Is Sam Dondo the Paris Hilton of Zimbabwean Music?

When he broke onto the scene in music Sam Dondo was touted as the next best thing.

And of course then he shared the stage with the monarchs of the music industry most notably Oliver Mtukudzi and high-flyer Jah Prayzah with whom he also had a duet entitled Zviuya Zviri Mberi.

The Final Chance...Sam Dondo is set to launch his album Game Changer.

Sadly, listening to the duet Zviuya Zviri Mberi was just about as exciting as listening to Jacob Zuma reading a copy of the Afrikaans Bible. Not even the magic of Jah Prayzah could save it from drowning!

Many artistes worth their salt are still battling to share the stage and rub soldiers with those ‘gods’ which Sam attracted in record time.

However word was now rife that armed with the financial muscle of his brother Thompson Dondo who backed the Impala Subway Stars that are Sam’s Band, Sam was in fact little talent and more privilege and financial muscle.

A trust fund baby.

Now the fellow has the probable last ditch opportunity to prove that he is not just the Zimbabwean equivalent of Paris Hilton with a guitar and dangly bits between his legs and in fact a talented musician who shall etch his name in the annals of Zimbabwe’s unfolding music history.

Set to officially launch his second album at the plush Meikles Hotel with people walking strictly by invite (which obviously means we are not invited to the party), Sam will be out to make sure he launches a scorcher with hits galore.

And we are watching.

Noted is the fact that it seems even Sam himself has sobered up to the fact that with music, even if you share the stage with the angel Gabriel, the truth is depth of the music and appeal is what gets you ahead and not who you do a duet with or how much money you have in the bank to have a breath-taking launch.

A solid product counts more than anything.

In fact, interviewed by a local weekly he mentioned the need to shift mindset and that the new Sam is different from the wet-behind-the-ears snot-nosed kid who entered the scene with dreams, high hopes and illusions of grandeur.

“It’s a different approach and I am a different Sam Dondo from the one who launched the album last year surrounded by big names in the music industry. The game has changed,” Dondo was quoted as having said.

“We have changed the way of doing things as Impala Subway Crooners, but I want to tell you we have matured and ready to shake the world.”

Game Changer may be a game changer in all the right ways…it may propel him to the top. Or it may be the tombstone to mark a kid who may go down history as being not a one-hit-wonder, but in fact the rich no-hit Titanic of the music industry.

After all he wants to be more than just that privileged kid with a rich backer. He wouldn’t want to be the Paris Hilton equivalent of the music industry. In music, it takes more than a deep pocket and a pretty face!

LOOK OUT FOR MY REVIEW OF THE ALBUM GAME CHANGER NEXT THURSDAY!