Archive for November, 2007
Thursday, November 8th, 2007
Singer/songwriter Paulo Flores will hold this week four music shows at Luanda’s Casa70 House, in the ambit of this institution’s annual programme, ANGOP has learnt.
During his shows, Paulo Flores will have Manaças Costa as guest (musician from Guinea Bissau), and the Angolan group Banda Maravilha.
With the holding of these shows, Paulo Flores gets back to Casa 70 where he performed for the last time in December 2006, as a special guest to close the mentioned season.
Via Angola Press Agency
Posted in Music News | No Comments »
Thursday, November 8th, 2007
A few days after he returned from Uganda, music producer Robert Dargie remarked that he was impressed at the way hip-hop music was growing.
He was right, just two weeks ago Scar scooped a Channel O Award to prove that the genre is really growing in this country.
According to Dargie, Rhumba, which had been dominating for the last decade, was declining and disco music non-existent.
The number of artistes joining the hip-hop bandwagon is also growing and most of the time the youngsters are not only adding up the numbers but also releasing quality music.
The latest in this fast-growing list is an artiste called Eureka. He is not new to the music world anyway, having worked in South Africa before. He is now back in Botswana to start all over again. As they say charity begins at home.
“I did not want to be a visitor in my own land, I just had to return and establish myself first here at home before I could export my product,” Eureka said.
It is an open secret that hip-hop music is still struggling to find its footing not only in Botswana but in the whole region. Many people are skeptical about it, they still associate most of it with America.
For this reason, it would not be easy for hip-hop artistes to break into the market let alone make as much money as musicians doing other types of music like Kwaito or Afro pop. Eureka, whose real name is Tebogo Motsie had this in mind before he decided to venture into this tough industry.
That hip-hop originated in America, and is sang in English, has left misconceptions that it is better in that language than any other and some people do not even bother to listen if the lyrics are in any other language. But Motsie argues that language is not the key when it comes to music.
“It is just poetry and what language you use does not matter. I have stories to tell and it depends on whether that story is intended for the international community or if I want to communicate with the local people,” he argued. When he grew up in Francistown in the 90s, he was hopeful yet reluctant to start a career as a hip-hop artiste but for some reason he decided that it was his duty to shame the skepticism and prove that hip-hop had a future on African soil.
In 2003 he decided that one way of realising his childhood dream of one day being a big hip-hop superstar, was moving to a place where it was more appreciated and Cape Town was the obvious choice, as for a long time it was perceived the capital of the genre in Africa.
“At the time I thought the only way to make it was by moving to Cape Town but it turned out that if you want to make it big the place must be Johannesburg,” he said.
His fortunes changed after he took that bold step to move to Gauteng as he started to perform at various clubs around Joburg. The highlight of his seemingly short career was when he shared the stage with award winning South African groups, Skwatta Kamp and Brown Dash during this year’s East Rand Show. Here at home, many hip-hop followers are still to hear what he has to offer. But he is happy that even before his songs can go on air, he performed at the President’s concert at Maitisong recently.
Eureka got the nod to entertain outgoing President Festus Mogae after the organisers of the event listened to his CD and were immediately impressed. Currently fans have only been able to get a taste of his stuff on radio but he is hoping that his single titled Almost Famous will leave the same impression when it hits the shelves next week.
The 24 year-old believes in exploring and working with different artists for a mellow piece.
His coming CD has been touched by among others.
Via Mmegi
Posted in Music News | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 7th, 2007
Joseph Garakara, who has been using session musicians during live shows and recordings, will be working with Tauya Four Stars members.
