His new track hammers on a widely spread Zimbabwean culture of failing to appreciate the living. Saying, "You don't know what you got till it's gone".
Like all performing artists, who struggled to keep still during the Covid 19 Lockdown restrictions. Itchy and restless, not knowing when they would be able to be on the road again, Zivanai took to his basement and created music that would lift up the souls of many who were now spending more of their time online looking for widely needed forms of entertainment.
When he started, his main aim was to showcase how the country's music is created. How the guitars, drums, hosho and keyboards are placed to make this unique sound stand out. After one video, he started to receive a large number of requests to do more and since then he hasn't stopped. He is the bright and early wake up call on a Monday morning that filters through your facebook wall with the familiar basement backdrop many have now come to know.
We have seen him on his Ibanez guitar, bass guitar, congos, rattles, mbira, marimba and trumpet. In many of his videos, he is the sole actor and that has captivated those who have subscribed to his channel. Very few artists have the ability to move from one instrument to the other and even go further as to mix and master these productions and yet he does effortlessly.
The reason as to why he can do all this is because Zivi (as he is popularly known to friends) is a sound engineer. It is this understanding of the music in many aspects that has led him to become a largely "one-man band" act during the pandemic.
"I do work with other artists on these productions, I have done more collaborations on these covers with a pianist called Sydney Dzangare because I am not a natural keyboard player" He said humbly. "Whenever I feel I am not really doing an instrument my best, I call upi a friend or two to help"
He lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife Hellen and dog, Zaya. All the material he has produced for online consumption has been done together with hi wife who is a photographer. Together as a team, they have been able to convert their love for music, a basement and the pandemic into something that will forever be etched in Zimbabwean history.
And now, he has released a brand new original song called "Sando" in which he says was inspired by the recent death of Soul Jah Love and also events within a society that is largely centred on "One-uping" each other. He said that people are always looking at getting ahead of the other and so they fail to even congratulate others when they do good.
This lack or "respect" or "praise" is what he bemoans in the song and wishes that people begin to appreciate the value of loved ones when they are still alive and before it is too late to get them back to the land of the living.
And true to his modus operandi, this new track was produced and filmed in his basement.
One of his huge inspirations, Thomas Mapfumo endorsed the track saying it was of "international standard" and that he says, meant a lot to him.
Having played with a lot of musician such as Oliver Mtukudzi and gospel musician Ivy Kombo, Zivanai has come full circle and promises to showcase more of his projects with the world in the near future from his personal works and that of a group called "Zimbira" which he plays with consisting of a few students and lovers of Zimbabwean cultural music.
He has managed to use his time well during a tough time for many people around the world. Using music as an outlet and as a somewhat family time with his partner who I think deserves an applause on becoming the well sort after ancillary service to his music. And in the true spirit of his new song, we shall give her the praise she deserves now and not later. Well done.
We spoke at length about many other things, listen here to find out more.
