Thomas Mapfumo - Basic Facts:

Thomas Mapfumo was born in Marondera, Rhodesia (what is now Zimbabwe) on July 2, 1945. He is of the Shona people, and grew up in a fairly traditional Shona farming community. He currently lives in self-imposed political exile in the United States.

Thomas Mapfumo's Early Life:

Thomas Mapfumo moved to the Mbare township, a medium-sized city, when he was ten years old, and it was there that he began to really get interested in music.


By his late teens, he was fronting bands who performed American R&B and rock covers. In 1972, he formed the Hallelujah Chicken Run Band, and began working traditional Shona sounds into his rock/soul mix.

Thomas Mapfumo - Early Political Statement:

In the mid-1970s, Rhodesia was still ruled by a small, elite and extremely wealthy white class. The Shona people were, though the majority in the country, suppressed, both economically and culturally (similar to apartheid practices in neighboring South Africa). When Thomas Mapfumo began to sing in the Shona language with the Hallelujah Chicken Run Band, he made a quiet but forceful political and cultural statement.

Mapfumo Delves into Politics:

As Thomas Mapfumo became more and more popular, he realized that his music could carry a powerful political message. He began singing songs that called for a major overthrow of the Rhodesian government, and encouraged uprisings among the Shona people. He called his new style of politically charged Afro-pop-soul music "Chimurenga", which means "struggle" in Shona.

A Major Political Uprising:

In the late 1970s, Thomas Mapfumo released a record called "Hokoyo!", which means "Look Out!" in Shona, which had very politically charged lyrics. The Rhodesian government threw him into prison in 1979, and banned his song from the radio. Naturally, the song became even more of a hit, and eventually large demonstrations were held, demanding his release. Mapfumo's imprisonment and the uproar it caused among the Shona majority were major links in the chain that ultimately led to free elections in 1980.

Thomas Mapfumo During The Mugabe Years:

In the 1980 elections, Robert Mugabe was elected Prime Minister, and Rhodesia became Zimbabwe. Initially, Thomas Mapfumo was supportive of the new Shona leadership, but over the next decade, became increasingly disillusioned, as many of Mugabe's exclusionary policies were as damaging to the Shona people as the white government's had been.

Exile to America:

When Thomas Mapfumo began to actively sing about the issues with Mugabe's government in the late 1980s, he quickly became the target of numerous bogus government investigations. Ultimately, the constant harassment proved too difficult, and Mapfumo emigrated to the United States. He continues to sing and speak about the issues with Zimbabwe's government, and remains a cultural hero and icon in Zimbabwe.

Recommended Thomas Mapfumo Starter CDs:

Thomas Mapfumo - Spirits to Bite Our Ears - Singles Collection 1977-1986 ()
Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited - Corruption - 1989 ()
Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited - Chimurenga Explosion - 2000 ()