Peter Moyo & Utakataka Express - Mwana Wemurozvi Album Review

Peter Moyo against all the odds and challenges continues to push his fathers legacy and at the same working to prove that he can be his own man. He has been gathering a sort of cult following at his live performances, with some arguing he is one of the best when it comes to stage-work (am yet to attend his show so I'll confirm once I have attended one of his live shows). Reviewed his last album Mopao Makonzi and in summary "the instrumental arrangements were good, his late fathers would have been proud of them however the vocals were still not polished enough". Going into this album will be mostly looking forward to hear how much his vocals have improved and also does he manage to maintain the level of instrumental arrangement he showed on his last album or even exceed them.

The new crop of sungura artists have made the genre extremely competitive, Peter may have a starting advantage because of his father but that alone won't be enough, he will need to back it up with some solid music. Over the past couple of months have been listening to various sungura artists (Romeo Gasa, Simon Mutambi, Mark Ngwazi, Howard Pinjisi, Tatenda Pinjisi, Senator Tichareva, Gaylord Hamura, Lucky Kumene..etc) and I can confirm that Peter has some serious competition. He has to deliver something really special is he is to be mentioned among the top sungura acts in the nation and he needs even more magic if he to be a sungura giant like his father. So have given myself time to listen to the album and below will be sharing my views and thoughts on the album below.

As usual will be doing a track by track review:

1. VaMoyo

The first track is Peter urging his friend to take the next step in his and her lives. The instrumental is arranged very well, Peter has really stepped up his game when it comes to arrangements and he is keeping it in line with his late father's sound and vibe. The vocals still need some work, they are not as smooth as the instrumental, the vocal layout is good but the execution still leaves a lot to be desired.

2. Shuviro

The tracks starts very well, love the arrangement and feel of the track. It gets you bumping your head in no time, the guitars blend well. The lovely feel is greatly interrupted by the not so smooth vocals, the below par vocal mastering does not help either. Ironically on the track he mentions what people say about his vocals, which in a way can make one feel bad but then again the vocals are not that good either so you won't really feel bad. As consolation the vocals slightly improve as the track goes, its funny that on the parts where he is talking he sounds good and  blends well with the instrumental. The instrumental is however arranged well and sounds good, the guitars are on point as on all the track on this project. 

3. Mutadzi
From the onset one will unmistakably know that this is a Dhewa song, like the song that follows Murozvi, its the signature Dhewa sound. The instrumental is well done, love the arrangement, the guys on the guitars; lead, rhythm and bass (Spencer) are doing a superb job. The vocals are a bit better on this track, they still sound hoarse but for once I did not flinch when he started singing. Peter sounds a bit comfortable on this track, maybe its the fantastic instrumental that gives him some courage. On the track is admitting that he is a sinner and is asking for forgiveness from the Almighty, for if the Lord forsakes him he will perish.

4. Murozvi
This track has the superb intro, the guitars are arranged well in the intro, it has that distinct Dhewa signature sound. The instrumental arrangement in overall is well done, the best on the project, loved lead guitar progressions, the supportive and not obtrusive rhythm and supporting sumptuous bass guitar. The vocals like on the track before Mutadzi are not as poor but again they are not that there yet, Peter doesn't sound comfortable in his voice yet, the chanter sounded much better, relaxed and comfortable with his vocals than Peter himself.

5. Munamato
They switched to a more relaxed type of instrumental arrangement, they spiced it up with some lovely jazz elements and the fusion works. They switch up the tempo after about a third of the track but keep the lovely sounding vibe, in overall the instrumental sounds good.  As is now normal the complaints start when we get to the vocals, Peter sounds as if he is forcing his vocals. Interestingly when he is talking mentioning soccer player names he sounds relaxed, everything starts going the wrong direction when he starts singing.

6. Domestic Violence
On this track they upped the tempo and sprinkled some Jit elements into the instrumental arrangement and the fusion works, the instrumental is quite okay, my least favourite of the whole project. However as is the norm throughout the album, the vocals again are the weakest part of the track. On the track Peter however addresses a serious issue of Domestic Violence but that does not save the track from the weak vocals.

So ya that's it for the album Mwana Wemurozvi and like his last album the vocals let down the album in a big way. As compared to his last album this one I feel is slightly better, just slightly. However the problems I raised about the last project still remain on this album; the vocals.

Now to answer the major questions I had going into the album; have the vocals improved??. NO. On most of the track such as VaMoyo, Murozvi, Mutadzi...etc you can hear that he is working hard and is showing some improvement but he is still not there yet, following his father's voice seems not to be working for him and I feel it's now time for him to change into the voice he is comfortable with. Peter doesn't necessarily have to sound like his father, look at Sulu, you can clearly pick that he is a Chimbetu but he does not sound like his father, yes he borrows the chanting from his father but he has his own sound which many can pick without mistaking him for his father.

The other question is; will the instrumentals live up to those from his last album and the answer is YES. The band he inherited from his father is still in top form you can pick that from tracks such as Mutadzi, Munamato, Murozvi, that the instrumentalists are raring to go and can stand up to any sungura band in the industry. Spencer on the bass is still doing wonders. I have no fault in the instrumentals except on Domestic Violence, the Jit fusion did not compare to the previous instrumentals.

In overall this ends up being an average project, yes Peter Moyo loyalists will defend him but truthfully he cannot compare to the competition, that may change once he deals with his vocals. Have enjoyed a number of instrumental arrangements but that alone cannot make me a fan of this project. The shoes he has to fill are big and he needs to return to the drawing board and try again. If you are not a Young Igwe loyalist, I cannot recommend this project to you, keep listening to his late father if you looking for this type of Sungura.

My Overall Rating is: 4.5/10

For those who have managed to listen to the album, feel free to share your thought on the album.

Proud_Zimbo