Insingizi - Spirit of Africa (2007)

«"Mbube" music, regarded as dating back in Zulu tradition to King Shaka, was originally royal music to be sung to honor the Zulu King by his male supporters. The style—a rich a cappella male choral approach usually sung in Zulu, appeared in the early 20th century as "Ingoni Ebusuku," meaning "night music." Popular with Zulu and Swazi laborers, in the early 1940s one of the Ingoni Ebusuku groups recorded a song called "Mbube" (the lion), which became a model for the international hit "Wimoweh" (the Lion Sleeps Tonight), and since then this type of music has become known as Mbube. The three talented men of Insingizi, Vusa, Nqo and Ramadu, have deep Mbube roots and performing experience, and they have created a special, powerful collection of 17 songs here. The rhythmic gem "Amasango," the gospel-based "Jerusalem," "Ungangidluli Jesu" and "Siyabonga," the complex "Isiqholo" and "Mama," and "Uzoyidela" are favorites. Beautiful, extensive liner notes. Authentic, wonderful "night music" from Insingizi.» (http://www.singers.com/)

Official website: http://www.insingizi.net/

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Bhundu Boys - The Shed Sessions 1982-1986 (2001)

«The most commercially and creatively successful act ever to emerge from Zimbabwe, the Bhundu Boys embodied the world music zeitgeist of the mid-'80s. Creators of a frenetic, guitar-dominated style they dubbed "jit," they fused airy melodies, shimmering harmonies, and pulsating rhythms drawn from across the African continent to make music that was both alien and accessible. Taking their name from the guerrillas who backed Robert Mugabe in his successful war to win Zimbabwe's independence from Britain, the Bhundu Boys formed in April 1980 in the city of Harare, which translates literally (and, sadly, prophetically) as "death everywhere." Lead guitarist Rise Kagona assembled the original lineup, which also included singer/guitarist Biggie Tembo, bassist David Mankaba, keyboardist Shakie Kangwena, and drummer Kenny Chitsvatsva. Making do with homemade instruments, the Bhundu Boys cut their teeth playing Western pop covers in township beer halls, and were a local phenomenon by the time they were discovered by erstwhile property developer Steve Roskilly, who cut their earliest sessions in his home studio, Shed. Their 1981 debut single, "Hatisitose," topped the Zimbabwean charts for three months straight, and in the years to follow the band scored three more national number ones with "Baba Munini Francis," "Wenhamo Haaneti," and "Ndimboze."

The Bhundu Boys' ascent to international fame began when Owen Elias and Doug Veitch, owners of the fledgling Discafrique label, traveled from London to Harare in search of artists to sign. There they befriended Roskilly, and on his encouragement cut a deal to reissue the band's records in the U.K. Elias and Veitch also plotted to bring the Bhundu Boys to Britain to tour, but when funding dried up Discafrique turned to Scottish promoter Gordon Muir, who in time took over the band's management. Most critical to the Bhundu Boys' growing momentum was the endorsement of BBC Radio One DJs John Peel and Andy Kershaw, both of whom played their Discafrique LPs Shabini and Tsvimbodzemoto incessantly – a few years later, Kershaw even served as best man at Tembo's wedding. In 1987 Muir brokered a landmark deal with WEA, reportedly the most lucrative ever signed by a world music act, and while at work on their major-label debut, the Bhundu Boys opened three nights for Madonna at Wembley Stadium, playing to a crowd of 240,000 at the personal request of the Material Girl herself. But their 1988 WEA debut, True Jit, was a disaster, sacrificing the elegant simplicity of their earlier work for an over-produced, Westernized sound that alienated their core fan base. The 1989 follow-up, Pamberi, was no better, and WEA terminated their contract soon after.

The Shed Sessions: 1982-1986 comprise the two albums that Zimbabwe's Bhundu Boys recorded at Harare's Shed Studios between 1982 and 1986. It's where Biggie Tembo and the rest of the band developed their jit-jive style and created a classic sound with intricately interlocking guitar parts. Comprised of two LPs, Shabini and Tsvimbodzemoto, this is really the legendary sound of the band, spawning four number one singles at home and establishing their reputation overseas. This CD not only collects the songs from those albums, but adds more, for a total of 28 cuts, all powered by some storming guitar work. But while they show their fire on tracks like "Pachedu," they also take on the feel of more traditional mbira music on the moody "Manhenga."

