Getting to that initial point of departure also took long enough. Lacking the advantages of having an affluent background, it was four long years of clawing at various doors that lead to countries like Australia, the US and UK. I could have earned myself a degree in that time! I finally got my break in the form of a UK visa and it was time to usher my musical ambitions onto the world stage. It was going to be the university of life in the new big world that would be my practical teacher. Fast forward many years of adventure, struggle and enlightenment to today, which has been one I’ve dreamt of countless times whilst beating through the jungle that is the uber-competitive entertainment world.
Being back in Zimbabwe after such a long time away is a beautiful feeling. Mother Africa certainly has something unique and magical about her. I am on a holiday so I have more time to myself as I am writing new songs and playing a couple of shows too. My trip home is also a spiritual getaway to do some patching up of my own. I get to slow down and don’t have to keep my mind constantly running down the racetrack to see what’s up ahead.
Upon arrival, I found Harare to be smaller than I remember. In terms of driving around, it takes under half an hour to get to the other end of town but when in London, the same feat would involve more distance and time. Not to mention more money in the form of the congestion charge if you are driving through the city of London. It has been a pleasure and very relaxing to drive around my hometown, windows down, listening to my favourite music and enjoying the sunshine!
Coming from the English winter, it’s crazy to think that I’ve not had to wear more than a single layer for the six weeks I’ve been here. Even the nights are warm, with the breathtaking starlit skies that have been engraved in my mind’s eye during my time abroad. Despite the obvious shortfalls, spiritually, this all makes for a great quality of life over the riding of the London Tube or braving its impersonal surroundings.
A strange reality is seeing the US Dollar being used in my home country. This has clearly revitalised trade and the stores are now fully stocked as opposed to two years ago. When I left in 2003, they had just released the Zimbabwean 500 Dollar bill and that was just the beginning of many more zeros that would stake their claim to the diluting of our currency right through to the trillions. I see that the South African Rand is also freely used and mixed among the US Dollar at most places in the country. When shopping, there are no dollar coins used so change for less than a dollar is traded off for a few sweets or chocolates or saved for later in the form of a credit note that is only redeemable at the same store. On a lighter note, this leads me to joke about how Zimbabweans are going to be exceptional at maths and that local dentists are going to have good business in the advent of glucose indirectly becoming a form of local currency.
When I was growing up in the golden eighties, things were good and now years later, I look into what is the cracked mirror of my heritage. I still see my familiar, yet strangely mosaic reflection as I continue to flesh out my true self in order to write songs that are authentic and true to the emotions they convey.
