Award-winning musician Jah Prayzah has urged his fans to attend and support the Simon Chimbetu Music Festival in Chegutu this Saturday, despite being unable to perform at the tribute event himself.
Jah Prayzah will be in Nyanga for the Mountain Valley Marathon on the same day. His absence from the stage, however, has not stopped him from encouraging music lovers to turn out for the celebration of one of Zimbabwe’s most influential musicians.
“I would have loved to be part of this special celebration of the late Mudhara Simon Chimbetu and the beautiful legacy he left us. Unfortunately, I will be in Nyanga for the Mountain Valley Marathon on the same day and will not be able to attend. To all my fans in and around Chegutu, and those who will not make it to Nyanga, please go out and support the Chimbetu family as we celebrate one of Zimbabwe’s great musical legacies. Much love and wishes to Mukoma vangu Sulu Chimbetu and the entire Chimbetu family.”
The third edition of the Simon Chimbetu Music Festival will be held at Magandi Park in Chegutu, bringing together performers from different generations and musical styles. The programme includes musicians from the Chimbetu family as well as Zimdancehall, Afro-fusion and contemporary acts.
The line-up features Killer T, Kurai Makore, Peter Moyo, Andy Muridzo, Queen Kadhija, Uncle Epatan, Maskiri, Roki, Madedido and Taurai Mandebvu. Sulumani Chimbetu, Simon’s son and one of the leading figures carrying the family’s musical tradition forward, is also expected to be central to the commemoration.
The festival has become an important meeting point for listeners who grew up with Simon Chimbetu’s music and younger fans discovering his work through the artists who continue to perform in the Dendera tradition. By putting established names alongside contemporary performers, the event presents Chimbetu’s catalogue as a living part of Zimbabwean music rather than a closed chapter in the country’s cultural history.
Simon Chimbetu was born in the Musengezi area of Mashonaland West on 23 September 1955. He would have turned 71 this week. Known to many fans as “Chopper”, he became a guitarist, vocalist, composer and bandleader whose music helped define Dendera, one of Zimbabwe’s best-known musical styles.
His early life was shaped by movement and work. His father, Benson Chimbetu, was a bricklayer whose jobs took him to different parts of the country. Simon attended Musengezi High School before moving towards Harare, then known as Salisbury, where he worked at a tobacco-processing company after independence while continuing to pursue music.
His musical career began in the late 1970s with his brother Naison. The brothers first built a following by singing in bars and working with backing musicians before joining established groups. They were associated with the OK Success and later the Sungura Boys, experiences that helped them develop their own sound and stage identity.
Simon and Naison eventually formed the Marxist Brothers with other members of the Chimbetu family. The group gained a strong following and recorded a succession of successful albums, including Mwana Wedangwe, Kunjere Kunjere, Dendera Resango, Sarura Yako, Kuipa Chete and Boterekwa. Their early hit “Nherera” helped establish the brothers as important voices in Zimbabwe’s popular music scene.
The partnership later changed direction as Simon and Naison pursued separate careers. Simon launched his solo career with the album Nguva Yakaoma in 1990 and went on to form the Orchestra Dendera Kings. His later recordings included Pachipamwe, Survival, Zuva Raenda, Lullaby, African Panorama, 2000 Blend, Takabatana and Hoko. His final album, 10 Million Pounds Reward, was released in 2005.
Chimbetu’s music was recognised for its distinctive guitar work and strong rhythmic drive. The Dendera style drew its name from the ground hornbill, and its sound was marked by a prominent bass guitar supported by interlocking rhythm and lead guitars. The result was music that could fill a dance floor while carrying messages about family, society, history and national identity.
Songs such as “Samatenga”, “Barika”, “Lullaby”, “Nherera”, “Zuva Raenda” and “Hoko” helped make Chimbetu a household name. His performances were also remembered for their energy and presentation. He took pride in his appearance and became known for his carefully chosen suits, hairstyle and commanding stage presence, qualities that added to the public image of an artist who treated music as both craft and spectacle.
Although his career included difficult periods, Chimbetu remained a major figure in Zimbabwean music. His influence can be heard in the work of musicians who followed him, including members of his own family. Sulumani Chimbetu has kept the Dendera name prominent, while tribute performances and commemorative events have continued to introduce Simon’s songs to new audiences.
Simon Chimbetu died on 14 August 2005 after suffering injuries in a car accident. He was 49. His death ended the life of a musician who had released more than 20 albums and built a catalogue that crossed generations. He was later buried at the Mashonaland West Provincial Heroes Acre.
Two decades after his death, the Chegutu festival offers the Chimbetu family and Zimbabwe’s wider music community another opportunity to bring his work back to the stage. The event also reflects the enduring connection between musicians and the places where their careers took root. Chegutu was part of Chimbetu’s early family story, and Magandi Park will now host a celebration of the songs, sound and style associated with his name.
Jah Prayzah’s appeal adds another prominent voice to the call for a strong turnout. While he will be taking part in the Mountain Valley Marathon in Nyanga, his message has placed the focus firmly on the festival’s purpose: to stand with the Chimbetu family and honour a musical legacy that continues to shape Zimbabwean performance.
For fans travelling to Magandi Park, the festival will be more than a line-up of popular acts. It will be a night of remembrance, family continuity and live music, with performers from different parts of the industry revisiting the spirit of the man widely remembered as the Master of Song.
The event’s organisers are hoping that the presence of musicians such as Killer T, Peter Moyo, Andy Muridzo, Maskiri and Roki will draw audiences across age groups. Their participation ensures that the tribute will connect Simon Chimbetu’s era with the sound of Zimbabwe today, keeping his music in circulation through performance rather than memory alone.
As the Chimbetu family prepares to take the stage, Jah Prayzah’s request is straightforward: fans in and around Chegutu should make their way to Magandi Park and support the celebration. For Simon Chimbetu’s listeners, it is a chance to hear the music again. For younger audiences, it is an invitation to meet one of the artists who helped give Zimbabwean music its own unmistakable voice.