Nicholas Zakaria, a pioneering figure in Zimbabwe’s sungura music and a founding member of the Khiama Boys, has died. He was 66.
Zakaria — widely known by his stage name “Madzibaba” — was celebrated for his deft guitar work and a voice that helped shape the rhythmic, guitar-driven sound that defines sungura. His family said he was a “talented musician and beloved member of our community” who left an indelible mark on Zimbabwean music.
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As one of the early members of the Khiama Boys, Zakaria performed with and influenced a generation of artists who carried sungura from local dancehalls to national prominence. The group is recognized in Zimbabwe’s music history for tight, interlocking guitar lines, rapid tempos and intricate melodies; Zakaria’s playing and arrangements were cited by peers as central to that sound.
Beyond his work with the Khiama Boys, Zakaria served as a mentor to emerging performers, most notably Alick Macheso, one of the country’s best-known contemporary sungura stars. Mentorship and apprenticeship have long been pillars of Zimbabwe’s music culture, and Zakaria’s role in guiding younger musicians is frequently noted in accounts of the genre’s development.
Details about the circumstances of Zakaria’s death and plans for funeral services were not included in the family statement released with the notice of his passing. The family’s brief tribute emphasized both his musicianship and his presence in the community.
Music historians and followers of Zimbabwean popular music say the loss of a founding-era artist underscores the fragility of oral and musical traditions built on personal teaching and band relationships. As many of the musicians who originated the modern sungura style age, preserving recordings, memories and the technical knowledge of instruments and arrangement becomes increasingly important for cultural continuity.
Zakaria’s influence can be traced through the work of artists who followed him — players and bandleaders who adapted the Khiama Boys’ approach to guitar interplay, rhythmic drive and vocal phrasing. Those musical building blocks remain prominent in club performances, radio play and in the repertoires of newer sungura acts across Zimbabwe and the region.
For listeners and fellow musicians, Zakaria’s death marks the passing of a direct link to sungura’s formative decades. His combination of technical skill and mentorship helped ensure the style’s survival and evolution, and his contributions will be recalled in remembrances from colleagues and students in the coming days.
By News-room
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
