Victor Kunonga - Ndatsva Album Review
Its been a superb couple of weeks for me, two albums I have been waiting for all dropped. First it was Alexio's Oyi and now Victor Kunonga's Ndatsva. Am definitely spoiled for choice. Victor has been hinting of this project for some time and he has finally delivered. He is one of the best Afro jazz/Afro fusion artists we have in Zim, he has been in the game for years and has delivered some super relaxing and amazing jams over time. He does not have a loud personality, he loves to let his music do the speaking for him and has a loads of fans all over the nation.
This new album is a follow up to Kwedu an album I LOVED to bits. On Kwedu Victor fully branched out into the Afro fusion genre, he evolved from the mellow calming sound on his past albums (Uyo, Such is Life & Handinete) and I loved it. From then was waiting to see how he was gonna further develop his sound. The album is now here, have got my copy and will be sharing with you my thoughts and views on the album.
As usual will be doing a track by track review of the album.
1. I Love You
The first track on the album is Victor dedication to his wife, he is declaring love to her and testifying that she was truly made for him. Love the production of this track, the instrumental arrangement is on point. From the lovely drum that welcome you to the track, then the acoustic guitar, then the bass guitar, its all done superbly well. The vocals are also well arranged, they complement the instrumental well creating a satisfying vibe.
2. Dada
Victor on this track is urging people to be proud of who they are, their culture and where they are from. You must always be an ambassador of your culture wherever you are. The production is done superbly well, love the arrangement of the instruments, the bass guitar led the track well, lead guitar and drums are all on point. The track has energy and I love it, the vocals also add and complement that energy. Victor and the backing vocals are all on point.
3. Mirira
On this track they are saying be patient, your time will come. This is now the staple message many Zimbos are telling each other to get by these trying times we are in. The track is produced well, the instrumentals are arranged well, love the work by the bass guitarist. The vocals are done well, love the vocals of the lady who provided the lead vocals on this track, am not sure who she is, it was not specified on the track-list regardless she did a lovely job. Victor entered the frame in the last part of the track and complemented the lead vocals superbly well.
4. Masithandeni
Victor is preaching peace and love on this track, he is advocating for people to have love for one another. This is a fitting message specially in these tense times we are in, despite our political differences we should all show love to one another. The production is done quite well, the bass gave the track a solid foundation, great work by the bass guitarist. Victor was his usual self on the vocals, the backing vocals were on point.
5. Ipa Kutenda
On this track Victor is saying we must give thanks unto the Lord for it is by his grace that we are alive and have what we have. Love the guitar work on the track, it captivates you from the onset and serenades you till the end. The overall arrangement is done well, both for the vocals and instrumentals.
6. Ndatsva
This track was released released about two years back to members in Victor Kunonga WhatsApp groups and that is when I first got to listen to the track. The release then was not as polished as this final cut, and those parts in Ndebele were not present then, there are also some modification in the instrumentation and that fire fire part has gotten more polished. The track urges people to learn from their mistakes, if one does not learn from their mistakes they will get into serious troubles. The production is well done, the track has a lovely relaxed feel which has some reggae elements to it. Victor delivered his signature performance in the vocals, blending with the instrumental very well.
7. Vanochema Musango
This is a prayer by Victor for those who spend nights crying in the forest and mountains to be granted what they desire. The production is meant to invoke the inner spirit, the overlaying vocals and arrangement of instrumentals all add to that mystic vibe they were going for on this track.
8. Zvinodhaka
On this track Victor is crying out that his love for beer is eating up all his money, he does not know what to do. Beer drinkers will all understand this predicament as its not as easy as that to just leave beer, for some it provides a moment of escape from reality and allows the mind necessary rest before carrying on. The production is superbly done, love the guitar work, its on point. Victor was also solid on the vocals.
9 Uyo
Have heard this track before, am not sure if it was a video clip of Victor performing live or it was during his Gava Restaurant performances. Regardless the track still sounds superb, the track is an instrumental. Victor is showcasing his prowess on the guitars. The production is done very well, love arrangement of the instruments, its one of those tracks that you can just leave on repeat and soak in the lovely mix of instrumentals.
10. Uyo Zvavahera
This track transports me into another world, the super lovely instrumentals, the superb guitar work and fitting vocals, eish, it transports me into another galaxy. Loving this track, its as perfect as they come.
11. Tsika
Victor on this track addresses the issue of may young people who go for education all over the globe and when they return they would have lost all their identity and culture. They return with degrees and a lost identity. The production is well done, the instrumental arrangement is quite intriguing. The track can be described as Afro fusion, it makes use of African instruments which are structured in a non orthodox way.
