Thomas Mapfumo

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Thomas Mapfumo (2011)

Thomas Tafirenyika Mapfumo (born July 2, 1945 in Marondera near Harare ) is a singer-songwriter and bandleader from Zimbabwe , also known as Mukanya or The Lion of Zimbabwe .

Live and act

Mapfumo grew up from the age of ten with his uncle, who was rooted in the Shona tradition and organized Mbira festivals. So he first learned to play the mbira before he discovered soul and beat music and wrote his first songs on this basis since 1965. From 1973 he developed with his Hallelujah Chicken Run Band on the basis of traditional shona music , a new music genre oriented towards rock music, Chimurenga (the "music of liberation"). The lines of the Mbira were picked up by several electric guitars ; the traditional drums were replaced by drums ; the chant was on Shona . In 1974 the first recordings were made for Teal Records , which took a stand for the war of liberation, all of which became hits and led to eight gold records .

In 1976 he founded a new formation with the Acid Band , which appeared together with the also popular Pied Pipers and recorded their first album Hokoya , which was released the following year. The album was banned by the censorship of Ian Smith's colonialist government and Mapfumo was sent to a prison camp for 90 days. A next album was created in 1978 with the Blacks Unlimited , which was not only released in the country itself, but also (on the Earth Works label ) in Europe. Since 1983 he has also performed in Europe. Since the mid-1980s he began to criticize the conditions in post-colonial Zimbabwe ( Corruption , 1989); he also sang partly in English. Because of his popularity and political influence as a critic of President Robert Mugabe , he was forced to emigrate in 2005. Since then he has lived in the USA.

Discographic notes

Singles with the Hallelujah Chicken Run Band (1972-1976)
  • Tarambana / Mary
  • Shumba Inobva MuGomo / Amalume
  • Chandiparapata / Muwuyi Amuka
  • Ngoma Yarira / Murembo
Thomas Mapfumo and the Acid Band
  • Hokoyo (1978)
Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited
  • Gwindingwi Rine Shumba (1980)
  • Ndangariro (1983)
  • Mabasa (1984)
  • Mr Music (1985)
  • Chimurenga for Justice (1986)
  • Zimbabwe / Mozambique (1987)
  • Varombo Kuvarombo (1988)
  • Chamunorwa (1989)
  • Chimurenga Masterpiece (1990)
  • Shumba - Vital Hits of Zimbabwe (1990)
  • Hondo (1992)
  • The Singles Collection 1976-1986 (compilation, 1992)
  • Chimurenga International (1993)
  • Sweet Chimurenga (1994)
  • Chimurenga Varieties (1995)
  • Chimurenga Forever - The Best of Thomas Mapfumo (compilation, 1995)
  • Roots Chimurenga (1996)
  • Afro Chimurenga (1996)
  • Chimurenga Movement (1997)
  • Chimurenga African Spirit Movement (also as The Lion of Zimbabwe ; 1997)
  • Chimurenga '98 (1998)
  • Live at El Rey (1999)
  • Chimurenga Explosion (2000)
  • with Wadada Leo Smith & N'Da Kulture, Dreams and Secrets (2001)
  • Chimurenga Collected (compilation, 2001)
  • Chimurenga Rebel / Manhungetunge (2002)
  • Toi Toi (2003)
  • Choice Chimurenga (2004)
  • Rise Up (2006)
  • Tribute to Benny Miller (2006)
  • "Unplugged" (2006)
  • Exile (2010)
  • Live at Afrofest (2010)
  • Golden Classics (2013)
  • Music & Shabeen (2014)
  • Danger Zone (2015)
  • Lion Songs (2015)
  • Thomas Mapfumo Live @ The Sanctuary For Independent Media 10th Anniversary (2016)

literature

  • Wolfgang Bender : Sweet Mother: Modern African Music Trickster, Munich 1985; ISBN 3-923804-10-5 .
  • Ronnie Graham: World of African Music: Stern's Guide to Contemporary African Music Pluto, London 1992; ISBN 0-7453-0552-0 .
  • Graeme Ewens: Africa O-Ye! A Celebration of African Music . Guinness Publishing, London 1991.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Mapfumo, Thomas
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Mukanya (honorary name); Mapfumo, Thomas Tafirenyika (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Zimbabwean singer-songwriter and band leader
DATE OF BIRTH July 2, 1945
PLACE OF BIRTH Marondera