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PASSINGS The Afropop Worldwide community is vast, and sadly, it provides us with a steady stream of noteworthy deaths. In this space, we note some of these passings, and where possible, give information on how you can offer condolences or assistance to bereaved families. Just 42 years old, Pedro Langa, leader of Mozambique's trailblazing roots band Ghorwane, was murdered in his Maputo apartment in the early hours of the morning on November 20. Ghorwane has a majestic history of melding Mozambique's varied musical traditions into big-band pop music. This band certainly paved the way for today's internationally known Mozambiquan acts, such as the youthful Kapa Dech and the multi-generational Mabulu. When Ghorwane was getting its introduction to the world after their first international release, Majurugente (Real World), another key member, Jose 'Zeca' Alage, was also murdered. That crime was never solved. Hopefully, this one will be. After Langa's death, a car broadcasting Ghorwane songs drove through Maputo's streets, inspiring many passersby to stand in silence. President Juaquim Chissano offered his condolences in the newspaper the following day. In yet another blow to Zimbabwean music, Joshua Hlomayi Dube died in Harare in mid-October. Dube was a veteran of many great bands, including Limpopo Jazz, African Herb, the Halleluiah Chicken Run Band, Devere Ngwena Jazz Band, Ephat Mujuru's Spirit of the People, Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited, and his own band, Shangara Jive. Working with Mapfumo in the early '70s in the Halleluiah Chicken Run Band, Dube pioneered the art of playing sacred, Shona mbira on guitar. Dube recorded and performed with Mapfumo on off from that time until as recently as late 2000, when Mapfumo last returned to Zimbabwe to perform. In his later years, Dube concentrated on forming his own band, Shangara Jive, dedicated to exploring some of Zimbabwe's neglected folkloric music--especially the "shangara" sound of the Masvingo region--and turning it into electric pop music. Dube's health was poor for some years before he died, but he soldiered on, recording and performing, building a reputation for his band despite all. Joshua Dube was a very good friend to Afropop Worldwide, and we grieve his passing deeply. Marshall Munhumumwe, leader of one of Zimbabwe's greatest and most enduring guitar pop bands, the Four Brothers, died on October 13, at his home in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe. He was 49. The Four Brothers blend of Zimbabwe rumba and chimurenga--guitar-driven adaptations of mbira style music--was instantly successful when the band started in the late '70s. Munhumumwe was unusual as a singing drummer. The band certainly had a stomping, dance-happy sound, but the deeper appeal of their music came from Munhumumwe's excellent compositions, and his gorgeous singing voice and vocal arrangements. After independence in 1980, the Four Brothers hit a new stride with the album Makorokoto, a double-gold hit in Zimbabwe, and the first Four Brothers title to be released internationally. They remained productive, busy, and successful until May 1997, when Munhumumwe suffered a severe stroke. From then until his death in 2001, he was never able to perform. He is survived by his wife Ledwin and four children. We at Afropop Worldwide were particularly stunned and saddened by the death of our friend and colleague, Ephat Mujuru. On October 5, 2001, the mbira master, storyteller, and bandleader was on his way from Zimbabwe to Grinnell College in Indianna. Flying with his cousins Fradreck and Sam, Ephat disembarked in Gatwick Airport in London, and soon complained that he felt weak and hot. He was taken to a hospital, but died en route of pulmonary embolus, an air-travel related heart condition. Ephat leaves behind a large family in Zimbabwe, and grieving friends and fans around the world.
Read more about Ephat in our Explore section For those who want to contribute to the family: Ephat's oldest son James and wife Emily have created a shared fund where Ephat's friends, especially those in North America, can contribute to the well being of those he left behind. You can be sure that donations to this fund will go to the family members listed above, and nowhere else. The monies are being gathered by Ms. Dan Jiao in Kansas City, Missouri. Her address and information about how to deposit money directly into Ms. Jiao's account are below. You can either sent a check to the address, or wire money. Note that if you wire money, please also send an email to jiaodan@hotmail.com noting how much you deposited. All funds will be converted to Zimbabwe dollars and used to feed and support the Mujuru family. Thanks much for your gifts! Send checks made out to Dan Jiao to:
Ephat Mujuru Family Fund Or email Ms. Dan Jiao and direct deposit money into her account detailed below.
