Album Out!!!

Early Years: The 70's

The history of guitar is the history of Louis Mhlanga - unarguably one of the supreme African guitarists of our time. World renowned multi-lingual singer/ songwriter, composer, producer, arranger and ethnomusicologist he has performed globally unfailingly moving and impressing audiences from all cultures and walks of life with an accomplished and intuitive expression of his instrument. Considered a “legend” in the musical fraternity, ‘the artists' artist’, his distinctive and resonant style of ‘picking and plucking’ is mimicked by young and seasoned guitarists alike. 

From the fringes of his siblings’ occupations in music Louis Mhlanga was witness to the evolution of Zimbabwean music genres as influenced by Rock, Pop, Rumba, Marabi, Reggae, folk and Country as well as the early development of the careers of musical icons Oliver Mtukudzi and Thomas Mapfumo among others - artists whom he would later both play with and produce. Of his teenage years in Botswana, first at high school and later at vocational college enrolled in a course in Refrigeration and Air-conditioning, Mhlanga recalls his student smanje-manje band in 1973 - aged 17, playing at Gaborone Town Hall and clubs at night and paying for school fees with the income of his craft by day. By 1978 and before leaving to the UK, the disciplined young artist had already left an indelible mark on the Southern African music scene.

“Baked Beans”, the 70’s trio credited with being one of Zimbabwe’s pioneer Rock groups was made up of Louis on guitar, Jethro Shasha on Drums and Kookie Tutani on Bass. Considered by many as the greatest bassist of his time, Tutani had been previously with the “Weetstones” and “Four Aces” while Shasha had played with Manu Kambani’s “Sound Effects”. The band performed covers and original songs releasing a 7” vinyl with the tracks ‘Poverty’ and ‘Introduction’, the latter written by Louis Mhlanga, produced by Crispen Matema and published by label Laetrec.

In 1976 Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse’s band “The Beaters” extended a tour to Rhodesia from three weeks to three months, a visit that inspired the song ‘Harari’. Louis Mhlanga performed with the band. Sipho Mabuse invited Mhlanga to join the group in South Africa which he did for several months. The band changed both its name (from “The Beaters” to “Harari”) and its aesthetic (adopting Dashikis as preferred stage dress) having been inspired by the Black Consciousness and revolutionary atmosphere they had encountered in Rhodesia. The band, including Mhlanga, was supporting act to Dobie Gray (who played in South Africa only on condition that the Apartheid government would allow a racially desegregated audience) and were employed in recording sessions with Lamont Dozier. Louis found the brutal Apartheid State as distasteful, if not more so, than the oppressive Rhodesian Smith regime and returned to Salisbury briefly before leaving to London.

In Salisbury with Louis playing the role of creative manager and recruiter, the band “Unitee”, with Ernest Sando (trumpet, trombone, vocals); Chris Chabuka (keys); Barney de Sousa (Tenor and Alto saxophones); Alton Edwards (vocals) and Clancy Mbirimi (bass), was formed. He later put together the band “Octave” with Henry Peters (bass), Eppias Paradza (bass), de Sousa and Sando. Bothwell Nyamhondera (drums) was invited to join the band and relocated from Mutare to Salisbury for this purpose. The group disbanded in 1978 when Sando left to Botswana and Louis to the UK.

1978-1983

LONDON

Once in the UK, on the advice of his sister Lily, Mhlanga first enrolled at a private secretarial college where he studied short-hand and typing with the exclusive privilege of being the only male among a bevy of young foreign women from as far afield as Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Trinidad, Tobago, India and Pakistan. He would later occupy himself gainfully by tutoring these young ladies in both secretarial skills and English. Louis humorously recounts that on his first day he felt terribly out of place and after registration returned home instead of attending classes. Returning the following day, he persevered to the conclusion of the course. Towering above the ladies the lanky youth had to be strategically placed for the visual aesthetic of the college photo he recalls with amusement.

During this time, he also developed a keen interest in electrical engineering. Dissuaded by family from pursuing such studies in Taiwan Louis decided instead to register for the subject at a college in Paddington. While maintaining a regimen of study, he sustained what has been clearly a lifetimes unwavering discipline of practise. Friends in London would refer to him as ‘Six to Six’ because he was known to awaken at 6am and then proceed to practice guitar for the next 12 hours!

Late 70’s and early 1980’s London was a vibrant milieu of post-colonial exchange in media, music, art and politics and at its heart Africa Centre, 38 King Street, Covent Garden. It was here that Louis began his acquaintance with Zimbabwean academic and musicologist Fred Zindi - playing lead guitar in his band “Shaka” (Louis contributes lead guitar and vocals to Zindi’s album ‘Train of Freedom’), accompanying him on disc-jockeying engagements around the city from Brixton to the ‘off’ West-End, together attending part-time classes in Music Theory and often staying with him. 

Being introduced to a host of Pan-African and other artists and intellectuals propelled the diligent Mhlanga into such varied endeavours as teaching percussion and playing bass guitar for Theatre. 

He regularly performed and conducted workshops with poetry ensemble “African Dawn” - the Africa Centre ‘house band’ founded by Kwesi Owusu, Ahmed Sheikh and Wanjiku Kiarie which brought together performers of Zimbabwean, Ghanaian, Grenadian, Senegalese and Uruguayan heritage. Although Louis collaborated with Paul Weller, he was unable to go on tour in Europe due to the constraints of his Visa. 

The guitarist also played bass guitar for “The Kinks”, a rock band infamous for dabbling in musical forms of theatre, in a production titled ‘Those who sail in her’ at the Albany Theatre, London, which boasted Lady Diana Spencer at its opening. Louis had the privilege of counting her a fan, playing in later decades at benefit concerts of which she was patron and later at her memorial concert. 

1983 - 1984, NIGERIA

Having been exposed to and enamoured by the styles and form of West African music upon completion of his studies Mhlanga decided to spend, what was to be, a month in Lagos, Nigeria before returning to Rhodesia. The Nigerian military coup of 1983 took place on 31 December that year installing Major General Buhari as head of state. The guitarist’s passport was confiscated keeping him in the country for a year.

KING SUNNY ADE

Having been hosted by Nigerian radio and television broadcasters the 27-year-old found himself rather dramatically sought after by King Sunny Ade who employed Mhlanga to produce his stable of young ‘Juju’ artists. An intertwining of traditional Yoruba vocal forms and percussion (Yoruba “talking” drums) with layers of Western rock guitar rhythms and melodies Juju was already popular with a global audience. Ade was declared ‘King of Juju’ by the media in 1977, a title that became fundamental to his colourful professional persona. With his love of Rock and Roll and his interest and history in percussion Louis was, naturally, intrigued.

‘King’ of Juju aside, King Sunny Ade is actual Nigerian Royalty and at the time the youngest Monarch amongst others. In celebration and honour of his Royal Elders King Ade hired a stadium, brought in furniture from his own palace for royal seating and performed to a packed audience. Louis describes each King having trunks of money carried onto the stage so that they could shower the artist King with notes as he serenaded each of them and their wives. 

Dramatic and equally generous Louis stayed with King Sunny in his palace compound accommodated in his own thatched cottage which describes as “a cool house in a hot country”. In fact, King Ade had at first offered Louis to sleep in his own bedroom as an honoured guest which Louis politely declined. King Sunny Ade, interested in and practising forms of Indian esoterism, himself slept in a simple rondavel. 

PRINCESS FUTI AND FELA KUTI

Louis developed a close and lasting friendship with South African singer Princess Futi whose album ‘Fantasy’, where his lead guitar skills feature on and which he also executive produced for King Ade’s label. The album is an eclectic mix of Disco, Reggae, ‘Township-Jazz’, Funk, Soul and Pop. He became a regular at The Shrine - Fela Kuti’s Club in Lagos - prior to the politically outspoken artists’ arrest and imprisonment by the military dictator’s regime in September 1984. Louis remembers being awed by the artists’ ability to perform a single song for several hours and describes the enigmatic singer/poet/ activists’ show as an experience of both spectacle and ritual. 

Bio-Technique-Genre- Influence

TECHNIQUE

Mhlanga’s complex and singular technique arises out of a varied landscape of sound. It embodies the evolution of guitar in Africa and abroad from the 60’s to the present day. The guitarists’ ability to reproduce the melodic effects of traditional African and other instruments such as the Marimba, Mbira, Kora, harp and flute on guitar make for a unique listening experience. His intimate knowledge of the body of the guitar with regard to reverberation and resonance as a physical exercise is spell-binding to watch.

