On a cool Zimbabwean winter night Kurai Makore stepped up to a raised platform that extended into the crowd of roughly 250 watching his show, raised his arms above his head and stared right into my camera. Behind him, his band, the Black Lions was belting out a Mapfumo classic, “Hurukuro”. For a split second, his transfiguration into his uncle, Thomas Mapfumo was complete.

“Hurukuro” is a conversation between friends who have met up and in catching up, find solace in their shared experience of their daily struggles trying to make ends meet. If you are new to Thomas Mapfumo, he is credited with pioneering Chimurenga music- a bass guitar heavy, mbira forward, blend of traditional genres accompanied by a guitar picked in a way that mimics the mbira.

Considered contemporary traditional music, Mapfumo sings Chimurenga music in a distinct style: slow, husky and deep. Think Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits voices.

Chimurenga lyrics are often associated with expressing daily struggles (which is the translation of the word chimurenga) and political protest. These lyrics landed Mapfumo in prison during the war for independence and forced him into self imposed exile in the late 90’s after running into trouble with the Mugabe government.

For many years it appeared as though Chimurenga music had slipped into irrelevance. Unlike his peer Oliver Mtukudzi who had managed to stay in the country and groom a whole generation of younger artists to play in his Tuku Music style, there didnt seem to be a natural successor.

Until now. 

Kurai Makore has Mapfumo’s distinct voice, movements, gait, and importantly, his hair. Watching him was nostalgic, therapeutic and also involved navigating fans that were 4 hours into drinking by the time we had arrived.

He is yet to fully capture the hearts of all of Zimbabwe the way Mapfumo did. Zim dancehall is the music of choice for struggling Zimbabwean youth. Some of the other artists we have met are yet to hear of him.  However, ehat’s clear, however is that Chimurenga music has finally found a successor in Kurai Makore and the message still has resonance in today’s society.

Links to enjoy:

Hurukuro: Thomas Mapfumo.

Kurai Makore at Kadoma Festival