The Zima award winner has no permanent group and uses Tauya Four Stars members as his backing group. Garakara said he engaged the members whom he gives time to play their music as Tauya Four Stars because he admires them
“As artistes we should work together and I feel Tauya Four Stars’ music should not be allowed to die. I am giving them an opportunity to keep their music alive, ” he said. The sungura outfit, which rose to prominence in the 1990s, disbanded following the passing on of bandleader Antony Simango in 2000 after releasing the album Muna Mupenda that carries the hit Mukadzi Wemapoto. The album was one of five others recorded under the late Simango’s leadership. But all has not been rosy for the remaining members - Jimmy Solomon, Amos Munyembela, John Chikwinya, Alfred Kuyeri and Ishmael Rangwani who have been taken by Joseph Garakara who was backed by session musicians. “Garakara has a musical kit. Since we have our own brand, we can’t let it die. Personally, I feel we have a role to play in ensuring that the music we started together with Simango lives on,” Solomon said.
Garakara has been holding a series of live shows with the band and he intends to go on a national tour during the festive season. Despite keeping a low profile, Tauya Four Stars has been on the music scene for some time having recorded a series of projects such as Winnie in 1992, Muna Mupenda in 1993, Mudiwa Sara in 1994, Ruchiva in 1995, Zvidzidzo Zveupenyu in 1996, Zvinoitika in 1996, Rugare Ndizvo Asi? in 1997 and Zvichanaka in 2000.
Via The Herald
Posted in Music News | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 7th, 2007
Nominees for this year’s Zimbabwe Music Awards will be announced today ahead of the grand finale that has been set for November 28 at Meikles Hotel in Harare.
There are 24 categories with five new ones which are Mbaqanga, Tshibilika Ekhaya Music, musician from the Sadc region who has done well in Zimbabwe, Zimbabwean Music Ambassador and Imbube. The sungura category will no doubt get music enthusiasts talking as all the top artistes in the genre have new albums.
Allan Chimbetu who won the accolade last year faces stiff competition from seasoned Alick Macheso, Tongai Moyo, Hosiah Chipanga, Nicholas Zakaria, Muzarabani-based Njerama Boys, Cephas Mashakada and to a lesser extent Joseph Garakara. The producer of the year award has always left out icons such as Bothwell Nyamhondera who has produced top sellers among them Macheso, Tongai and Somandla Ndebele.
It’s yet to be seen what this year’s category has in store as the last edition featured Elias Musakwa, Macdonald Chidavaenzi and Norman Tapambwa. Another tight contest is in the Best Choral Group category where Chiedza Chevatendi, Vabati VeVhangeri and ZCC Mbungo Hotline and ZCC Defe Dopota Brass bands have done well. The Chegutu-based Chiedza Chevatendi, who made a breakthrough with Ivhu Kuvhu last year, released Uchanotaura Chokwadi while another apostolic group Vabati VeVhangeri is currently on cloud nine with Gare Gare.
The Bikita-based Mbungo Hotline won a double disc award for their hit album Ndashaiwa Paumire while their other group Defe Dopota has always been spoken about. Another showdown is in the mbira category between Mbira DzeNharira and Mawungira eNharira who both have released well-polished albums Fare Fare Tindike and Chinemanenji. There can also be a surprise package in the category in the form of Hweva Mbira who are doing well with their latest album called Misumo. Mercy Mutsvene, who won a platinum disc for her album Nyika in the revived Gramma Records, Zimbabwe Music Corporation and Ngaavongwe awards, is likely to face Rumbidzai Zvirikuzhe and Mai Guvamombe in the Best Gospel (Female) category.
Ndux Junior and Chase Skuza who have furthered the legacy left by the late Nduna Malaba and Solomon Skuza are set to feature in the Tshibilika Ekhaya Music category. Roki’s Chidzoka and ExQ might lock horns in Best Urban Grooves Male Artiste award.
Via The Herald
Posted in Music Awards | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 7th, 2007
While Mbare gave birth to some of Zimbabwe’s greatest township musicians, Highfield nurtured musicians who experimented with various genres.
