages her son to “run” and come back home, since life is not moving according to plans on the end of his long-lost son.
Most dreadlocked creatives are said to be associated to Reggae or Dancehall music, and so is Mamozi.
On his song Fight featuring Bulawayo based female empress Mandie Mae and One Spirit Choir, the artistes dedicate the composition to fathers from all walks of life who work hard and tirelessly to feed their beloved families.
The piece also encourages bread winners to continue pushing and hustling to fend for their families, for one day favour will knock on their doors.
God is always watching on his flock and when one faces hard times in life, they kneel down and pray to the Almighty to save them from their hardships.
The song Im’thwalo is pregnant on issues that have to do with the hardships that people are facing in life.
Mamozi sings, “Umthwalo wami uyangisida (my burden is too heavy for me),” and he prays that God rescues him from the situation he is facing.
His situation and frustrations are further deferred to another song titled Skhathele which loosely translates to “we are tired.”
On this specific piece which also features songstress Ashleigh, Mamozi gets spiritual.
He opens his set with a biblical allusion in the form of the Lord’s prayer “Our Father Who Art In Heaven,” and his main worry is death.
It’s a fact, the catastrophic Covid 19 came and engulfed the world and harvested innocent souls.
Despite the world experiencing other pandemics and disasters that have led to lose of life, Covid 19 and lockdown experiences somehow touched and inspired Mamozi to pen this song.
There is a shift from God in the album.
Siyoyo is an Afro Pop album which has a fine tune of acoustic where Mamozi speaks of the dangers that lies behind the beauty of a woman.
He encourages men to be careful out there before they get heartbroken because of love. It’s a personal experience perhaps.
However, love is a beautiful thing and Mamozi can attest to that on his song Ndimakukondani, a Chichewa word which simple means “I love You.”
One the song, the former Iyasa front line dancer describes the combination of his name “MAMOZI.”
But, in this instance, he explains it on the aspect of searching for love from Malawi (MA)- a nation where his father comes from, to Mozambique (MO)- where is mother is from and finally in Zimbabwe (ZI)- where Mamozi was born and bred.
His past songs Ingoma featuring another former Iyasa dancer Futurelove and Wongo also made it to the Gijima album.
The album is available on YouTube and on most digital music platforms, take your time and listen to it.