GENRE

Given that ‘Jazz’ as a musical genre lends itself to experiment and exemplifies improvisation as form, structure and emotive expression it follows that Louis Mhlanga, more often than not, is defined as a jazz guitarist, and yet by no means is his prowess limited to that single umbrella of musical history. Born (10 November 1956) and raised in Zimbabwe the Southern African artist is at heart a ‘World Citizen’ - a global identity that reflects in his work as both a musician and producer.

INFLUENCE

Louis Mhlanga’s versatility and incomparable skill as a guitarist are difficult to limit to any specific genre and is derived from a plethora of diverse inspirations beginning with Jimi Hendrix. At age ten he picked up his brothers’ box guitar (without permission!), and began to teach himself the language of the instrument by replicating the sound and style of his rock icon. Like Hendrix Louis is entirely self-taught and in his early development was influenced by virtually everything that was happening in music locally and abroad - traditional and popular African music including Congolese/ Zairean Rhumba, Rock and Roll, Pop, Light Funk, Latin rhythms and, a fact that is little known, virtuoso Spanish classical guitarist Andrés Segovia Torres. 

MUSIK YE AFRIKA: ORIGINS

In 1987 Louis married pioneer Theatre Practitioner Margaret Indi (18 February 1969 – 03 October 1999). This was also the year in which “Musik Ye Africa” was conceptualised. Mhlanga nostalgically recounts the origins of the iconic collaborative in his own words: 

““Music Ye Afrika” started at the Baptist Church in Waterfalls, Harare. That’s where we had a space to rehearse, in the studio there, and to record young artists who were coming across. It began with myself and Jethro Shasha and sometimes we would bring in a young bass player by the name of Tony Kena. Jimi Indi also came in, at first as a singer and composer. We then started work-shopping his music and that of other artists. Everybody brought in two songs each and the idea was to record all this music and bring these new songs out. I knew someone at the church who was running the whole complex there. He is ‘Mfundisi’ (a Priest), Rev. Steve Evans, but also loves music very much. He offered to support and fund us with printing 7” singles on vinyl. As Shumba Productions we approached Gramma Records for the printing of the records but eventually they did not like the competition and we were cut out and blocked. Because of these problems with Gramma, we decided to do live shows - put together the artists and we would back them up. We performed our first show at the University of Zimbabwe. Then we went to the Rose and Crown, which was situated in Hatfield. It was a nice place. (A side: I wonder if it is still there…) We played there with Aunty ‘Dot’, Dorothy Masuka; and, also my aunt Sarah Mabokela. These were the much older people who were there. Then we would have the young people. It was a very good show and they called us back; but we were funding ourselves and it was tough. My wife would help with the costumes, dressing up people, and also organising quite a couple of things. Everything was very professional. It was just that we didn’t have funds and we were doing it ourselves. When we couldn’t sustain it, we let it just lay off. Also, many things were happening in between. We had not done an album yet as Musik Ye Afrika. The album idea came about with cassettes with 8 tracks a side - you know, compilations. (Chuckles) Cassettes were the highlight!” 

By 1989 Mhlanga, Shasha and Indi had all begun to shift their careers to the musical terrain of South Africa. 

ALBUMS COLLABORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS

MUSIK YE AFRIKA

Louis Mhlanga, Jimmy Indi and Jethro Shasha recorded their self-titled debut album ‘Musik Ye Afrika’ in a single hour at the Shifty Records Studio in Bertrams, Johannesburg in 1997. It was released under Louis’s ‘Upenyu’ label. Louis Mhlanga and Jimmy Indi would later join up with drummer Sam Mataure on the groups ‘United We Stand’ album released in 2003 collaborating with some of the continent’s most gifted artists including EL Hadji Diop, Oliver Mtukudzi, Busi Mhlongo and Chiwoniso. Both albums convey technical genius – expertly mastered and instrumentally flawless in composition and execution. 