It was from Highfield where the Great Sounds, the Acid Band, the Harare Mambos, the Black Spirits, the Blacks Unlimited, Bhundu Boys and many others were formed. It was from Highfield where Pius Makokowe, one of the founders of the Great Sounds and the Acid Band hailed. Makokowe was asked by Elias Banda to join him after he and Grant Ndowa, Moses Kabubi, who now plays for Summer Breeze, the late Jethro Shasha, Daram Karanga as well as Eliah Chimwala had split from the Thomas Mapfumo-led Springfields in 1969.
The Springfields had a contract with Mutanga Club in Highfield but the group had poor instruments, which resulted in the club owners targeting them for eviction. Mapfumo spoke to the late broadcaster Dominic Mandizha who supplied the group with new kit but when the club realised that Mandizha was being paid more, they hatched a plan to ditch him.
Banda felt it was not professional and he approached Mandizha with the news but promised him that he would form a new group if given the kit. The Springfields split with Banda taking along five members to form the Great Sounds that became one of Zimbabwe’s most celebrated rhumba groups with its hit songs such as Koni, Anopenga Anewaya and Wotopfuhwira, which is the signature tune on the radio programme Chakafukidza Dzimba Matenga.
“These songs were composed by all the members. An idea was brought up and each member would contribute in shaping up the idea into a song,” said Makokowe, who is a retired soldier.
Makokowe said he was spotted by Banda at Highfield Community School playing a guitar and was invited to be part of the original group.
The group set base at Cyril Jennings Hall for rehearsals but toured the country before the then Salisbury Municipality contracted the group to play at Vito Tavern in Mbare. From Vito Tavern, the group set another base at El Morocco (now Livewire) after the OK Success had gone on a tour of Zambia. Karanga left to join the OK Success and Makokowe too left and teamed up with his brother Charles, Noah Mbirimi, Charles Makokowe, the late Albert Gweshe and the late James Chimombe to form the Acid Band in 1973.
The group was then contracted to play at Tsimba Hotel in Rusape where it stayed for two years before relocating to Harare where it set base at Mutanga Club in 1975.
At the time, Mapfumo had returned to Harare from Mhangura Mine where he had played with the Hallelujah Chicken Run Band.
“Thomas (Mapfumo) used to come in the early hours of the morning and ask us to let him sing. We gladly gave him the platform to do so,” remembers Makokowe who later left to join the late Safirio “Mukadota” Madzikatire. “I wanted something different and in Mukadota I saw an opportunity to be part of the sketches. We toured the country and when the Real Sounds of Africa came, I joined them because they wanted a guitarist who could play pop music,” says Makokowe.
The group had a contract with Nyamanhindi Hotel in Mutare where Cabs later employed Makokowe as a ledgers clerk. When the war heated up, Makokowe was conscripted into the Rhodesian army where he served as a medic and at Independence, he was drafted into the Zimbabwe National Army until 1994 when he retired into farming.
During his time in the army, Makokowe linked up with the army band called Amagigo and undertook studies of theory and practice in guitar as well as music theory. In 1996, Makokowe returned to mainstream music by forming the Shocks Band, which played at New Royal Hotel in Bulawayo. With him in the group were Zexie Gwaze, Joyce Nkomo, Charles Mutanga, Bee Chiradza and Harry Gwaze.
“In fact, the guys who later formed the Cool Crooners started with us. They came to play and we would back them,” says the 56-year-old Makokowe.
Although he is retired, Makokowe is planing to work with the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe in developmental project aligned to music.
Via The Herald
Posted in Artiste Profile | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 7th, 2007
PAUL Luggya, a classical concert-artiste based at the Kampala Music School, last week gave his first solo piano recital at the residence of the Ambassador of the Netherlands in Kololo.
The evening concert, which was well-attended, surprised many of his fans, who only knew him as an organist. But the confident Luggya never wasted any time before proving to his admirers that he was not only the king of the organ, but also a master of the piano.
He played big works like Bach’s English Suite No. 3, G minor, BVW 80 and F.B Mendelssohn’s Fantasia in F Sharp.
