SOUTH AFRICA-BASED Zimbabwean musician, Chris “Million” Masocha, on Saturday night bagged the best Male Artist of the Year Award for the second year running in the AfriTrade Business Chamber Awards finals held at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.
The Zimbabwean creative won the award for his mbaure music, which he said was a refined form of sungura.
Known as Million by his legion of fans, Masocha was excited about winning the award for the second time.
“Although I was competing against several other artistes from across the continent, I managed to brush aside that competition and got the gong once again on the strength of the following that our music brand is getting in Mzansi,” Million told NewsDay Life & Style.
The musician, who fronts the Livewire Band, said in a telephone interview from his Port Elizabeth base that the mbaure sub-genre’s stock was rising by the day although they held live shows once a month.
“We perform once a month here in Port Elizabeth. Hatidi kufumura band nekunyanya kujairirwa panzvimbo one. (We avoid over performing so that our audiences do not get too used to the band and its beat),” Million said.
The musician is working on a six-track album titled Kugulisa Nsomba (selfish), which is set to be released at the end of October.
“This latest offering from the Livewire Band, which is 100% mbaure, is coming in different languages — English, Shona, Xhosa and Swahili. Kugulusa Nsomba is Chewa unfortunately, there are no Chewa lines or song on the album,” said the musician.
- Mahlalela resumes production after Covid-19 break
- Zim author pens dating guide
- Brave Goshawks go down fighting against Welwitschias
- All set for Kokota Festival
Keep Reading
The Mhondoro-bred singer, who has turned professional as he is now a full-time musician, said mbaure was a classic sungura sub-genre although it is slower.
Million is highly regarded for having popularised sungura in Mzansi and at one time shared the stage with Alick Macheso when he visited the neighbouring country.
Born on April 13, 1980, Million attended Kawara Primary School in Mubaira, Mhondoro, from Grade One to Seven before proceeding to Beatrice High School where he remained until Form Three when he moved to Seke 4 High School in Harare’s populous dormitory town of Chitungwiza.
He later enrolled with Speciss College for a Certificate in Building Trades.
Million said he liked music from an early age but there was no one available teach him.
“It took me very long to really get into it because of lack of exposure since I happen to be a reserved individual who likes living by myself. It was only when I was already in South Africa that I really started writing songs,” said Million in an earlier interview, adding that getting into music was a way of fulfilling a wish that was growing within him.
Million said it was after meeting Chitungwiza group Zim Select while celebrating his birthday at Welcome Club back home in Zimbabwe that his music breakthrough took place.
“I was taken aside by Innocent Mpala who asked me if I had any written music. I told him that I had many written songs before going on stage to perform some of them,” added the musician.
“This led to our first album Muri Huchi in 2017,” said Million, adding that he was a unique singer who could play several genres.
“All along, I had no specific genre although I was comfortable with sungura.”
Million has several pieces to his name, including Tanha Dzaunosvikira (2019), Chasatani Hachidyiwe Mahara (2021), Mhanduwe Musadaro, Kumhunga Kune Ipwa and Haribude Rakamirirwa.
An Information Technology person, Million says he is a street hustler, with shops that sell computers and accessories as well as salons, in Port Elizabeth.
