Born and raised in the dusty streets of Bulawayo, nothing seemed to hinder the burning desire of a man with an irresistible passion to go beyond the typical perception of pursuing his dreams. When preparation time collides with opportunity, destiny unveils. The musical journey of 30 year old Melusi Mgcini Nyathi a.k.a Maestro IV is not a tip toe into the garden of roses flowing with milk and honey, but a testament of endurance blended together with an unwavering spirit of resilience to project a scarred musical giant. Maestro IV uncovers the struggles of a distressed soul in his latest album called S.C.A.R.S which he released this past Friday.
Following the footsteps of his late father, a flawless old skull acoustic guitarist, MAESTRO IV dared to believe in himself by thoroughly working against all odds to unlock his musical gifting.
“My father used to play for a band , rehearsals would be done at home and that’s how I developed a musical ear at a tender age,” MAESTRO said.
Not only did he run with his fathers dream but he discovered himself in the darkest pits of life’s tribulations, a battlefield turned into a redemptive zone of self discovery. He expeditiously turned life’s lemons into lemonade and optimistically envisioned purpose in the storms of life.
Maestro IV released his debut solo album, TopJITA-Spaza Weekend, in 2015 which was trailed by his follow up album, TopJITA 2.0: Married to the game in 2016, which is a musical reflection of his devotion to the arts. He has stayed focused and relevant as proven by his recent album S.C.A.R.S, an ellipsis for struggle or a musical remedy to those going through life’s challenges.
“The album is basically a ghetto story of survival, I have been through a lot in my life to be where I am today. I represent the struggle, I am the voice of my people and this album is their story.”
Maestro taps into the darkest moments of a society in despair. His album is not just a reflection of challenges but the end light in the tunnel of life’s burning moments where one would almost feel like letting go. The rapper uncovers real life experiences in his music such as suicidal thoughts, pain,hardships, failures and weaknesses:
“building castles in the air, using muscle everyday, missing chances every year.. for the hustle man I pray” Such an moving predisposition.
Unlike his previous albums, S.C.A.R.S is by far his deepest, vulnerable and most narrative album which allows him to open up and leave his dirty laundry to air. The lyrical content of the album cuts to the heart leaving one emotionally hooked after a few listens with an easily relatable hook that gets stuck in the head like the continuous sound of a passing by aeroplane.
The lyrical content in the songs echoes an intense voice for the voiceless, a plea in the palms of desperation, a hope in a hopeless place and agony. In one of the tracks, titled a sinners interlude, Maestro bares the wounds of a bruised soul exposing the facets that come along with being human such as flaws and imperfections.
It is a courageous move when one steps out of their shell to share their life experiences without the worry of being judged or socially evaluated. Maestro’s music could be the best therapy and medicine for the broken spirit as proven by its emotional awakening . The production is quite remarkable with a rhythmic captivating song arrangement. His style of vocals is an intense wordplay combination of kwaito and old skul blended together to produce a stunningly astounding music cocktail.
Maestro has collaborated with P.O.Y, Sharky, Mbo Mahocs, Munetsi, Anonzi Xndr just to mention a few. Maestro IV describes himself as an optimistic dreamer driven by his passion to make music for the people.
“I find it quite encouraging when I see people get motivated through my music. Its not easy being an artist in this country but seeing my work being appreciated keeps me going,” he said.
The album S.C.A.R.S is a 19 track collection separated into side A, which is rather a lot more narrative and personal. The side B sound is more upbeat and less vulnerable.The album features tracks such as phusha phanda, dear Zimbabwe and rolling stone.
Maestro is quite optimistic about the future. He recently laid down his heartfelt desire to mentor upcoming artists from the streets with no musical guidance at all.
“I envision myself having more responsibilities in the future helping young artists in my community grow and making a real difference in the local music scene.”
Apart from being a rapper, Maestro is also a music producer and entrepreneur. He is the visionary of C.M.G (Chilaphonia Music Group).