The concert was also spiced by Barber Shop group comprising Baritone singers Francis Muteesaasira, Banjamin Katumba, John Mary Mukiza, Fred Kasujja and Tenor Charles Dickens
Via New Vision
Posted in Music News | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 7th, 2007
Lovers of classical music converged on Maitisong Hall, Maruapula, to witness Sedibeng Choral Society perform Joseph Hayden’s Creation.
While the conductor and the founder of the choir Andy Batshogile admitted that they had some challenges preparing for the concert, the crowd, was nonetheless impressed.
All in all, Sedibeng, clad in maroon and black, presented 30-pieces reaching the finale with the only Setswana piece Magodimo a supa kganya ya Modimo (The heavens are telling). In the first part of the evening, the following pieces were performed, In the beginning, Now banish before the holy beams, Despairing cursing rage, And God made the firmament, The marv’lous work, And God said, Let the waters, Rolling in foaming billows, And God said, Let the earth, With Verdue clad, And the heavenly host, Awake the harp, And God said, Let there be lights, In splendor bright and The Heavens are telling. For the second and final part the choir presented And God said, Let the waters, On mighty pens, And God created great whales, And the angels, Most beautiful appear, The Lord is great, And God said, Let the earth bring forth, Straight opening, Now heaven in fullest glory shone, and God created man, In native worth, And God saw everything that he had made, Achieved is the glorious work, On thee each living souls awaits and Achieved is the glorious work before the finale, Magodimo a supa kganya ya Modimo. Some of those who performed solos at the event included Oteng Zachriah, Tebogo Dire, Lenny Magowe, Palesa Bogopa, Dianah Johane, Tebogo Kebakile, Tumelo Swele, Ralph Dennison and Onneile Maje who are all vocalists of note. According to the organisers, The Creation is an oratorio written by Joseph Hayden between 1796 and 1798 to celebrate the creation of the universe as depicted in the book of Genesis in the Holy Bible. According to the biography of Hayden, he was a deeply religious man who concluded all his compositions with Praise to God. It is said that when commenting on the challenges that he faced when working on the composition that is in three parts he said, “Never before was I so devout as, when I composed The Creation. Everyday I fell on my knees to pray to God to give me strength.
One of the things worth mentioning about the event is that Batswana were well represented, indicating that more locals are beginning to appreciate the genre. Another interesting thing about the concert was that almost half of the revellers were in their youth. It is common knowledge that mostly elderly people appreciate classical music.
Among the young revellers were teenagers Moagi Koneke, a student at Gaborone Secondary School and Kgomotso Kamogelo from St Joseph’s College.
“Sedibeng is one of the best choirs in the country and their music is splendid. I am only worried that they did not include marabi this time around,” commented the youthful Kooreke.
“We love choral music because it is mature. As an aspiring singer myself, I hope to emulate some of Sedibeng soloists one day,” said Kamogelo.
The two youngsters commented that since classical music concerts are attended by mature and collected people, that helps keep young people like them away from substance abuse and delinquency that is rife at entertainment joints frequented by young people.
Like Kooreke, some of Sedibeng’s fans expressed disappointment that the choir did not perform folk songs but Batshogile had earlier explained that they were planning another concert to cater for the genre.
This year’s concert was sponsored by, among others, BDF Women’s Club, Tiki Architects, Sunday Standard, Riverwalk, Performance Resources, Mosienyane and Partners International and David Slater Music. Part of the proceeds will go to the Sponsor-a-Child Trust Fund.
Next year, Sedibeng Choral Society will present Pirates of Penzance.
Via Mmegi
Posted in Music News | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 7th, 2007
American singer, Amerie, is expected between Thursday and Friday this week in Luanda, to participate in a music concert at “Miami Beach” restaurant, as part of the celebrations of Angola’s National Independence day, November 11.
