Jit (also known as jiti , jit-jive and the Harare beat ) is a style of popular Zimbabwean dance music . It features a swift rhythm played on drums and accompanied by a guitar . Jit evolved out many diverse influences, including domestic chimurenga , Congolese rumba and Tanzanian guitar styles.
9-515: The genre was popularized in the 1980s by bands like Chazezesa Challengers , The Four Brothers , and Bhundu Boys . Jit is one of Zimbabwean fast beat, but there is a confusion between the more popular "sungura" which is said to be Jit which was popularised by Chazezesa Challengers and many others including Alick Macheso and Orchestra Mberikwazvo. Gibbs calls his type of Jit "Urban Jit" due to its mellowness and soft tempo which comprises fused elements of calypso, country, and any other genre depending on
18-815: A string of hit albums in the mid-to-late 1990s; their debut, Rudo Tsika Nemagariro , sold more than 20,000 copies, while Mutunhu Unemago topped 30,000. Some of their top songs include Anodyiwa Haature , Kaserura Ndizvo, Smoko, Ndiridze Mhere, Ukarambwa Usacheme, and Vaforomani. System Tazvida is known for stressing that he liked better playing for rural crowds who he said liked and appreciated his music by singing along and dancing to it spiritedly when he did live shows. The Challengers were known for their humorous love lyrics and satirical subjects. The band also toured in Mozambique, where they were popular. The band experienced two deaths in quick succession, as drummer Wezhira Shoko and talismanic leader System Tazvida both died near
27-694: Is a Nyami Nyami Sounds alumnus. Guitarist LeeRoy Lunga had played with both the Super Sounds and the Kasongo Band , while percussionist Lucky Mumiriki had experience with the Hurungwe Sounds and the Sungura Boys. The group is also known as Boyz DzeSmoko. The group successfully mixed elements of sungura, jazz, South African mbaqanga and traditional sounds, creating an appealing and popular blend. The Chazezesa Challengers produced
36-490: Is generally percussive. Jit is in nowadays mostly used in its raw content by political parties as a campaign vehicle due to its flexibility in accommodating chants, singing,expressiveness and infectious tunes that are so catchy and easy to learn if a new song is introduced. Jit is a highly danceable beat that commands the listener to dance and there are so many types of dances associated with it such as hwishu, tuwisti, kongonya, borodhero, honda, chipisi and many others. Bhorodhero
45-462: Is the most popular one due to it being popularised by Alick Macheso and System Tazvida's Chazezesa Challengers in their repertoires. The name bhorodhero is a derivative from a race course's name in Harare called Borrowdale Race Course as the dance resembles a galloping horse. Chazezesa Challengers Chazezesa Challengers are a Zimbabwean Sungura music band formed in 1993 under the direction of
54-431: The composition as a way to improve its appeal to the new generation as culture is always evolving. Jit music is originally played by people singing in a circle and playing to or singing with one or two drums called "Mutumba" and these drums are played in rhythm with each other and in sync with the song" vocals". One will be leading with the vocals and the rest will answer to the call and sometimes sing altogether in harmony,
63-655: The late System Tazvida in Chitungwiza . System, a Khiama Boys alumnus, grew sick of not receiving his fair share of royalties and decided to form his own band. Both his stints in Khiama Boys and the Sungura Boys had ended without any financial compensation. He recruited some experienced musicians, including his bassist brother Peter. The band of five are veterans of the Zimbabwe music scene. His brother Peter
72-543: The lead vocalist may chant and the people answering will give the vocalist room to do all the adlibing before they answer. In the early 1970s there was a very popular group called "Dzumbunu Choir". This group used to play raw Jit with the basic instruments of drum or drums and "hosho" jingles. Dzumbunu Choir was resident at Goromonzi or Arcturus area about sixty kilometres out of Harare on the North eastern side. As people sing they may use jingles or "hosho" shakers as African music
81-497: The turn of the millennium. Peter Tazvida, System's brother who assumed leadership of the group after his brothers death also succumbed to illness in mid-2002. This, did not stop the group. Under the leadership of Lee Roy Lunga, the boys released their twelfth album, Smoko Pachena/Chabvondoka, in December 2002. The group however has seen waning popularity of Smoko and a decrease in sales of their music The Chazezesa Challengers operate
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