It's ironic that they should hit their creative high point so early in their career, never recapturing the spirit that made this music so remarkable and glittering. From here they'd move to England, but in the '90s everything would fall apart, as members died of AIDS and Biggie Tembo hanged himself after being asked to leave the band. A tragic end that wasn't foreseen in some of the best guitar music to emerge from Africa.» (AMG, click here for the full bio)

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African Blues (World Music Network, 1998)

«Blues? That’s American Deep South stuff, right? Well, not only. The quest for “authenticity” in music has taken so many spurious turns in recent years that it has perhaps managed to overlook the overarching patterns. It’s these patterns that have made up the blues, that inimitable form of misery set to music that’s as vibrant today as ever. It has a long history – musicologists have traced the origins of blues from India to Arabia to Spain, through to Africa, the Caribbean and America’s southern states.

African Blues, a valuable and exhilarating record, contains 15 songs ranging from Egypt’s Hamza El Din to Cape Verde’s unsurpassable Cesaria Evora. The Stayin’ Home With the Blues series, meanwhile, features vintage recordings with American blues artists such as Freddie King, Big Bill Bronzy, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Memphis Slim.

Although blues has its origins elsewhere, it’s the American records, made mostly in the 1940s and 1950s, that sound spare and dour. It’s impossible to say the same of African musician Ismael Lo’s “Talibe” with its sweetly sad vocals and lilting rhythms, or the mesmerizing progression of Oumou Sangare’s “Saa Magni”. But listen more closely and the connections become clearer: there’s something of Otis Redding about Kante Manfila and Balla Kall’s “Kankan Blues” from Guinea, and there’s a distinct doo-wop groove in the oldest track on the disc, Zambian Alick Nhata’s “Maggie”.

Turn to Lightnin’ Hopkins’ “Sad news from Korea” – a 1950s song which shows how well the old blues format adapts to accommodate new subjects – and we begin to hear the same kinds of empty spaces, quivering with expression, as in songs like “A Va Safy Va Lomo” from Mozambique’s Orchestra Marrabenta Star.

Blues has its sound roots in the music that the American slaves brought from Africa and its emotional roots in the experience of captivity. And African Blues is fascinating because it traces not only roots, but is made by musicians who have already been exposed to American Blues, especially in its soul and R’n’B incarnations.

But how authentic is that typical no-good-woman blues sentiment that the Stayin’ Home album has in abundance? Without knowing the languages it’s difficult to know whether misogyny prevails in African Blues. But it is intriguing to reflect on Cesaria Evora, the barefoot diva who slugs back whisky and smokes with the best of them, and who has by virtue of her Portuguese-language songs been enlisted into the ranks of fado – Portuguese blues – singers. Whatever the roots of blues, its routes through the world continue apace.» (New Internationalist)

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Oliver Mtukudzi - Paivepo (2000)

«Oliver Mtukudzi is the best-selling artist in his home country of Zimbabwe, Africa. Lovingly called “Tuku” for short, Oliver began recording in the mid-1970s as a member of Wagon Wheels, a band that also featured Thomas Mapfumo. After Wagon Wheels rolled to fame in Southern Africa, Tuku formed Black Spirits, the band that has backed him throughout his career.

Tuku has been heavily influenced by chimurenga, the genre pioneered by Mapfumo that is inspired by the hypnotic rhythms of the mbira (thumb piano). However chimurenga is just one of many styles performed by Tuku, as his music also incorporates pop influences, South African mbaqanga, the energetic Zimbabwean pop style JIT, or the traditional kateke drumming of his clan, the Korekore.

While Tuku’s music is undeniably contagious, it is his lyrics that have captured the hearts of his people. The words to his songs, performed in the Shona language of Zimbabwe as well as English, invariably deal with social and economic issues. In the face of political turmoil and a horrific AIDS epidemic that has swept the African continent, Oliver's humor and optimism creates an appeal that crosses generations. One of Tuku’s biggest fans is Bonnie Raitt, who has not only called Oliver “a treasure”, but has also used his music as inspiration for the song One Belief Away on her album Fundamental.»

