"Raka Raka" is a Zimbabwean childhood game/sport that involves a homemade paper and plastic ball, played around a rectangular circuit with four stops in the corners (to fully explain it would take it's own article). Rhaka Rhaka the album is ExQ taking the artistic liberty (surely one of Zimbabwe's greatest Shona lyricists wouldn't make such a spelling mistake) of spelling the name of the game how it sounds. Utilising the name as a euphemism for the game of love, it is quite apt for an album seeped in folklore.
In essence "Rhaka Rhaka" is a sport and colloquially love "masports," which tells you everything about what ExQ talks about on this project. While love is a subject that can never be exhausted, this album's biggest surprise is that ExQ still has stories on the topic that he hasn't told us before, and worthwhile stories for that matter.
Across his 8 previous albums, and 25 years in music, the singer has reached the greatest heights of artistry and as far as music careers go in Zimbabwe, he has nothing left to prove. Yet on Rhaka Rhaka, ExQ once again showcases his brilliance, without the relaxation of coasting on his name that so many acts do in their twilight years. There is a refinement to the pop sound he's been pursuing over the last decade, and everything feels like it comes easy to him.
"Mr Consistent," "The Last Urban Groover," "Mr Putiti." He earns each moniker (not too sure we can vouch for the last), with music that's easy on the ear and rich in lyricism. "Wangu" - mine - sees him once again collaborating with Takura, and although it doesn't reach the heights of "Tikangodanana" their collaboration from a few months back, it's still a well put together love song. The Roki featuring "Paside" feels like a blast from the past, and "Sweet Danana" is a beautiful odd to lovers that morphs in form from soulful Afropop to the Diwali Riddim in it's conclusion.
The album title, Rhaka Rhaka, is in part an ode to the past and so is the music. ExQ revamps traditional sounds and wraps them in melodies, in a way only he knows. "Catch N Release," the duet with Feli Nandi, has an undercurrent of jazz and mbira in rhythm. "Urisei," the sacarsm fuelled ode to an ex, has guitar riffs that bring to mind 90s Zimbabwean music.
The wonderfully composed "Maggie," ropes in Zimdancehall hitmaker Killer T, and takes inspiration from the imaginary character Maggie Mukaranga. For a lot of Zimdancehall's cross genre collaborations there's a drum pattern that has become overused (even if you think you don't know it, you know it), and refreshingly this is not it. Killer T and ExQ play off each other so well, with the latter even paying homage to his collaborator: "Hamutiudze level rekudanana, ko kana ndanyura?"
"Nyachide" is an equally brilliant collaboration and it showcases how gifted Skido TGS is as an artist when he's not being forced to make another remake of "Munhu Wako."
While the singing and lyricism are the album's lodestone, Rhaka Rhaka's production cast of DJ Tamuka, Nasper Incoming, KayB, White Boy Beats, Pablo, Infinity and Victor Stot puts together a distinctly Zimbabwean pop sound, that manages to not be monotonous. Sungura-esque guitar riffs and sounds born between the mighty Zambezi and the relentless Limpopo. A key ingredient to what makes the project so enjoyable. The music is playful in moments, deep in others and infectious in rhythm almost always.
"Deya" achieves a light hearted feel by interpolating the childhood game "Kadeya Deya" and the war cry "I Want To See Your Mother." In "Hatichacheme" ExQ uplifts the downtrodden but telling them to choose themselves sometimes, and "Awe" is an upbeat love dong that reminds us of how much we under appreciate Delroy Shewe. Rhaka Rhaka's lyrics are tongue twisting, the rhythm familiar, and ExQ reminds us why he has shined in every era of music this millenium.
Greedysouth rating: 7.8/10
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