Album Review: Peter Moyo - Mopao Makonzi

Peter Moyo has had a tough stay in the music business, filling the shoes left by his father proved to be a massive challenge for the Young Igwe. He however keeps on going hoping to move out of his fathers shadow and become his own man. Personally Peter's music has failed to capture my attention for some time now and had low expectations on the album. Regardless I got a copy of his latest album and got to listening and today will be giving you my views and thoughts on the album.

Like always will be doing a track by track review of the album.

1. Mweya Mutsvene

The intro on the track is more of a declaration of how the Young Igwe has grown and in a way makes you hyped of whats to come. The instrumental starts in a way that definitely reminds you of the late iconic Dhewa, the layout of the instrumentals is done well and it's sounding very good. The vocals on the other hand are not good, he is straining himself for the larger parts, he gets a tad better on the verses but in overall the vocals are poor, however that chanter part towards the end is done quite well. On this track Peter is highlighting the importance on the Holy Spirit in one's life. In the end however the instrumental makes up for Peter's not so polished vocals and saves the track.

2. Musara Pavana

The intro in a way reminds me of Wemakonzo by legendary artist Alick Macheso. The overall instrumental is arranged quite well and is sounding good, Peter has really stepped up his game in the instrumental department. Peter's vocals are better on this track but you can still hear that he is still straining his vocals on some parts. Fortunately like the track above the instrumental is structured well so its easy to overlook the vocals and just enjoy the instrumental. On this track Peter is urging people not to stop caring for children when they lose their guardians. Some people will even cut all communications with their niece's, nephew's, granddaughter's or grandson's the moment their parents are deceased. Peter is advocating for people to love orphans and look after them.

3. Kurera Haisinyore

From the onset I felt that this track borrows or was inspired by Leonard Dembo's classic jam Musha Rudziiko, there are some similarities in the structure and overall feel (especially the first quarter of the track) despite not being as smooth as the Dembo jam. The instrumental arrangement is done quite well. The vocal department was a hit an miss on this track, layout and structure is good but Peter was struggling on the vocals. On this track Peter is highlighting the hardships of raising a child or children. 

4. Baba naMai

The lovely instrumental ushers you into the track and its well structured, it has those Dembo elements that made Dhewa a household name, that enchanting continuous lead guitar loop coupled with a repetitive and supportive bass guitar loop. Then like his father he added a number of variations to the instrumentals to make the track more energetic and obviously a rhumba influenced part towards the end as the icing on the cake. Great work by the band. Peter's vocals are much better on this song, mostly because he did not try to hit the high pitches, he stayed in his normal range and that's all he needs to do till he can manage to hit the high pitches without straining himself. The track is urging people to always take care of their parents, he is urging children not to be selfish but also consider where they came from and create a better life for their families. I'm loving this jam.

5. Mudiwa Wangu

This track maintains the lovely vibe from the above track, its arranged well and is sounding good. The guitar work from 03:38-04:38 is superb... noooo in overall the guitar work on this track is sublime, Love it. The vocals are okay but I feel he needs to play to his strengths like on the track above, Peter needs to stay away from high pitches, his voice is not so good whenever he tries to hit the higher pitches. Fortunately the guitar work is just too good for one to even notice the not so good high pitched parts. On this track Peter is singing about the importance of having someone who cares for you, that person who is concerned about your well being and wishes the best for you at any time. Again I love the guitar work on this track. 

6. Kurera Haisi Nyore feat Andy Muridzo

This is a remix of the similar titled track above. The instrumental was not changed , the only change was the addition of Andy Muridzo. You can clearly hear how Peter's vocals still need some work when Andy Muridzo starts singing, there is a huge difference in terms of vocal control and mastering. Andy has found his voice and he is composed, not straining himself and way smoother than Peter. This is better than the original one mostly due to Andy Muridzo.

7. Muridzi Weupenyu feat Trymore Banda & Edmore Sibanda.

From the onset one will get that Mathias Mhere vibe going on, the track strays away from the sound one would expect from the Young Igwe. The song is so detached from the album instrumental wise, it has a different feel and will be skipped by a lot of people. As a standalone song its actually a good song and will get some mileage pitted against similar gospel tracks but in the context and feel of the album it falls short, it disturbs the vibe. On this track they are giving all the praises to the Almighty, the giver of life. The vocal performances are well done, Edmore and Trymore did a superb job on their parts, I don't even know if Peter is part of the song...

Stream some of the track below:

In overall this is a well made album and it managed to surpass nearly all my expectations except on Peter's vocals. Peter still needs to work on his vocals, he should avoid high pitches for now and stick to his normal voice like what he did on Musara Pavana. Regardless of my disappointment by Peter's vocals, the instrumentals are just well made and rescue the whole album. I'm a sucker for good guitar work and the guitar work throughout the album is well done, with Mudiwa Wangu being the best of the lot. Peter has improved a lot when it comes to the instrumental and once he polishes his vocals he will definitely shoot to the top.

My favourite track is between Mudiwa Wangu and Baba naMai, cant seem to chose between those two.
My overall rating: A, B, C, Poor.

What are your thought on the album??

Proud_Zimbo