THE EDIT
By Kudakwashe | Kade Culture Editor
There’re some artists whose music becomes attached to particular moments. A song you played on repeat with your siblings. One that somehow follows you onto every night out. An old favourite that still sounds right years later.
Takura is one of those artists for me.
Known also as Learn Zimbabwe and Shona Prince, Takura has built a catalogue that has evolved over the years while keeping the storytelling and emotion that have always made his music stand out.
So, rather than trying to pick his five “best” songs, this is simply a look at five Takura songs that have found their way onto my playlist and stayed there.
01. Penge Penge
The one that followed me from home.
I know it’s the obvious choice, but I couldn’t leave it out.
I played this one constantly with my siblings while I was in Zimbabwe this year. Then somehow, I kept hearing it on nights out too.
That’s the thing about a song becoming part of a season. You hear it somewhere, then suddenly it’s everywhere. Penge Penge was that song for me this year.
02. Handizvione
On repeat. Loud enough for the neighbours to know the words.
There’s something about the reassurance in this one that keeps bringing me back.
The song carries the feeling of reminding someone that, despite everything going on around them, you are still choosing them. It’s warm, familiar and easy to get lost in.
And yes, this one has been played enough times that the neighbours probably know every word by now.
03. Zvemoyo
An oldie, but a timeless goodie.
Some songs don’t really age, and Zvemoyo is one of them.
It’s the kind of track that keeps finding its way back into the rotation. There’s a familiarity to it that makes it easy to return to, and a reminder of why certain songs stay with us long after their release.
04. Chihwitsi Chemoyo
Still on my playlist after all these years.
This is another older Takura song that still holds its place.
There’s something about the sound and the feeling of this one that makes it worth returning to. It carries a certain nostalgia, but it doesn’t feel stuck in the past.
05. Hazvireve Rudo Handina
Especially the acoustic version.
This one is beautiful.
There’s a softness to the acoustic version that makes the song feel even more intimate. Stripped back, the emotion comes through differently, giving you space to really listen to the words and the feeling behind them.
Definitely one of my favourites.
The thing about Takura
Takura’s music stays with you.
From the older songs that introduced many of us to his sound to what he’s making today, the evolution is clear. But some things remain.
The storytelling. The feeling. The ability to make a song stick.
That’s what makes revisiting his catalogue so enjoyable. You find the songs you remember, the ones you’d forgotten and the ones that somehow become part of your life all over again.
It’s hit after hit.
Takura returns to Birmingham.
If this playlist has you revisiting old favourites, there’s another reason to have Takura on your radar.
Takura returns to Birmingham this November, and it feels like a full circle moment. Seeing his music continue to travel and grow is something special, especially for those of us who’ve been there since the earlier UK shows.
Friday 27 November 2026
O2 Institute, Birmingham
@zimlinkup
Which Takura song keeps finding its way back onto your playlist?
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