Chimurenga Rebel/Manhungetunge by Thomas Mapfumo and The Blacks Unlimited

The Blacks Unlimited spent most of 2001 in the United States, working out of Mapfumo's home in Eugene, Oregon, and it was painful indeed to lose such close friends so far away.

There was more bad news too. Mbira player Ngoni Makombe lost his wife, Lucia, in September, just days before the world was rocked by the worst terrorist attack in its history. In October, Mapfumo lost his musical colleague and uncle, Marshall Munhumumwe, leader of the immortal Four Brothers. Munhumumwe had suffered a stroke in 1997. And that same month, Zimbabwe lost a giant of the mbira, Ephat Mujuru, who died of a heart attack in London at age 58. All through this difficult year, friends and family of everyone in the Blacks Unlimited were hurting back home. The Zimbabwean economy was getting worse by the day, with basics of life-oil, bread, sugar, and gasoline-more and more expensive and in ever shorter supply. Political violence and intimidation had reached such levels that it was looking very unlikely that the presidential elections coming early in 2002 would be free and fair. But Thomas Mapfumo is nothing if not a survivor, and as the end of the year approached, and it was getting on time for him to go back and play his traditional year-end shows in Harare, he rallied his forces as only he can to create one of his most dynamic and soulful recordings ever. Mapfumo called upon his former drummer Sam Mukanga and trombonist Willard Kalanga. They came from Zimbabwe along with a talented backing singer, Felistas Bisiwasi. He then recruited a talented young American saxophonist named David Rhodes, who topped one of the most powerful brass sections the Blacks Unlimited has ever seen. After a year of rehearsals and shows, Zivai Guveya had grown into the demanding role of lead guitarist, and was ready to make his first serious foray into studio recording.

M A N H U N G E T U N G E

tHOmaSmaPFUmO&tHeBLACKSUnLimiTeD

1 Big in America 6.09

2 Ndaparara 7.15

3 Magobo 7.40

4 Ndini Ndega 8.36

5 Manhungetunge 4.42

6 Regai Vakanganise 6.19

7 Chemutengure 6.29

8 Mangoma 7.19

9 Pamuromo Chete 6.31

Manhungetunge (2000)

"Each time you reminisce about the way the Motherland used to be, and what it has become, you feel pain in your stomach. That is 'manhungetunge.' " Thomas Mapfumo.

In the summer of 2000, Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited returned to the United States for another tour. Mapfumo was worried enough about the future that he had made plans to move his family to the United States for the foreseeable future. When the tour ended in the fall, he joined them at their new home in Eugene, Oregon. In August, 2000, Mapfumo and the band took a few days off from the tour to record a one-of-a-kind release, Dreams and Secrets, with trailblazing music visionary and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and his band N'Da Kulture. The album was recorded at Gung-Ho Studio in Eugene, the facility where Mapfumo had laid down a number of tracks from his historic 1999 release, Chimurenga Explosion. These Gung-Ho recordings are some of the highest quality entries in the entire Mapfumo catalogue, and what's more, the studio was beginning to feel like home to Mapfumo and his band. Before returning to Zimbabwe for their annual year-end shows, the band went back to Gung-Ho to record five new songs. These, along with four unreleased tracks from the Chimurenga Explosion sessions, make up Manhungetunge. The Mapfumo lineup had changed a little since the 1999 Gung-Ho sessions. Veteran guitarist Joshua Dube, ill with tuberculosis, had made a break with Blacks Unlimited after the Dreams and Secrets project to return to Zimbabwe and develop his own band, Shangara Jive. This allowed 17-year-old Zivai Guveya to step into his new role as lead guitarist for the Blacks Unlimited. Zivai also plays mbira alongside Chaka Mhembere on the five 2000 tracks. Brothers Bezil and Ngoni Makombe were not in their usual mbira section seats. Bezil had set off on his own at the start of 2000 to establish the band Movement in Petersburg, South Africa, and Ngoni had gone home to look after his wife, who was gravely ill. A young player new in the Blacks Unlimited 2000 lineup, Zivanai Masango filled out the brass section, playing trumpet alongside Everson Chibhamu and Edson Mbaisa. Sam Mukanga, who had played drums in the band since 1993, was replaced in 2000 by Gordon Mapika. There are also two guest guitarists here. Mapfumo had been so pleased with Woody Aplanalp's guitar work on Dreams and Secrets, that he called him back to Eugene to play lead on the song, "Big in America." He also helped out on "Ndini Ndega." And going back to the four 1999 songs, "Mangoma" includes some Malian-style electric guitar from Banning Eyre.

Banning Eyre, 2002

Average Customer Review: