Simbarashe Namusi
“Wanyaaaraaa!”
The moment Sekuru Gudo lets out that chant in his viral hit Weru, the energy in Harare’s clubs shifts.
DJs barely have to drop the beat — the tease alone is enough to send crowds squealing in delight. Suddenly, a genre that was once dismissed as “rural wedding music” is dictating city nightlife.
But to really understand why this moment feels so fresh, we have to remember where jiti comes from.
Rooted in township celebrations and rural festivities, jiti has always been about unfiltered joy — music that cuts through class divides with its chant-like vocals and infectious rhythms.
It was the sound of dust-filled dancefloors at growth points long before it found its way into Harare’s bars.
For a while, Baba Harare was the modern torchbearer.
With tracks like The Reason Why, he carried jiti into mainstream popularity, proving the genre could compete with sungura and Zimdancehall on radio, in clubs, and at big shows.
When he pivoted to gospel, however, many wondered whether jiti would survive without its most visible champion.
Fast forward to today, and the answer is clearer: jiti didn’t just survive, it regrouped.
New voices have stepped into the gap with hits that speak to the genre’s raw energy. Sekuru Gudo’s Weru is a viral anthem.
Paddington Chiwashire’s Manhanga Matete is now a strong contender for Song of the Year, already enjoying back-to-back spins with Weru in clubs.
Even Jah Signal, a Zimdancehall star, has borrowed from jiti’s rhythm on Emerina, proof that the groove is too contagious to ignore.
So, is this a resurgence or just a fleeting hype cycle?
That remains to be seen.
What’s certain is that jiti has found a new, younger, and urban audience that dances to it with the same abandon as their parents did decades ago in the dust of growth points.
And with DJs and revellers embracing it in Harare’s nightspots, jiti feels less like a relic and more like Zimbabwe’s evergreen party language.
One thing is undeniable: right now, jiti has its swagger back — and the streets are loving every beat.
