Manikongo debut impressive

I have seen and heard Manikongo and the Bang Bangers outfit more than once — the most recent being at the Book Café around New Year’s Day.
The group is finally set to launch their debut album soon, with manager Geraldene Roberts revealing this maybe within the next three weeks!
Can’t wait.
Written by the Glen View-born and bred frontman Confidence Nyajinya aka Manikongo, the CD album — A new day — offering 11 hot rhythms — illustrates the virtuostity of this well travelled one-of-a-kind artist. An amazing extremely high energy performer, Manikongo showcases his musical versatility from conscious roots reggae to the traditional mbira beat with a scintillating lead energising the bass to produce a true unique sound “Africa and the world have been waiting for”, according to manager Roberts, who has  been in showbiz since even before Confidence was born!
The debut project, an impressive installment by this multi-talented singer who’s an accomplished mbira player and poet as well, provides the full Monty with the peak on the album being being Kugara Newe, Africa-rica, Chimurenga and Kalahari — not to say others are not classics.
These four downright great tracks — focusing on freedom, love, poverty and religion and dialogue between races and different cultures — merit mention and sampling.
Manikongo adds a strong rasp to his singing and this production is thick enough to compete with big leaguers in this genre, so much that in the US he was being compared to Buju Banton and even Gregory Isaacs.
And not without justification — if you listen carefully as he rhythmically intertwines his deep spiritual roots reggae with fresh creative arrangements and unsurpassed talent. The songs are bathed in warm, rich textures and his sometimes raspy breathy vocals — Isaacs-esque — are spellbinding as he takes his voice as an instrument of passion!
“He’s just awesome and I was totally taken in by his voice and unique talent,” says  Roberts, the project manager.
“It’s taken so long but there’s been no need to play four, five times a week out of desperation and burn yourself out,” she cautions.
Manikongo agrees.
“It has been long time coming but fans will forgive us for taking so long but our intentions are large,” says Manikongo who’s played with some West Coast, US outfits before coming back and causing a frenzy at the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority-organised Sanganani/Hlanganani travel Expo last year!