Viomak releases freedom songs album for Mugabe's Birthday

Supreme leader: President Robert Mugabe

Combative protest musician, Viomak has released an 8-track hot protest album titled, Happy 86th Birthday President R.G Matibili (Supreme Leader)

The album takes a swipe at President Robert Mugabe's nearly three decades of an iron- fisted rule in Zimbabwe. The musician who is the only active female protest artist, will officially launch the album tomorrow to coincide with Mugabe's birthday.

The new delivery clearly showing that the artist has come of age due to fusion of an array of traditional instruments and African drums becomes the sixth Mugabe protest album, since 2005 when Viomak then based in Canada burst onto the musical scene in Zimbabwe, becoming a new voice of artistic activism against misrule, corruption, and human rights abuses blamed on Mugabe and his Zanu PF party. Viomak has not stopped her fight of breaking the political dictatorship in Zimbabwe, which for a moment appeared to face a dead end following the formation of an inclusive government with the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) a year ago, but is increasingly becoming resurgent amid a deadlock on inter-party talks in the tripatite administration.

Other musicians who are in the protest genre, such as Thomas Mapfumo, Leonard Zhakata and lately Tongai Moyo have been keeping a low profile prefering to take their defiant messages direct to their fans at shows. Their music together with that of Viomak is banned on national radio. Only songs without political salvos from Zhakata and Moyo get minimal airplay.

Happy Birthday President R.G Matibili (Supreme Leader) contains songs with the following titles: 1.Supreme leader; 2.Usiku hwekutambisa; 3.Mbiri (Viomak's favourite); 4.Hapana mutsvene; 5.Mhosva; 6.Vakadyei; 7.Yapidiguka and 8.Uchaisepi.

All the songs each carry a powerful message, but listeners will probably fall in love with the title track Supreme Leader and Yapinduka.

Supreme Leader decries how Zimbabweans are living like people serving time, without commiting crime. It opens with the following shona lyrics: "Zvotopika jeri tisina mhaka, mhosva yacho ndeyeyiko mwari woye. Zvotopika jeri tisina mhaka, mhosva yacho ndeyeyiko baba woye. Guruvha rotonge nyika baba, gororo rotongenyika baba, koronyera rotongenyika baba." (We are being sentenced to jail without an offense, what's the crime dear God. We are being sentenced to jail without offense, what's the crime dear Father. A thief and a crook is now ruling the country.) 

Yapidikuga bemoans the draconian legislation in the country, in particular POSA and AIPPA, which infringe on freedom of assembly and press freedom among other things.

According to the artist's website www.viomakcharitymusic.com: " Viomak's musical interest started in 1977 at a primary school in Mutare.She was in the school choir which comprised of twelve students and her main part was alto.Since that time she developed a liking for choral music which has influenced her type of music to date.Her parents sang in the school choir as well and church choir."

Mugabe's 86th birthday will be celebrated overnight on 26 February, and will feature a musical gala starring local and international musicians. The fiesta for the octogenarian leader is set for Bulawayo and is being organised by Anywhere Mutambudzi, a retired army major who is an official with the information ministry.