Joe Machingura (JM) can best be described as the back bone behind the prosperity of the urban grooves movement. He is the co-owner of Heshi Mfeshi records and co-public relations officer of the Urban Grooves Association (UGA).
The producer has worked with some of the greatest names in the youthful genre but has remained behind the scenes. He is one of the unsung heroes of the movement. Yeukai Moyo had a one on one interview with the man behind the beats to shed more light on the technical side of music.
YM: As a producer what is your role when an aspiring musician walks into the studio for the first time with the intention to record?
JM: At times it varies with the artist, some write music with what is their
(beat) other sing to a beat that is already there. But what I do basically is find out whether he (she) writes his (her) own music. If the answer is a yes then its a plus for both of us. The artist then has to sing for me to check whether he (she) has melody. That way it is easier for me to find his (her) sound. Then I make something according to the genre and try to bring the best out of that person.
Step two is making a recording, mixing and mastering the song and then it goes on CD.
YM: How much time does it take you to complete a polished recording?
JM: It usually takes me four hours to record a track. If the artist is slow it takes longer.
YM: Besides waiting for ambitious artists to knock on your door what else do you do to spot untamed talent?
JM: We (Heshi Mfeshi) do a lot of talent scouting in different places, but mostly school talent shows. They dont know we are coming and we dont tell anyone that we are there. We look for that uniqueness, something new in the industry. It doesnt make sense for me to look for a clone of another popular artist. We approach the outstanding acts, talk to them. To me it helps me to know whether you are an artist at heart because the industry is very frustrating and you have to be strong.
YM: Usually most aspiring urban groovers are either unemployed or still in school and have no source of income to pay for studio time. What mechanisms have you devised to bridge this gap?
JM: We have tried to sign artists before where we take care of all their expenses from recording, marketing to distribution and reclaim all our expenses and fare share of the profit from the sells. But its a bit tricky with the Zimbabwean market where musicians make money from live shows and not live performances. Also some musicians have attitudes, they get big-headed and forget where they come from after we have had made a big sacrifice for their popularity.
It terms of charges, we try to be very low. In fact we charge ridiculous monies so that people can afford. Besides being one of the top studios in the country, we are the most affordable.
YM: There has been a lot of bad talk regarding the quality of urban grooves products but I think its the obligation of you producers. What do you have to say to the allegations and what are you doing to improve on that?
JM: Well, I think people are just unappreciative. Maidei (by Leonard
Mapfumo) spent 42 weeks on the number one spot on Power FM Top 40 countdown, Chidzoka and Shaina (by Roki and Alexio Kawara, respectively) became national anthems in every household and club but you still hear people complain.
In terms of production we are trying to move with times. We are using some of the most sophisticated software to produce beats. We have Reason 5 and Cubase 5 which top producers in South Africa and United States are currently using.
YM: Apart from piracy what do you think is the next biggest challenge affecting the growth of the industry?
JM: Music promoters are just not forthcoming with our demands. If a musician wants $500 for a show they remain adamant that they will pay you only $300 since they have (at the moment) the bargaining power.
The people expect urban groovers to perform with an eight member live band, how one will afford to pay the band members not to mention personal responsibilities.
YM: What is the way forward?
JM: We need to have an industry because at the moment we dont. I have asked NACZ, ZARE and Zimura if we really have a music industry in Zimbabwe because if we have it then we are fine. But its unfortunate that with all the talk that has been made about piracy someone is fined $20 for pirating loads of music – yet the international standards are that you pay a $700 fine for every CD that you are caught with. Where are the rules? Our music need to be protected.
The government and cooperate is also letting us down, they rather push for international stars than local musicians. We appreciate foreign artists but lets promote our own first.