Sulu is in very good space

SULUMAN Chimbetu is a man in a very good space right now.

He has recaptured the market, which had been disrupted by Covid-19, and is happy for the unwavering loyalty of his fans, as evidenced by the growing attendance at his shows.

The 43-year-old artist now often lingers on stage long after his performances, a stark contrast to the typically reserved persona he once embodied.

His support base has welcomed his eighth album, “Tsapo”, and it has become quite clear that many of his old fans are coming back to his shows in numbers.

He acknowledged that he has seen that many fans, who used to attend his shows before the Covid-19 pandemic, are now returning and the numbers are getting bigger by each passing week.

He said some old faces were resurfacing and he was grateful for their support. In recent weeks, Sulu has been holding sold-out gigs after embarking on a nationwide tour to promote his latest work.

He said he has been blown away by the turnout at his shows and it’’s now clear that he has a big brand on his hands. It’s quite a stunning turnaround given that some analysts had written off Sulu and his group, Orchestra Dendera Kings.

Sulu knew that it was never going to be easy to inherit the throne which was left by his late father, the legendary Simon Chimbetu.

Known as Chopper, Simon was an extraordinary musician, one of the greatest of his generation and one of the greatest of all-time on the local scene.

He was popular throughout the country and he would hold sold-out concerts in Bulawayo, Harare, Mutare and Gweru.

Simon ensured that Dendera musicians would compete against other genres and, given that he emerged at a time when the likes of Oliver Mtukudzi, Thomas Mapfumo and others ruled the roost, to enjoy such a massive countrywide appeal meant that Simon was a special musician.

There was a time, in the ‘90s, when he was probably the number one musician in this country.

So, Sulu always had a mountain to climb from day one because Simon’s shoes were just too big to fill.

We knew he would never match Simon because there will always be just one Simon Chimbetu.

But, to his credit, Sulu has defied the odds and transformed himself into a top musician, thanks to his creativity and never-say-die attitude.

He has kept the Orchestra Dendera Kings intact as a band, which is not an easy feat.

We have seen many sons of legends trying, and failing, to make a mark for themselves when they took over as leaders of their fathers’ groups.

Sulu has been a success on this front and for him to release eight albums, while keeping his band intact by making sure that the group’s members are all taken care of, has been a good success story.

Sulu deserves the support he is getting because he is a professional artist and is showing the way that not all sons of legends end up as failed artists. – _*HMetro*_