17.8.08

Sound Offerings from Zimbabwe


I bought this CD for a friend of mine who's interested in music from Zimbabwe but it turned out he only likes tracks by Oliver Mtukudzi from the early 1980's. I'm not too sure if these tracks are remarkable in any way because the CD cover looks like made for tourists. Your advice would be appreciated very much.

"Sound Offerings from Zimbabwe"
Mazana Movement - Munonzwa sei? / Paul Matavire - Ndiri Mujere / Ephat Mujuru - Tambirai Vayeni / Edwin Vamwe - Dreams of a Home / Biggie Tembo - Chemedzevana / Zig Zag Band - Vamashuma / Max Mapfumo & Dopiro Crew - Mutserendende / Leonard Zhakarwa - Baba Vachamunorwa / John Chibadura - Baya Wabaya / King Pharoh (The Flying Mamboo) & Marumbe Express - Pachinyakare / Lovemore Majaivana - Ngugama / Solomon Skuza - Ilanga Malishona
CD, ZMC Production CDZMC 08, 2002
(download)

2 Kommentare:

Anonym hat gesagt…

I have to say thanx for this post and this is a classic album, it will grow on you. Keep up the good work.

Midza

Anonym hat gesagt…

Many thanks for this - many names unknown to me, so I look forward to discovering some new Zimbabwean music! For your information:

The Bhundu Boys were a Zimbabwean band that played a mixture of chimurenga music with American rock and roll, disco, country, and pop influences. Their style became known as jit, and is quite popular across Africa, with some international success.

The name came from bhundu (meaning "Bush" or "jungle"), in reference to the young boys who used to aid the nationalist guerrilla fighters in the 1970s war against the white minority government of what was then Rhodesia. Lead singer Biggie Tembo (Biggie Rodwell Tembo Marasha) was just such a Bhundu boy.

The Bhundu Boys recorded from 1983 onwards. Their first UK album Shabhini was released on the Discafrique label in 1986 and was one of the major independent sellers of the year. In 1987, just as their second UK album "Tsvimbodzemoto" was released by Elias, again under licence from Shed Studios on the Discafrique label, The Bhundu Boys broke their contract with Shed Studios and signed to Warner Brothers International. Their first album "True Jit", produced by Robin Millar was considered too far a jump in style from their original recordings and was unfavourably received. The band began a long period of further live appearances, releasing other independent CDs but started to fall apart. Leader Biggie Tembo achieved some celebrity on TV and in the press, which irritated the rest of the band, especially the leader Rise Kagona, and Tembo was asked to leave the band in 1990.
Without the writing and vocal talents of Biggie Tembo, the band never again produced the same enthusiastic reception by the music press or by the public. Biggie Tembo tried a comeback by collaborating with a Bristol band called "Startled Insects", without success. Returning to Zimbabwe, he tried to produce some more music at Shed Studios, but hanged himself in 1995 in a psychiatric hospital.

Thanks again, Dave Sez.