Email: jiaodan@hotmail.com
When you make a gift, please also send an email indicating the amount to Bob Coen. This will help us to keep track of the fund. Bob's email address is:
Bank details USA bank routing no: 101000695
One of Madagascar's most beloved musicians, Rakoto Frah, died on September 22, at roughly the age of 76. Rakoto Frah was a master of highland Malagasy folk music. He got his start playing in hiragasy theater productions, and became best known for his brilliance with the metal, end-blown flute called sodina. As the leader of his own group, Rakoto Frah made his mark on Malagasy tradition in many ways. He often performed at famadihana rituals, where the bones of revered ancestors are unearthed, celebrated, and re-interred. Leading as many as 20 flute players, drummers, singers, and dancers, Rakoto Frah was the first to fill out the standard famadihana musical repertoire with songs of his own, as well as radio hits transformed for the occasion. He was so loved by his people that he long ago received the honor of having his photograph appear on one of the national currency notes. Rakoto Frah toured in the United States just one time, in 1992, with American guitarist/producer Henry Kaiser and Malagasy folk/pop bandleader Rossy.
Legendary Nubian singer and bandleader Ali Hassan Kuban died on June 27, from a heart attack in his hometown, Cairo. A pioneer of Nubian roots music, Kuban worked his amazing band from the mid-1940s until his sudden death this summer. His band is particularly noted for introducing Western instruments, such as trombone, electric guitar, saxophone and accordion, into Nubian music. For a fuller biography of Kuban, go to the Afropop Worldwide database: Zimbabwean pop singer Thomas Makion died in August, at the age of 32. Born in Rusape, Makion teamed up with his cousin Leonard Zhakata in 1986 to form the popular band Maungwe Brothers. The band played classic Zimbabwe guitar boogie, a blend of East African rumba, South African smanjemanje, and Zimbabwean jit. After Zhakata split off on his own, the two remained close, and Makion continued to produce popular solo work, right up to his final release, Chisesekedzo (Hard Times), earlier this year. Makion's final release was praised as a brave statement of the harsh conditions in Zimbabwe today. He is survived by his wife Norah Samuriwo, and a total of five children. He will be missed.
Also in the Zimbabwean music family, Lucia Makombe, wife of long-time Blacks Unlimited mbira player Ngoni Makombe died in early September. Ngoni was performing in the United States at the time. As soon as flights resumed following the events of September 11, he returned home for his wife's burial. In Peru, Ronaldo Campos de la Colina, founder of Peru Negro, died of cardiac failure on Saturday, August 25, 2001. Peru Negro--a music and dance ensemble known for revitalizing the music of black Peru--rose to fame upon taking first prize in the Latin American Festival of Dance and Song in Argentina in 1969. Campos learned to play the cajón (traditional wooden box drum) as a boy in San Luis, Cañete, where he was born on January 20, 1927. During the time of the international black pride movements, Peru Negro--founded by Campos to preserve Peru's African heritage 32 years ago--became the national standard other black Peruvian bands emulated. In recent years, the band's artistic direction has fallen to Campos' son Ronny Campos, Jr. Peru Negro's first internationally-available recording, Sangre de un Don, was released by Times Square Records in the United States on April 24, 2001, in conjunction with Dutch label World Connection. Despite the loss of their founder, the ensemble is in the process of planning a tour to the United States. Trinidadian calypsonian Wayne Rodriguez took his own life in early September. Rodriguez, age 27, was formerly with the soca supergroup Xtatik. In 1998, he and Xtatik were the Road March winners at the island's Carnival celebrations with the enormously popular hit "Footsteps." Shortly thereafter, he left the group and began a solo career. Rodriguez was buried last week in his hometown of La Brea. Sadly, his wife and daughter were in New York and unable to attend the funeral due to the shutdown of commercial flights in conjunction with the September 11 tragedy.
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