12. Tine Tariro
Victor carried the un orthodox afro fusion sound on the chorus of this track. Such an arrangement creates some unpredictable element which makes the track refreshing to listen to. This is not a sound for everyone but those who get it will love it to bits, and I'm part of the latter. The track is about hope, its takes its message from Psalms 121v1 verse in the bible that says my help comes from above. He is then saying lets work with the hope that the help you need is coming, do not lose hope. The overall production is well done and the tracks sounds nice. The vocals complement the mood and sound very well also.
13. Chengeta
They continued on the vibe that has been dominant on the past two tracks, creating a seeming mismatch structure which sounds uniquely good the more you listen. Again it not everyone's cup of tea but those who like this sound will enjoy the track. The production is well done, the instrumental arrangement is good. Victor always deliver superb good guitar work on his tracks and this one has some lovely guitar work laced all over it. On the track Victor is saying you should cherish and keep all that is good in your life, good words, good friend..etc. We all need to surround ourselves with stuff and people that give us positive energy all the time.
14. Sunshine City
The last track on the album is on a reggae tip. The track is dedicated to Harare the Sunshine City, or what was once known as the Sunshine City. The production is done well, the arrangement of the instruments is also done well.
Stream the album: Ndatsva On Spotify
The first track on the album is Victor dedication to his wife, he is declaring love to her and testifying that she was truly made for him. Love the production of this track, the instrumental arrangement is on point. From the lovely drum that welcome you to the track, then the acoustic guitar, then the bass guitar, its all done superbly well. The vocals are also well arranged, they complement the instrumental well creating a satisfying vibe.
2. Dada
Victor on this track is urging people to be proud of who they are, their culture and where they are from. You must always be an ambassador of your culture wherever you are. The production is done superbly well, love the arrangement of the instruments, the bass guitar led the track well, lead guitar and drums are all on point. The track has energy and I love it, the vocals also add and complement that energy. Victor and the backing vocals are all on point.
3. Mirira
On this track they are saying be patient, your time will come. This is now the staple message many Zimbos are telling each other to get by these trying times we are in. The track is produced well, the instrumentals are arranged well, love the work by the bass guitarist. The vocals are done well, love the vocals of the lady who provided the lead vocals on this track, am not sure who she is, it was not specified on the track-list regardless she did a lovely job. Victor entered the frame in the last part of the track and complemented the lead vocals superbly well.
4. Masithandeni
Victor is preaching peace and love on this track, he is advocating for people to have love for one another. This is a fitting message specially in these tense times we are in, despite our political differences we should all show love to one another. The production is done quite well, the bass gave the track a solid foundation, great work by the bass guitarist. Victor was his usual self on the vocals, the backing vocals were on point.
5. Ipa Kutenda
On this track Victor is saying we must give thanks unto the Lord for it is by his grace that we are alive and have what we have. Love the guitar work on the track, it captivates you from the onset and serenades you till the end. The overall arrangement is done well, both for the vocals and instrumentals.
6. Ndatsva
This track was released released about two years back to members in Victor Kunonga WhatsApp groups and that is when I first got to listen to the track. The release then was not as polished as this final cut, and those parts in Ndebele were not present then, there are also some modification in the instrumentation and that fire fire part has gotten more polished. The track urges people to learn from their mistakes, if one does not learn from their mistakes they will get into serious troubles. The production is well done, the track has a lovely relaxed feel which has some reggae elements to it. Victor delivered his signature performance in the vocals, blending with the instrumental very well.
7. Vanochema Musango
This is a prayer by Victor for those who spend nights crying in the forest and mountains to be granted what they desire. The production is meant to invoke the inner spirit, the overlaying vocals and arrangement of instrumentals all add to that mystic vibe they were going for on this track.
8. Zvinodhaka
On this track Victor is crying out that his love for beer is eating up all his money, he does not know what to do. Beer drinkers will all understand this predicament as its not as easy as that to just leave beer, for some it provides a moment of escape from reality and allows the mind necessary rest before carrying on. The production is superbly done, love the guitar work, its on point. Victor was also solid on the vocals.
9 Uyo
Have heard this track before, am not sure if it was a video clip of Victor performing live or it was during his Gava Restaurant performances. Regardless the track still sounds superb, the track is an instrumental. Victor is showcasing his prowess on the guitars. The production is done very well, love arrangement of the instruments, its one of those tracks that you can just leave on repeat and soak in the lovely mix of instrumentals.
10. Uyo Zvavahera
This track transports me into another world, the super lovely instrumentals, the superb guitar work and fitting vocals, eish, it transports me into another galaxy. Loving this track, its as perfect as they come.
