Blessing Nduku
GWERU: Having a meal at The Cask canteen would definitely give you something ought to spend your money for over lunch and of cause a bonus of melodious echoes that come from Blessing ‘Blejah” Chimutowe whose studio is by the popular outlet’s backyard.
“Curiosity would grow every time you visit the place to know who is behind the melodies as one you would hear a different sound ranging from old school copyrights, reggae, dancehall, gospel you name it penetrating audibly from the canteens passage,” commented one regular identified as Tendai Chitaga as CommuTalk visited the place, not for a meal this time but to get Blejah’s story.
“I am on a mission. Music is my passion and I am confident that my dream to hit the international arena will soon come true. Passion also has nothing to do with money though it may come as a bonus,” was Blejah’s immediate response after being asked what really drives him to be sticking onto a field that many have expressed as not so profitable.
“My dream remains to be that of making a household music production house in the Midlands that will benefit locals who at times find it difficult to have a starting point. I also wish to attract talent from all corners of the world and surely I won’t be deterred,” he added.
As many hanged their boots and lamented the effects of COVID-19, Blejah instead took time and created something musicians would use as a stepping stone post lockdown period.
“As the pandemic got on peak, it was no easy time for many artists and vis-à-vis, it was difficult to generate income on my side as producer. Knowing that God was in control, I was never deterred.
“It was during the lockdown period I started creating the Tormented Soul Riddim,” he said.
The name borrowed from the popular sorrowful Mathias Xavier’s track usually played towards heroes’ holiday, Blejah’s creativity showcases pain, this time that which was inflicted to the generality of Zimbabweans and world at large through an instrumental as opposed to the former’s sound that would be described as creative humming and/or groaning noises.
“I really tried to reflect through what people went through the lockdown and to date 20 local artists have had a chance to feature on the riddim. I gave artists direction on what to sing on this riddim and l am glad all of them sang songs about real incidents that happens in life which includes death, poverty, hunger and sickness,” he added.
“As a producer you cannot determine what artists want to communicate but l always encourage those I work with to bring out good messages that build, motivate, encourage and give hope to people,” Blejah further reflected.
With his music career dating back to childhood where he would play instruments in church, Blejah says he was introduced to the outside world by one artist, Yulesis whom he says introduced him to studio work before helping him establish his own studio in 2018.
