Thomas Mapfumo

BIO

Thomas Tafirenyika Mapfumo, born 3 July 1945, is a Zimbabwean singer and musician. Nicknamed "Mukanya," and "The Lion of Zimbabwe," over the years, he has developed a legacy for himself, not only as a talented musician but also as an outspoken social and political activist. 

Mapfumo has been credited with inventing and popularising Chimurenga music. The genre is inspired by the Blues and Mbira music, but fuses it with the elements of electronic instruments and the Zimbabwean culture and language of Shona.  His debut album is named Gwindingwi Rine Shumba and was released in 1981. He has gone on to release many more popular projects throughout his career, both as a solo artist and as part of a band.  

As mentioned earlier, Thomas Mapfumo is outspoken regarding topics such as political and social unrest. He relays his message through his music, and because of this, he is no stranger to controversy and criticism. During the Rhodesian white-dominated regime, he was imprisoned without charges and later was exiled for two decades. In 2018, he returned to Zimbabwe for the first time since 2005 to perform a concert.