As a sure sign of their growing maturity in the music industry, talented Afro-Soul/Jazz band Pronix and Harmonic Rhythms have engaged the services of a manager albeit a lady in the mould of one Primrose Takavada (PT).
AM Kudita
Does a family background that includes the likes of Harare dancehall chanters Benjy T and Ricky Fire (her cousins) and an uncle who used to play guitar for Zexie Manatsa’s Green Arrows back in the day, adequately qualify her for this new role? Will Takavada’s experiences in helping to organise and promote shows for groups such as Conquerors 7 and Vocal Ex prove instrumental in taking the group to platforms that they have not been able to take themselves to?
Southern Eye (SE) sat down with Ms Primrose Takavada to establish the facts about her foray into the cut-throat showbiz industry.
She is not alone however, as Jah Prayzah, the rising popular artiste and National Arts Merit Awards favourite has a lady manager popular known as Amai Filda.
SE: How did this arrangement come to pass? PT: I just recently started working with them. They are just a bunch of young guys who love what they are doing and who have got so much passion for music. Fine they used to hear about functions that I have done and they approached me saying they want me to help them here and there. Later they discovered that I could be able to manage them, like drive them. As you know every car needs a driver. Without a driver a car can’t move. So they reached an agreement as a group that I should manage them and I have enjoyed working with them.
SE: So this is an exclusive arrangement?
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PT: What do you mean exclusive arrangement?
SE: Like other people can’t find work for them? PT: If you want a show with Mtukudzi, you don’t go directly to him; you go talk to his manager Sam Mataure. Anyone who wants to work with them talks to me. That’s professional. SE: So are you signed or it’s all verbal? PT: Everything we do is on paper. We don’t do things that are not on paper. If you want them for a show, they don’t go on stage before you pay us all our money. That is a very important question because artistes tend to be volatile and there all kinds of people who promise artistes many things.
SE: How long have you worked with them and others?
PT: I have always known them, they are my youngsters. They are the kind of guys who can play anything, but they do mainly Afro Soul/jazz.
SE: But one critique about the group is that they need to move on stage and include choreography. They are young. Can’t they dance?
PT: They are onto it. But you need to realise that their music is Afro soul/jazz and so for instance Chioniso Maraire would play mbira sitting down only dancing on occasion. SE: But mbira is different.
PT: Yes, the group is working on some stuff and some up-tempo stuff as well.
SE: What gives you the nerve to want to do this?
PT: I come from a musical family which includes an uncle who used to play for Zexie Manatsa and cousins Benjy T and Ricky Fire who are dancehall artistes! And apart from being a singer myself from childhood, my parents sing in the Salvation Army church.
I have also worked with accapella guys Conquerors 7 (doing logistics, marketing and sponsorship), Cream Voices and Vocal Ex. I haven’t stopped working with them and I will still work with them if they need me. But I wanted a group I could work with more permanently as a manager.
SE: What’s your cut?
PT: That is confidential. That’s my secret. We are at work and whatever we agree on is what I get.
From our observations, as regards local artistes, their product is ready for the world. What is begging is the availability of talent brokers and managers to take them to the next level. No matter how talented an artiste is, a division of labour within their creative enterprises augurs well for success.
The Beatles had Brian Epstein for manager who guided them into the pantheons of popular music lore as the biggest selling band of all time. Whether Takavada will succeed in her endeavour with Pronix and Harmonic Rhythmns in the same way Debbie Metcalfe took Tuku to the world markets is for the future to unravel.
But one thing for sure is this: Tuku is definitely one of very few artistes who will leave something for his children when he passes on and a lot of his success is not down merely to his gift, but to a savvy manager’s efforts!
Pronix and Harmonic Rhythms is made up of a core comprising Prosper Ndebele (aka Pronix) on lead vocals and song writing, Nkosi Sibanda on keyboards and Lungile Ndlovu on drums.
They are among an elite group of very gifted young artistes native to Bulawayo who can hold their own against any of the world’s current crop of top selling artistes such as P-Square, Usher and John Legend.
These local boys are that good!
