Masvingo-based producer Ishmael Majaya has launched a fundraising campaign to rebuild his recording studio after heavy winds and a hailstorm damaged the facility and destroyed or affected much of its equipment.
The storm damaged computers and other equipment were exposed to water after the roof was removed.
The storm struck on 5 October at about 5pm in Mucheke Surburb, Masvingo. According to Majaya, strong winds blew off the studio’s roof before a hailstorm began, with large hailstones damaging equipment inside the building.
The storm lasted for about an hour, during which computers and other equipment were exposed to water after the roof was removed. Majaya said the damage was discovered after a passer-by saw aluminium roofing sheets scattered across the road and contacted him.
“Pretty much everything was hit with ice and was all soaked in water for one hour,” Majaya told Music In Africa.
No one was inside the studio when the storm occurred.
The damage has also disrupted music projects that had already been recorded at the facility. Majaya said computers were no longer functioning and some hard drives had been soaked, leaving the studio unable to record until the building and equipment can be restored.
“We cannot create anything currently since we need the roof fixed first, then new equipment,” he said.
The studio has operated for seven years and has served musicians and producers in Masvingo, particularly those who cannot afford to travel to Zimbabwe’s larger cities to access professional recording facilities.
Majaya said he had also used the space to teach aspiring producers and beat-makers, helping some develop the skills to establish their own studios and careers.
“The studio has been my life for the past seven years. I have dedicated my life to recording musicians and teaching other producers and beat-makers to have their own studios and careers, doing it out of love more than personal gain,” he said.
The damage has affected a wider group of musicians who have used the facility. Majaya said artists and producers visited the site the following day after hearing about the storm.
“Since the place has been running for seven years, it felt like home for our community,” he said.
The immediate rebuilding priorities are repairing the roof and rewiring damaged electrical cables, followed by replacing essential recording equipment. Majaya identified a computer, audio interface, studio monitors and headphones among the equipment required to resume basic operations. Other improvements, including soundproofing, will be addressed as funds become available.
The studio has launched a GoFundMe campaign under the name Finch Music to help meet the rebuilding costs. Majaya said the fundraising was necessary because the studio has traditionally kept its services affordable for local musicians.
“A lot of people cannot afford to travel to the main cities to record and cannot afford the bills. So we have been offering low-price services just to run day-to-day services,” he said.
He added that musicians, businesses and members of the wider community had responded by sharing the fundraising campaign and offering encouragement, while some had indicated that they would explore ways of providing financial or equipment support.
Majaya said the rebuilding would also include measures to make the studio more resistant to future extreme weather.
“We are going to make sure the roofing equipment is durable, strong and well done so that in case of storms or any weather pattern in the future, nothing will be damaged,” he said.
For Majaya, restoring the studio is about more than replacing equipment. He said the facility provides young people with a space to explore creative work and discover opportunities in music and other forms of production.
“It will help young people to express themselves using creative arts rather than being in the streets where they might easily get into drugs and crime,” he said. “We want to help discover new talents, new dreams. We want everyone who is creative to have a chance to express art where anything is possible, without limitations of equipment and quality.”
In addition to music recording, the studio provides voice-over, jingle and commercial production services for local radio stations, which Majaya said helped bring services normally associated with larger cities to artists and businesses in Masvingo.
The GoFundMe campaign, titled Help Us Rebuild After Heavy Rain Damage. Home For Music, is seeking to raise A$3 500. At the time of Majaya’s response, the campaign had raised A$5.
Those wishing to support the rebuilding effort can contribute through the GoFundMe campaign under the name Finch Music or contact Majaya directly at [email protected].