Amerie will be the main star of the “Mtv base Live@Miami Beach”, a unique and exclusive event brought to Luanda by the mobile telephone operator “Unitel”.
The concert will have the participation of such local singers as Sandocan and Ary. DJ’s Hands PT, Bruno Ag and Pedro Polo will also appear.
Named for both 2006 Grammy Awards (Female R&B Vocal Performance) and (Best Contemporary R&B Album), Amerie is best known for her hit “Why Don’t We Fall in Love”, that started her in the American music hall.
Her lot of successful hits includes “Take”, “Gotta Work”, “One Thing” and “Touch”.
Joint performance with musicians like Ricky Martin (’I Don’t Care’) have helped Amerie to reach the first plan in the contemporary “R&B” movement.
The “Mtv base Live @ Miami Beach” is a co-production between the African television music channel MTV base and “Miami Beach” and is jointly sponsored by UNITEL and LG Electronics.
Via Angola Press Agency
Posted in Music News | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 7th, 2007
Plans have been concluded by two world powers, Germany and France in collaboration with the Abuja Metropolitan Music Society (AMEMUSO) to launch a Nigerian international music event in the Federal Capital Territory, which comes with an OPERA performance on the November 16, 2007.
The maiden global event is tagged,’ Operaabuja 2007′, and is targeted at identifying, mobilising, harmonising and coordinating the abundant music potentials of the nation in the area of music. Already, FCT minister, Dr.Aliyu Umar Modibbo, FCT minister of state, Senator J.J Akpanudoedehe, and the secretary of FCT social secretariat, Olusegun Awolowo, are anxiously waiting to open the occasion.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja yesterday, the wife of the German Ambassador to Nigeria, and Chairman of AMEMUSO,Maria Cecilia Toledo de Schmillen, said the event is being organised for the love of music and the desire to use it to blend the cultural heritage of the nation, and also advance the cause of unity, friendship, entertainment, and above all, build bridges across the various divides of the multilinguistic ethnic and religious segment of the country.
Maria Cecilia, who is herself a graduate of international music of the famous Mozarteum University, Salzburg in Austria, and a renowned performer of classical music, Operaabuja 2007 is just first a tip of the iceberg, regarding what is to come in future. ‘This interestingly will be the opera concert in Abuja and will feature local and international performers of repute in a crossover performance’. Maria said she is leading an 80 man- combined choir, even though only 50 of them will sing and dance at the beautiful event, to thrill residents and other invited guests at the occasion. The choir has been training on various aspects of classical music for some months now.
AMEMUSO, she added, is all out to give professional training to future music instructors and those with talents and gifts and flair in music, with all the efforts geared towards building a first class Nigerian music sub sector, and the consequent establishing in the near future, of a conservatory of International standards in Abuja, especially for children and talented adults, which will be managed by both Nigerian and foreign experts.
The quest for this new musical adventure, Maria said, will be heralded with a press conference tomorrow at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja by 12pm at the Benue Room.
Via Leadership
Posted in Music News | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 7th, 2007
amaican reggae artiste Luciano, who performed during the Jacaranda Festival, held at the City Sports Centre in Harare on Saturday returns to his base this afternoon.
Jeffreys Manjengwa, the coordinator of the annual festival meant to celebrate ecological and urban tourism, yesterday said Luciano would be leaving this afternoon for Jamaica via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he will catch a connecting flight to Kingston. Manjengwa applauded the acclaimed reggae crooner for taking part at this year’s festival. Luciano was said to be in Masvingo touring the Great Zimbabwe monuments and was also expected to have toured the Victoria Falls yesterday.
The singer who hailed President Robert Mugabe as a great leader and urged Zimbabweans to be firm in the face of the challenges brought about by illegal sanctions, expressed gratitude for the hospitality he received from locals pledged to assist the Rastafarian community refurbish their Chaminuka Rastafari House in Chitungwiza.
Via The Herald
