Story by Rashid Mhlanga
Music is an incredible gift to mankind! It is a peculiar language that is used all over the world, hence it is called a universal language! Some have even went on to call it, organised noise!It soothes, comforts, ministers, inspires, motivates, heals & influences depending on how, when and why it is used. Since time immemorial, there has been different types of genres, sounds and rhythms created for ceremonies, rituals, religious ceremonies, entertainment, worship and many other activities. There are people who are credited with harnessing the lyrics, rhythms & sounds, and such individuals are called producers. Turning ideas, tunes into something magical. They have a foresight of what each song will be sounding like when the audience hears it via the speaker in concert hall or earphones or in someone`s car driving on a highway. In a space which has graced the prolific, unmatched talents and remarkable international brands such as Dr. Dre, Isaac Chirwa, Lindelani Mkhize, Bothwell Nyamhondera, Mr. Brown and many others, there is one interesting trait. Uniqueness! Each one bringing their extraordinary flair, creating their own signature thereby engraving their legacies in people`s hearts & minds forever.
Zimbabwe is blessed to have brilliant producers who have graced some of the countries in the world. One particular fellow is Brighton Mugombi Chirumbwana a.k.a BMC. The Masvingo born superstar is quite a character, he is endowed with humility, charisma, intelligence and a great sense of humour. “I was born on Monday 8 May 1995 at 5pm, and I know I didn`t cry much because I was happy to be alive (he chuckles). I am so glad that I am here on this earth for a purposeful assignment”, he said.
BMC`s music journey started in Grade 2 singing in the school choir and he enjoyed playing the percussion instruments. He was a class 1 motor mechanic before he ventured into the world of music. “I was working as a mechanic and I saw an advert stating that ‘a producer was needed’, and so I left my paying job to join a studio which had no salary of any sort at that time. After some months that is when I began earning a little bit of some money, nothing to really brag about”, he said.
He began music production in 2015 after having learnt howplaying instruments, he had so many ideas & melodies that he needed to use on songs. “It`s a good feeling when I am in the producer`s chair creating music & experimenting with a plethora of ideas, some of which seemingly crazy or silly in the eyes of other people. Despite the lighter side of it all, being a producer is not an easy task for I have to make sound & hard judgemental calls on other aspects related to music”, he said. The versatile production guru has worked with various artists on hundreds of projects and they include Jah Angel, Papa Mido, Insimbi ZeZhwane, Jays Marabini, Mother Suzanna, Bongie Sibanda, and Simbarashe Mutukudzi. “Dealing with artists proves to be challenge at times & as a producer I have to be open minded to suggestions, line of thought and be accommodative whilst remaining principled”, he said.
BMC appreciates traditional Zimbabwean music since childhood for he reckons that it is a rich part of the country`s heritage. “I love traditional music by the late greats Stella Chiweshe, Chiwoniso Maraire because their identical sound rich with mbira, marimba and hosho. I also admire how proud they would tour the world singing in our native languages and attire, showcasing to the world a portion of arts in this Southern African nation which some of the younger generation of artists need to embrace”, he said. He added that ‘The Elder generation of musicians’ set unprecedented levels in music & there`s need for us to emulate their work ethics. “Our music elders set standards in regards to eloquently writing, recording, engineering, producing, marketing & touring the world with their music. They surely took their time crafting timeless music showing generations to come what needs to be done and so, we do have a lot of work to do in order to bring out the best & shun plagiarism at all costs!”
Artists, just like any other careers, they do have other limitation to resources thereby forcing them to bring out half-baked or senseless projects. These resources range from limited funds for studio time, lack of creativity & poor planning. The down side of music production in this era is that there are too many shortcuts because of constrained budgets and being eager to create a name for themselves at the expense of principles, reputation and true love for the universal language.
Currently, BMC is working on albums for Albinism Connect Band, Papa Mido and Simbarashe Mutukudzi. “Those three albums are nearing completion and I have a mixed bag of singles that Play-On Studios will be releasing in due course, including the Tonga Riddim which will see artists from Binga promoting their language through the Zimdance-hall genre. I am also set to drop an album this coming December, so I am also taking time to put some touch-ups on and roping in some good artists as well”, he said.
Wellington Chaerekera commended the vibrant works of BMC. “He is one of the finest producers that have in the country who has enormously contributed to the music industry in a marvellous way. Seh Shego acknowledged the impartation the producer has had in the lives of many rising stars. “Many have come from Tsholotsho, Filabusi, Plumtree, Lupane, Gwanda etc. with just an idea of what they want in music but had no clue on recording let alone singing, but BMC has been taking people through all the steps of music to ensure quality jams are released. This is why you will never have crap produced at Play-On Studios”, he said.
Unlike his soft nature, BMC like to unwind from the music business with watching wrestling. “Ever since my childhood I appreciated wrestling, comedies and wildlife programs as a form of entertainment. I love the outdoors too, enjoying the serene environment, game drives and barbecue braai for it re-energises me & re-juvinates my creative juices”, he said. “I would love to visit Scotland one day”, he added. Quizzed about which big artist that he would like to produce a song for, he smiled and said, “Aleck Macheso!”
BMC said that there is need for record labels across Zimbabwe to aggression marketing music. “We need studios to have different personnel for a number of duties such as song-writing, vocal coach, managing the artist, marketing & promotion, managing tours, and PR handlers. Trends are evolving and we cannot afford lag behind because we profess ignorance so, we need to create dedicated teams to have Zimbabwean music from every corner being accessible to the world”, he said. He implored producers to continue upholding great standards when recording artists. “Let us consider maintaining a good name when executing our duties rather than focusing on having a fat pocket for a good name is better than riches. Let us shun sexual exploitation, immoral activities and also complement one another in this wonderful industry of ours”, he said.
There`s more to this wiz in music as he has set his eyes on greater heights to leave a lasting impression onto the world by balancing and equalising vocals, music, talent and passion.Tweaking potential, ideas, keys and goals to render quality masterpieces. The huge amount of hard-work & dedication is an indicator on its own indeed, he is determined to do greater exploits in the music because truly, he is producer extraordinaire!
