Thomas Mapfumo

Real Name:
Thomas Tafirenyika Mapfumo
Profile:
Born in 1945 in Marondera, Mashonaland East, Zimbabwe. He began his musical career playing covers of American rock and soul music before joining Hallelujah Chicken Run Band, where he began adapting traditional music of the Shona to modern instrumentation and techniques. This process included transcribing the scales and sounds of the mbira to electric guitar.

He invented and popularized Chimurenga music - literally "struggle" in Shona - which was often overtly political. In addition to his modern incarnation of traditional music, his lyrics were sung in Shona. In the late 1970s singing in Shona instead of English was a political statement in and of itself. In Mapfumo's case, it was specifically critical of the white ruling class of Rhodesia. The government, underestimating his popularity, eventually banned his records and imprisoned Mapfumo without charges in 1979. After a series of large protests demanding his release, he was set free three months later.

Though he initially celebrated the independence of Zimbabwe in 1980, he became increasingly disillusioned with the regime of Robert Mugabe. This was, again, reflected in the music he produced throughout the 1980s; mostly as Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited. His lyrics often addressed issues of poverty and social development. After a campaign of government-sponsored harassment, he emigrated to the United States, where he continues to live.
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Artist

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Albums

ASLP 5000, ZASLP 5000 Hokoyo! — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo & The Acid Band Thomas Mapfumo & The Acid Band - Hokoyo! (Album) Chimurenga Music ASLP 5000, ZASLP 5000 Zimbabwe 1978 Sell This Version
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ZASLP 5002 Gwindingwi Rine Shumba — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited - Gwindingwi Rine Shumba (Album) Chimurenga Music ZASLP 5002 Zimbabwe 1981 Sell This Version
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25RTL-10 Ndangariro — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited = トーマス・マフモ* ・アンド・ ザ・ブラックス・アンリミテッド* Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited = トーマス・マフモ* ・アンド・ ザ・ブラックス・アンリミテッド* - Ndangariro (Album) Afro Soul 25RTL-10 Japan 1983 Sell This Version
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ZASLP 5004 Mabasa — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited - Mabasa (Album) Afro Soul ZASLP 5004 Zimbabwe 1983 Sell This Version
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Rough 91 Chimurenga For Justice — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited - Chimurenga For Justice (Album) Rough Trade Rough 91 UK 1985 Sell This Version
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ASLP 5005 Mr Music (Africa) — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited - Mr Music (Africa) (Album) Afro Soul ASLP 5005 Zimbabwe 1985 Sell This Version
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TML 100 Zimbabwe Mozambique — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited - Zimbabwe Mozambique (Album) Chimurenga Music TML 100 Zimbabwe 1988 Sell This Version
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TML 101 Varombo Kuvarombo — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited - Varombo Kuvarombo (Album) Chimurenga Music TML 101 Zimbabwe 1989 Sell This Version
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L4 TML 102 Chamunorwa — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited - Chamunorwa (Album) Chimurenga Music L4 TML 102 Zimbabwe 1989 Sell This Version
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MLPS 1019, MLPS 9848 Corruption — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited - Corruption (Album) Mango MLPS 1019, MLPS 9848 US 1989 Sell This Version
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TML 103 Chimurenga Master Piece — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited - Chimurenga Master Piece (Album) Chimurenga Music TML 103 Zimbabwe 1990 Sell This Version
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TMBU-13 Hondo — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited - Hondo (Album) Chimurenga Music TMBU-13 1991 Sell This Version
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TML 105 Chimurenga International — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited - Chimurenga International (Album) Chimurenga Music TML 105 Zimbabwe 1993 Sell This Version
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TML 106 Chimurenga Varieties — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo And Blacks Unlimited* Thomas Mapfumo And Blacks Unlimited* - Chimurenga Varieties Chimurenga Music TML 106 Zimbabwe 1994 Sell This Version
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L4 TML 107 Sweet Chimurenga — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited - Sweet Chimurenga (Album) Chimurenga Music L4 TML 107 Zimbabwe 1995 Sell This Version
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L4 TML 109 Roots Chimurenga — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited - Roots Chimurenga (Album) Chimurenga Music L4 TML 109 Zimbabwe 1996 Sell This Version
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TML 108 Afro Chimurenga — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited - Afro Chimurenga(LP) Chimurenga Music TML 108 Zimbabwe 1996 Sell This Version
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CMC Chimurenga Movement — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited - Chimurenga Movement(CD, Album) Chimurenga Music Company CMC Zimbabwe 1997 Sell This Version
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TML 111 Chimurenga Movement — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited - Chimurenga Movement(LP) Chimurenga Music TML 111 Zimbabwe 1997 Sell This Version
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L4 TML 112 Chimurenga '98 — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited - Chimurenga '98 (Album) Anonym Records L4 TML 112 Zimbabwe 1998 Sell This Version
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WSCD104 Chimurenga: African Sprit Music — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited - Chimurenga: African Sprit Music(CD, Album) Womad Select Africa WSCD104 Zimbabwe 1998 Sell This Version
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none Live at El Rey — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited - Live at El Rey(CD, Album) Anonym Records none 1999 Sell This Version
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L4 TML114 Chimurenga Explosion — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited - Chimurenga Explosion (Album) Anonymous Web Productions L4 TML114 Zimbabwe 2000 Sell This Version
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TML15 Manhungetunge — Thomas Mapfumo Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited - Manhungetunge(Cass, Album) Chimurenga Music Company TML15 US 2000 Sell This Version
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ANON0101 Dreams And Secrets — Thomas Mapfumo Wadada Leo Smith And N'da Kulture, Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited Wadada Leo Smith And N'da Kulture, Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited - Dreams And Secrets(CD, Album) Anonymous Records (8) ANON0101 US 2000 Sell This Version