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Zivanai Masango |
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Zivanai Masango and Musatisiye Masango was born in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare (then Salisbury, Rhodesia), into a family of musicians. Many of his family members were—and still are—mbira musicians, who play for traditional ceremonies. The mbira is used to bring the Shona into contact with their spiritual ancestors, and musicians such as Zivanai’s relatives use their skill and stamina to persuade the spirits to enter members of the community as living spirit mediums. In addition to the spiritual soundscape that shaped his musical orientation, Masango was influenced by Western music, both popular and orchestral. His father was the first black bandmaster of the Police Military band, which played mostly military and orchestral music. However, under his father the band began performing traditional Zimbabwean repertoire. Although Masango excelled at a number of instruments it was not until the age of 18 that he first picked up guitar. Three years later he was performing with Thomas Mapfumo. Musatisiye, which is a plea to God and means “Don’t pass us by”, is informed by Masango's experiences touring with one of the world's greatest revolutionary artists and resonates with the communicative power of Chimurenga. Song by song it tells the story of Zimbabwe's struggle for independence, portraying chronologically through music the events and experiences of the path to liberation. Largely narrated through his own compositions, Masango also incorporates renditions of traditional pieces. For example, when the narrative suggests it, Masango sings Tondobayana, the traditional warriors’ song. For 30 years or more, much of the popular music in Zimbabwe—the last British colony to gain its independence—has been concomitant with revolution and socio-political change. This association was largely the result of Thomas Mapfumo. In the early 1970s, he began introducing Shona lyrics and traditional instruments—mainly the mbira—into his music, and began singing about revolution against the ruling colonial class. This music reached the guerilla fighters and echoed popular sentiment. Musatisiye is Masango’s personal statement, realized in this style, and offered for the first time at the Acoustic African Music Series in the intimate environs of the Cornelia Street Café. Together, the guitar and percussion create a unique and intriguing sound, derived from the music of mbira ensembles. Masango’s winding, intricate guitar melodies echo mbira lines and interlock with the cyclical, driving rhythms of percussionist McDonald Kombo. The combined effect is a sophisticated musical dialogue providing a foundation on top of which Masango sings Musatisiye’s story. For more information on the history of Zimbabwe, click here. For more information on Thomas Mapfumo and Chimurenga music, click here. |
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