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Stella Chiweshe - Talking Mbira (Spirit of Liberation) (2002)

«Accompanying her swooping vocals on mbira, a thumb piano consisting of metal strips set in wood, Stella Chiweshe has taken the traditional Shona music of Zimbabwe to the international stage. Chiweshe reached her largest audience when she joined Peruvian vocalist Susana Baca and Tex-Mex singer-guitarist Tish Hinojosa for the Global Diva tour in 1997.

One of the few women to play the mbira, Chiweshe was taught to play by her mother's uncle in 1963 or 1964. In 1974, she had to borrow an instrument in order to record her debut single. In the two decades since, Chiweshe has recorded more than twenty singles. In addition to performing as a soloist, Chiweshe performs with the Stella Chiweshe Mbira Trio and the Earthquake Band. According to World Music: The Rough Guide, Chiweshe “has provoked some criticism for her avant garde mixture of sacred and commercial music, a controversal issue in a country where music is so close to the spiritual centre of life”. Partly based in Germany, Chiweshe performs mostly outside of her native land. A talented actress and dancer, Chiweshe is a member of the National Dance Company Of Zimbabwe and is known for her portrayal of national hero, Mbuyo Nehanda.

Fans of Stella Chiweshe's hypnotic style won't be disappointed by Talking Mbira, since she delivers plenty more of the same throughout. The mix of mbira, or thumb piano, with marimbas, creates a jogging, mesmerizing bed of sound for Chiweshe's storytelling Shona vocals, which remain filled with politics. She's a spiritual, visionary woman who seems to rely on her senses to create nothing less than magic. The revelation on the disc, however, is "Chachimurenga (Future Mix)," which ups the pace a little in a kind of Zimbabwe dub, and the sprightly bass work of Sabah Habas Mustapha. The production, by Hijaz Mustapha, brings in plenty of reverb to take Chiweshe's song to another dimension and heighten the impact – at least to Western audiences more familiar with Jamaican music than the raw sounds of southern Africa. While it's the most accessible and the overall sound makes it stand out, don't be fooled – everything else here is just as powerful.» (AMG)

Official site: http://www.stellachiweshe.com/

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Putumayo Presents: Women of Africa (2004)

«While the African music scene is currently dominated largely by men, there has never been any stigma to speak of against women performing (with the possible exception of some of the North African Islamic nations). The catch is that women tended historically to spend less time playing instruments in favor of other portions of the rituals and work, and stayed primarily within the vocal field as a result. Putumayo is taking advantage of this to combine three of their favourite forms of compilation: African music, women's music, and vocal music. The range here covers essentially the whole of Africa, with representatives from each of the major areas. South African Judith Sephuma opens the album with a contemporary piece, followed by Benin's great Angélique Kidjo with something based on Brazilian idioms. Following the Portuguese influence a step further (or closer, as the case may be), Maria de Barros performs a bit of morna from Cape Verde before the album makes a return to South Africa with Sibongile Khumalo. A quick run to the east allows for a nice Malagasy work from Tarika, and a jump north to Cameroon precedes the third South African piece, this time a bit of classic jazz from Dorothy Masuka. Firmly moving away from the South African sphere of influence, a wonderful piece from the often-excluded Comoros is included, preceding Ivorian Dobet Gnahore with a chipper work. A beautiful ballad from Souad Massi's Island release takes up the North African end, followed by an acoustic guitar-based rhythm from Burundi's Khadja Nin. Closing the album is a bit of female isicathamiya, courtesy of the Women of Mambazo, led by Joseph Shabalala's wife prior to her murder. Overall, it's quite a good album, with nice coverage of the various regions and the use of some underexposed but noteworthy artists. The only possible complaint would be that it's a bit heavy on South African music.» (AMG)

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Thomas Mapfumo - The Chimurenga Singles 1976-1980 (1984)

«Aprile 1980: lo Zimbabwe proclama l’indipendenza nazionale. Per festeggiare l’evento, Thomas Mapfumo e il suo gruppo, The Blacks Unlimited, vengono raggiunti nientemeno che da Bob Marley e dai suoi Wailers a Salisbury, in un Rufaro Stadium strapieno! […] Thomas Mapfumo incarna i sette anni di lotta nell’allora Rhodesia […] contro il potere coloniale bianco che, alleato al Sudafrica, si era attribuito il monopolio delle miniere, delle piantagioni di tabacco e di cotone e dei grandi allevamenti bovini. Un’aspra lotta in un paese di sette milioni di abitanti terminata con trentamila morti, quindicimila mutilati, duecentocinquantamila esuli e un milione di profughi.

Per fronteggiare le armi sofisticate dell’esercito bianco, i resistenti neri avevano impiegato i metodi in uso in tutte le guerriglie del mondo ma, soprattutto, si erano avvalsi di quelli della coscienza, facendo leva sulle pulsioni della spiritualità shona e ndebelé, le due etnie principali. Una filosofia a partire dalla quale Thomas Mapfumo (“lancia” in lingua shona) e il chitarrista Jonas Sitholé hanno composto una musica che sarebbe diventata la colonna sonora della lotta per l’emancipazione, sia nelle bidonville di Salisbury e Bulawayo, sia nelle campagne. Musica che sarebbe stata ampiamente diffusa da Radio Mozambico, Radio Zambia, Radio Cairo, Radio Mosca o tramite dischi clandestini.

Nato nel 1945, Thomas Mapfumo sa di cosa parla. È cresciuto nel cuore delle tribal trust lands, terre sfruttate e abbandonate dal colono bianco, e ha seguito i genitori nelle township (ghetti) della capitale. Intuisce l’uso che si può fare della musica ascoltando alla radio la musica soul e rock che faceva furore tra i giovani all’altro capo del pianeta.

La sua particolare alchimia è dovuta all’uso della mbira. Usato fin dalla dinastia monomotapa del XVI secolo, questo lamellofono conta solitamente ventidue tasti di metallo fissati su una cassa di risonanza in legno da suonare con i pollici. Nella cultura shona, questa sanza suonata con un sonaglio fatto di zucca (hosho) ha una funzione particolare: è lo strumento medium che permette di entrare in contatto con gli “spiriti” durante le danze di possessione. I missionari non sbagliavano a qualificare i suoi motivi cristallini come “musica di Satana”. Sicché, attraverso la trasposizione del suono circolare dello strumento, Mapfumo immagina un nuovo stile di riff (ripetizioni ritmiche) per chitarra e basso, poi adatta il motivo di terza suonato dall’hosho a un cimbalo e accompagna il tutto con un vigoroso tamburo di basso. Nasce la chimurenga music, con cui Mapfumo sublima le frustrazioni e le umiliazioni del suo popolo.

Benché vietate dal regime razzista di Ian Smith, le canzoni di Mapfumo si diffondono clandestinamente e inducono molti giovani ad arruolarsi nella resistenza. A causa dei suoi brani, l’autore sconta anche diversi mesi di carcere nonostante le autorità non abbiano in mano nulla di concreto, visto che le parole delle canzoni chimurenga si articolano su parabole e metafore care alle lingue nazionali dello Zimbabwe.

Dopo l’indipendenza, il beat ipnotico nato dalla mbira diventa il segno distintivo della musica pop zimbabwese, i cui maggiori rappresentanti sono Stella Rambisai Chiweshé (la prima donna ad aver usato in scena la mbira, strumento riservato agli uomini), Oliver Mtukudzi, Bhundu Boys, Devera Ngwena, The Four Brothers, Comrade Chinx e Chiwoniso. […] (Frank Tenaille, Lo Swing del Camaleonte, Epoché edizioni, pp. 61-63)

«Thomas Mapfumo made revolutionary changes in Zimbabwe’s pop-music scene by recording a song for which he’d written his own music. Before Mapfumo, songs in the traditional style were always based on tunes that had been handed down for generations. Mapfumo’s music, chimurenga (“music of struggle”), became popular during the civil war against White minority rule, but his popularity made the government unhappy. In 1977 he was sent to a prison camp for subversion. To obtain his release, Mapfumo agreed to perform for the ruling party, but at the concert he sang only his most revolutionary songs. “I told them that since I’d been in detention, I didn’t have time to write new ones.” […] The early hit singles by Mapfumo and Blacks Unlimited, these classic sides were recorded during the long civil war; their musical and lyrical content completely revamped the face of pop music in Zimbabwe.» (More at AMG)

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