Bryan K - Maufaro Uchauya Album Review

Bryan K is one of those artists who knows how add that soulful touch to his music. He is also blessed with some superb vocal ability and couple that with some solid guitar playing skills you can easily see that he is quite a package. Given the skillset he possesses one may wonder why he is not as big as you may expect!!??, one big reason I believe stifles his growth is he has never managed to stick to one sound for long, he switches genres quite a lot. I got to know about him when he was largely doing Afro Jazz when he released the super lovely album Nyaya Dzerudo which has tracks such as Usasiyane Neni, Nyaya Dzerudo, Marunjeya. After that he started to move towards a more Afro beats inspired sound starting from the success of Heavy Machine and he stayed on that tip for a some years. He then started to slow it down again and revert to a more acoustic based soulful sound just before the announced his retirement from secular music. Currently he is only dong gospel music, quite a bold move, its an industry that seems easier, less stressful and more fulfilling from the outside but it has its own challenges, most you get to notice them once you enter the genre, so time will tell if this gets to be a good move for Bryan.

He has however managed to keep the soulfulness in his sound throughout all these changes and that soulful touch may give him a good chance to succeed as it also suits gospel music. He has released a couple of projects since he switched to gospel and the most successful ones featured artists from the secular side of music, something which makes his switch kind of ironic. Looking at the track-list for this new project, it seems that has changed, saw names I have never heard of, so it seems the switch is now complete.

After listening to the album quite a couple of times, will be sharing with you my thoughts on the album.

1. Ndoda

The opening track is Bryan K singing about his desire for the Lord to always be close to him. He appreciate the comfort, love and understanding he gets from the Lord and wants the to always dwell in his presence. The production is done well, soulful and lovely. 

2. Ohh Baba

On this track Bryan is asking for strength and guidance when life gets tough, when he feels lost in his life. The production is again well done, the vocals are spot on. 

3. Chiedza (ft Kuda Mpoperi)

Bryan is asking for light and clarity in his life, he wants the Lord to open his eyes so he can see where he needs to improve and correct so he gets on the right path. The vocals are superb, Bryan and Kuda complemented each other well,  

4. Ndimi Mwari

On this track Bryan is exalting the most high Lord, surrendering his life to him for he is Lord. Vocal work is solid.

5. Mufaro Uchauya

The title track is one of giving strength to those who feel as if they are losing or failing at life, Joy will come. Bryan is saying all the pain and crying shall pass, the Lord has promised us a fulfilling life full of joy so do not despise, it shall be well. 

6. Ndiripo (ft Sir Afro)

I am Here is what this track title means, the Lord is there to wipe away your tears, don't be weary when the road gets tough. Vocals are well done.

7. You Are God (ft SherZw)

Bryan is exalting the Lord on this track, he is praising the Lord who remains loving, caring all the times. The Lord is the same today tomorrow and next year, he will continue loving and caring to his people.

8. Take Control

On this track he is saying Lord take control, steer me into the correct path, I am ready to serve you fully.

9. Nyarara Kuchema (ft Chloe Runako)

The last track on the album is one that comforts all those who have cried for long, it simply says you can now stop crying. They are crying out unto the Lord to sent his Angels to watch over us. 

This album is a reflection of Bryan K's relationship with his Lord, you can feel his desire to be close to the Lord, his refuge and his strength. This is basically him crying out unto the Lord for comfort. The tracks are quite short and straight to the point, he went for the "few is more" when it came to writing songs on this album, by the time you reach the 1st minute where the first choruses are usually starting he would have sang the over 75% of all the lyrics on that track, afterwards its more vocals harmonies and keyboard work (that sometimes make the tracks feel longer than they are). 

The album has a soulful vibe throughout, it sometimes feel like one long song with mini breaks. We do not get the Guitar work that was so instrumental to his sound on thus album, its replace by the piano on this project. That switch gives the tracks that American gospel songs vibe and feel that you hear in Black American movies so those who love that sound will enjoy this album more. We did not just lose the guitar but also the bass. As I listened I kept waiting for that bass guitar and it never comes, maybe its a personal preference but a lot (nearly all) of successful gospel tracks in Zimbabwe pack some bass guitar work of some sort and its for a reason. 

The area where this project shines the most is the vocals, Bryan K was superb on the vocals. Even the features all excelled, he picked well. As you listen the album ends up being more an exhibition of vocal ability more than anything else, you sometimes forget about the themes of the track you are listening to as you get serenaded/distracted by the vocals harmonies of Bryan K and the featured artists. 

To conclude this is a commendable project from Bryan K, the tracks sound lovely but for me its the American sounding style and sometimes overboard vocal antics that let it down for me. The simplicity in the lyrics was a big win but as a package this sort of is a niche project, those who love American soulful gospel music will love this one, but the majority of Zimbos who love bouncy bass guitar at the foundation of our gospel music this project will not be adequate. It seems Bryan is again still trying out the sound that works for him best as he pursues gospel and that means more changes to his sound in the future, the one thing that i feel is stopping him from becoming a more dominant artists in the industry.

My Overall Rating: 6/10

For those who have managed to listen to the album feel free to share your thoughts!!1

Proud_Zimbo