Thomas Mapfumo & the Blacks Unlimited

• Chamunorwa [Mango, 1991]
• Vanhu Vatema [Zimbob, 1994]
• Hondo [Zimbob, 1994]
• Rise Up [RealWorld, 2006] B+

See Also:

• Thomas Mapfumo
• Leo Wadada Smith/Thomas Mapfumo
• merge all

Consumer Guide Reviews:

Chamunorwa [Mango, 1991]

Vanhu Vatema [Zimbob, 1994]

Hondo [Zimbob, 1994]

Rise Up [RealWorld, 2006]
Like Burning Spear at a higher level of elaboration, the Zimbabwean truthteller tends toward the mean. His songs go on, his grooves blend together. So it's a surprise when a lead track constructed of the usual reggaefied mbira materials leaps from the speakers. Clearly, good riffs do still come to Mapfumo, especially when he's pondering his loss of a home market. Nothing else here tops it, and soon you wish he wouldn't hand off so much singing to the ladies. But the details are manifold, and the grooves maintain their mo. B+