 “Guitarist Louis Mhlanga’s story might almost be the story of the instrument he plays.” (Gwen Ansell, Jazz Times)

ALBUM SUMMARY

Well known for his work as a session artist, composer, collaborator and stage performer with artists of renown from Africa and abroad, Louis Mhlanga became increasingly in demand as a solo artist with the advent of the new millennium. This was due to the wide spread appeal of his collaborative and solo albums in Africa and abroad between 1997 and 2001 - ‘Mukai’ (1997), ‘Musik Ye Afrika’ (1997), ‘Song for Nomsa’ (1999) and ‘Shamwari’ (2001). These were followed by the equally successful ‘United We Stand’ (2003), ‘Keeping The Dream’ (2003), ‘Tinganekwane’ (2004, ‘World Traveller’ (2006) and ‘Tiri Vaviri’ (2008) with many compositions off these albums already widely considered classics of the era. 

PLAYING FOR CHANGE

Louis has been involved with the American-based project Playing for Change since 2007. An endeavour which comprises outstanding musicians from around the globe - from the African continent to South America, Europe to North America – Louis was persuaded to perform his special brand of guitar wizardry across all States of North America, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France and Australia on tours that found him away from home for lengthy periods of time before the advent of Covid 19. He is a regular feature of the organisation’s ‘Song Around the World’ collaborations. Mark Johnson, co-founder of the organisation, describes Louis as having a “stellar reputation” and as being “one of the most exciting and electrifying performers to come along in years”.

PLAYING FOR CHANGE

https://www.playingforchange.com/

SOLO ALBUMS

MUKAI (1997)

Louis Mhlanga’s debut solo album ‘Mukai’ (1997) was recorded and mastered in Zimbabwe, produced on his own label Shumba and distributed by BMG - a partnership he credits his wife with forging. The album, like all his work, is impeccably mixed and mastered. The music is emotive and the lyrical content has an air of the sincerity, hope and vulnerability associated with youth and love. The overall tone is ‘vibey’, inspiring movement from fingers to hips and feet. You cannot help but want to dance, love, laugh or sing along. 

Various forms of Jazz intermingle and flow with the rustic and contemporary urban sounds of Africa, Brazil, Cuba and the Caribbean. The vocals perform the mood of the songs with intimacy and are resonant and dynamic in range. The dialogue of each song contains a focal point in the conversation between Louis’s guitar and other specific instruments. In the title track ‘Mukai’ it is the deep and throaty bass, in ‘Wandikumudzira’ it is the light and airy brass with a cowbell surprise that delivers a head turning shift in tone. In ‘Mahanga Kutapira’ it is the drums that get to shine and in ‘Spread Love ’ percussion. 

SHAMWARI (2001)

“Mhlanga's guitar work combines a strong sense of form with occasional detours into open improvisational territory. His core sextet includes three percussionists, which may give you some idea of the rhythmic depth assembled to support Mhlanga's often rhythmically sophisticated work on top.” (allaboutjazz.com) 

In ‘Shamwari’, recorded at SABC Studios and released on the Sheer Sound label in 2001, Louis’ lead guitar and vocals feature a supporting cast of stellar musicians with strong Classical and African Jazz influences: electric bassists Denny Lalouette and Herbie Tsoaeli (7,10); drummers Rob Watson (1,4) and Sello Montwedi; pianist Andile Yenana; percussionists Basi Mahlasela and Elhadgi Diop; and, vocalists Nomsa Magwaza and Sipho Nkosiyani (3,6,7). In July that year Louis was invited by SAFM (one of South Africa's national radio stations) to perform a recorded live show of the album at the Grahamstown Standard Bank National Arts Festival. CDs were pressed in a mobile studio and sold directly after the show. Louis presented his set accompanied by Herbie Tsoaeli on bass, Andile Yenana on keys, Basi Mahlasela on percussion and Sello Montwedi on drums. 

This was the beginning of the outfit which has come to be commonly known as ‘The Louis Mhlanga Band’. Louis expresses discomfort with the use of the term ‘band’ as he considers the artists who have performed with him over the years, and continue to do so, as successful musicians in their own right. When Yenana and Tsoaeli turned their attention to their solo careers Louis introduced newcomers Michael Phillips on electric bass and Randall Skippers on keys. Upon the release of Louis’s equally highly acclaimed albums ‘Tinganekwane’ (2004) and ‘World Traveller’ (2006) in 2007 the group embarked on an extensive tour of the United States. 

Special thanks to Juanita Chitepo for helping me tell my story.