We go down memory lane with Paul Matavire, the blind Zimbabwean musician and songwriter who rose to prominence in the 1980s when he joined the Jairos Jiri Band based in Bulawayo.
Matavire led the Jairo Jiri Band at the Jairos Jiri Rehabilitation Centre in Bulawayo and soon became one of the finest musicians since country gained independence from Britain in 1980.
He died at the age 44, in 2005, at his farm in Rutenga, Masvingo. By the time of his death he was the owner of a large herd of cattle, having spent the last days of his life as a farmer.
Matavire’s music gained popularity due to his humor, the use of rich and deep Shona lyrics, and his willingness to tread on what many regarded sensitive societal issues.