Muto EP is the latest full project from the talented and multifaceted artist, Vimbai Zimuto. The afro traditional, afro pop and afro contemporary musician described it as a little offering from her heart for her fans while preparing for her upcoming album. The project is short and precise, with only 6 tracks but the music is a journey across multiple genres.
Muto means soup and to make a rich soup, we need a lot of ingredients like tomatoes, onions, pepper etc and that’s what I wanted my EP to be. In short, Muto is a mixture of all my favourite genres
Executive production and the mixing & mastering of the project were handled by Trust Samende with Jiti ‘Maestro’ Maselo assisting with production on the track ‘Ndipe Mwana’ that features Baba Harare. Speaking on the EP, Vimbai Zimuto said, "I’m reintroducing myself to make my fans know that I am a diverse artist who is comfortable in every genre." And it felt like she did just that with the quality of the music, although the different genres explored, made the EP feel like it was pulling in different directions.
Muroora is the opening track on the EP, and it was also released as the lead single for the project. It gives off more of the typical Afrofusion sound we're used to from Vimbai's music, as the song talks about receiving a daughter-in-law. It's a mid-tempo and easy listen, that's elevated by the passionate performance.
Tarira comes up next, and it has a reggae feel to it, that's combined with mbira to create a truly unique sound. It's a song that speaks of overcoming and triumph, and Vimbai handles the reggae sound like a natural.
Zamu is a soulful mbira-infused song that puts Vimbai Zimuto's vocal talents on display. The song is a metaphor rich and it talks about maturity with subtle language. It's a track that truly puts the Zimbabwean sound on display with multiple traditional instruments in its sound and Vimbai's Shona lyricism.
Vimbai Zimuto's music is extremely culturally grounded, and from the sound to the stories being told & the instruments, you can feel the stories of our lives in it. It's not that it's easily relatable music but you can see the stories and their origins in our various cultural setups. Tamba Neni is exactly as the song is titled, dance with me. It's an upbeat vibe that screams gets up and dances, and the rhythm along with Vimbai's energy on the track is infectious.
Handiende is again another aptly named song as it talks about a relationship where another woman is brought in by the husband and Vimbai sings as a spouse that won't leave because of this. When you think about it, it's rather sad but Vimbai sings the song with a defiant voice that seems to be crying out for a win in a situation that screams defeat. The drums and the backing vocals give the track a spiritual feeling, almost like a ceremony is being conducted.
Ndipe ft Baba Harare closes out the project and it's an upbeat jiti track and they couldn't have been a better collaborator for Vimbai than Baba Harare for this one. The duet is playful, with beautiful storytelling as the two artists take the roles of a lover who is talking about finally meeting the in-laws. There's the great vocal balance from Vimbai & Baba Harare which paired with the live instruments makes this one of my favourite songs on the project.
Muto EP is literally a cauldron of sound, and Vimbai handles the blending of different genres beautifully. It's a project I would say borrows from foreign sounds while at its core being authentically Zimbabwean. The music sometimes doesn't mould together so well but it's a worthy listen.
Greedysouth rating: 6.7/10
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