Rarely anybody wants to be associated with witchcraft.
There is a stigma to being a worshipper of the spirit of tradition yet African beliefs and superstitions keep roaring and penetrating our daily lives despite cozying up with the glitz of modernity.
We have been hearing claims and counterclaims of heft powering the hex of our musicians.
The more successful the musician is, the more is infatuated with dark arts. Is there a truth to it or mere an upshot of gossiping?
This article peruse at the issues at stake of the nexus allegedly gluing together the kingdom of darkness and our inchoate musical industry.
Superficially, it is all about talent and the grit that takes our musicians to scale the heights of the musical industry.
They all start with a sweet voice that we love to hear, and we don’t seem to get tired from listening.
Then over time a star is born. Looks like there is no limit the star can climb but the showbiz has its ups and downs.
When the tumbling begins to rear up the star seeks divine intervention. It must be a rival or jilted lover who is causing all the commotion.
Witch doctors too never disappoint. They flourish on lies and deceit through finger pointing and blame games.
It must be someone closer to you who is rocking the boat out of jealousy or revenge.
You must have harmed them in the past that is why all this bad stuff is happening to you.
A neighbour is jealous because he used to see you struggling like him but now life is easy on you.
This makes him mad, and has been bewitching you.
Once thought to be an innocuous visit to a witch doctor compounds and complicates the situation. Behind treating the symptoms of a problem, a witch doctor sees an opportunity to get rich.
It quickly morphs a star with dwindling musical fortunes into a money minting machine: A quintessential “get rich scheme”.
The witch doctor demands handsome compensation for his psychological tricks, and the bills keep piling.
The star is also forewarned a failure to clear the bills may lead to even more curses betiding him. Failure to meet his dues is said to have angered the spirits.
Immediately, a vicious cycles ensued, and since the star is no longer hitting the big songs, money is tough to raise.
He is forced to abandon the witch doctor. Friends suggest he has to pursue a witch doctor with more powers, and more money is needed.
As he struggles to find cash to offset the costs of the services of witchcraft a pimp pops up from nowhere: he has an offer our star can’t refuse.
There is a sugar mummy loaded with cash seeking to hook up with him.
Looks like his musical career was a fashion show of some sort or was an audition for the highest lustful bidder.
Having been haunted by poverty, the star who would not compromise on his musical career scents an opportunity to sponge the sugar mummy to keep his wildest dream alive.
His lopsided diagnosis informs him that his career is going nowhere because he is cash strapped. Once bankrolled by a sugar mummy his career will be back on the roll, and he will conveniently dump the sugar mummy and gets himself something younger of his age albeit penniless.
As he dribbles between refurbishing a musical career gone awry and keeping up making the sugar mummy happy relatives see their loved ones dying under suspicious circumstances or succumbing to disabilities of questionable origins.
Relatives who are also very superstitious hook their famous star with what is bedevilling them. Quickly, they draw their own wicked conclusions. He must have joined a satanic cult or sect amounting into occultism: Illuminati & Freemasonry.
Allegations of witchcraft may have different causes and serve different functions within a society. For instance, they may serve to uphold social norms, to heighten the tension in existing conflicts between individuals, or to scapegoat certain individuals for various social problems.
Another contributing factor to the idea of Satanism is the concept that there is an agent of misfortune and evil who operates on a cosmic scale, something usually associated with a strong form of ethical dualism that divides the world clearly into forces of good and forces of evil.
Our unwary star somehow hits the gold bullion and feels the compulsion to share with home folks. He buys his biological mama a fancy car, and sends it to the village with a driver.
Mama once becomes aware of what was happening began to weep not in jubilation of owning her own car but confirming her worst nightmares: her son is really in a devilish cult, and is beguiling her with gifts before presenting her for satanic ritual.
As far as she is concerned he is setting her up for a satanic sacrifice. She genuinely fears for her life, and instructs the driver to send the car back to her son.
She doesn’t want it! She would rather suffer in poverty rather than being a sacrificial lamb of her son musical in exchange for momentarily comforts of life.
After hearing the story, newscasts fill the village with their camera hunting down for an expose.
They interviewed the mother who says her son belongs to a satanic sect, Freemason, this is why he is successful.
She believes he is spoiling her with gifts before sending her to an earlier grave. She would want nothing from her son except to leave her alone.
What began as misdiagnosis of a singer’s career turned into an orgy of witchcraft and unwanted financial relationships while alienating the ones who love him most.
Musical careers tend to have a rosy start because listeners are unfamiliar with the vocals.
Once they get used with the voice fatigue creeps in and the musical career endures a period of turbulence. It is time to assess the situation and repackage.
There is nothing wrong with the voice, only he needs to try something different. It is a cry for creativity more than rushing to judgment.
It explains why musical legend, Michael Jackson, made it a habit to release his album every five year.
He was concerned of burnout and fatigue. He knew a golden voice needs a rest something our musicians are bereft of.
Other superstars such as Vanessa Mdee have raised concerns about dark side of the musical industry.
Responding to interviews, she opened up about the darker, ritualistic side of the musical industry that she encountered during her career.
“The music industry is very ritualistic. Watu wanatumia miungu sana (people rely heavily on gods),” she broached the subject, her tone reminiscent and persistent.
Her words portrayed a picture of an industry where some musical practitioners prioritise spiritual pacts over talent and hard work. She explained why she terminated her musical career rather than being entrapped into the kingdom of darkness.
The local comedy industry has turned what is allegedly claimed by mama Rayvanny into cannon fodder.
Whether it is true or a product of lampooning a megastar is unclear but what I know there is a non-existent relationship between prosperity in Tanzania musical industry and occultism.
This may partly narrate why our musical industry fails to scrape the sky because hardship, discipline and modern management are secondary to beliefs in power of satanic wayward supernaturals.
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