11. Tsika
Victor on this track addresses the issue of may young people who go for education all over the globe and when they return they would have lost all their identity and culture. They return with degrees and a lost identity. The production is well done, the instrumental arrangement is quite intriguing. The track can be described as Afro fusion, it makes use of African instruments which are structured in a non orthodox way.
12. Tine Tariro
Victor carried the un orthodox afro fusion sound on the chorus of this track. Such an arrangement creates some unpredictable element which makes the track refreshing to listen to. This is not a sound for everyone but those who get it will love it to bits, and I'm part of the latter. The track is about hope, its takes its message from Psalms 121v1 verse in the bible that says my help comes from above. He is then saying lets work with the hope that the help you need is coming, do not lose hope. The overall production is well done and the tracks sounds nice. The vocals complement the mood and sound very well also.
13. Chengeta
They continued on the vibe that has been dominant on the past two tracks, creating a seeming mismatch structure which sounds uniquely good the more you listen. Again it not everyone's cup of tea but those who like this sound will enjoy the track. The production is well done, the instrumental arrangement is good. Victor always deliver superb good guitar work on his tracks and this one has some lovely guitar work laced all over it. On the track Victor is saying you should cherish and keep all that is good in your life, good words, good friend..etc. We all need to surround ourselves with stuff and people that give us positive energy all the time.
14. Sunshine City
The last track on the album is on a reggae tip. The track is dedicated to Harare the Sunshine City, or what was once known as the Sunshine City. The production is done well, the arrangement of the instruments is also done well.
Stream the album: Ndatsva On Spotify
So ya that's it for the album Ndatsva and its a satisfying project if you are a fan of Afro fusion. The album is a very fitting follow up to Kwedu, have enjoyed listening to it. The album is not as compact as Kwedu but it good nonetheless. On this album Victor experimented more on the instrumental arrangement as compared to on Kwedu where he settled into the new Afro Fusion sound and worked on perfecting the sound.
The production is well done throughout the album, Victor does not compromise on production quality. The instrumental arrangements are well done. The two things that i look forward to the most on Victor's music are all present: superb guitar work and some satisfying drumwork. The guitar riffs, solos and progressions are on point throughout. I'm a sucker for good guitar work and listening to this project was super satisfied. The track Uyo Zvavahera can attest to what I mean when I say the guitar work is sublime. The drumwork is solid despite not being as rae and explosive as oñ his earlier tracks such as Shingirira.
Victor over the years has been advocating for a number of social issues, such as unity, respect, pride in our tradition, peace and love. On this album he also added a religion to the issues he addresses. He continues to address those issues on this album. He is a man of principles and it extends to what he sings about, what he stands for, he will not stop until all is in order. Was satisfied with the themes tackled.
Have never had any issues when it comes to Victor's vocals and on this album he brought his signature style which as before does the job very well. The lady who led the track Mirira did a superb job, her vocals and Victor's complemented each other very well.
In conclusion this is well crafted project, its something one would expect from a veteran such as Victor. This is not a project for everyone, Victor does not try to even act as if he sings for everyone, he has his sound and he sings for those who like that sound. So do not expect to be hearings tracks from this album top music charts. Regardless of that I highly recommend this album, even if Afro fusion is not your cup of tea yet, give it a try. Was waiting for this project since 2015 and I'm satisfied. My favourite track is Uyo Zvavahera, ohhh my word....that's a beautiful piece of work.
What are your thoughts on the album???
The production is well done throughout the album, Victor does not compromise on production quality. The instrumental arrangements are well done. The two things that i look forward to the most on Victor's music are all present: superb guitar work and some satisfying drumwork. The guitar riffs, solos and progressions are on point throughout. I'm a sucker for good guitar work and listening to this project was super satisfied. The track Uyo Zvavahera can attest to what I mean when I say the guitar work is sublime. The drumwork is solid despite not being as rae and explosive as oñ his earlier tracks such as Shingirira.
Have never had any issues when it comes to Victor's vocals and on this album he brought his signature style which as before does the job very well. The lady who led the track Mirira did a superb job, her vocals and Victor's complemented each other very well.
In conclusion this is well crafted project, its something one would expect from a veteran such as Victor. This is not a project for everyone, Victor does not try to even act as if he sings for everyone, he has his sound and he sings for those who like that sound. So do not expect to be hearings tracks from this album top music charts. Regardless of that I highly recommend this album, even if Afro fusion is not your cup of tea yet, give it a try. Was waiting for this project since 2015 and I'm satisfied. My favourite track is Uyo Zvavahera, ohhh my word....that's a beautiful piece of work.
My Overall Rating: 8.5/10
What are your thoughts on the album???
Proud_Zimbo
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