The duo Bantu Spaceship lands in the PAM Club with a selection of songs at the genesis of their eponymous debut album at the crossroads of traditional and contemporary Zimbabwean music.
As prominent as the mbira, the guitar has played an essential role in the development of Zimbabwean music, defining many genres. After independence, the radio stations played Anglo-Saxon pop and rock, leaving little room for these musicians to express themselves on the airwaves, despite their extremely rich rhythmic and melodic background. In the late 1980s, artists began to combine local styles with contemporary Western sounds, creating alternative and experimental styles. These include Sungura, which blends pop with indigenous instruments; Chimurenga, a resistance music and electrified version of the Shona people’s sound; and Jit-jive, an uptempo music that originated in Harare’s music scene and emphasizes guitar/drums dialogue.
Bantu Spaceship is part of this young generation of artists inspired by this creative explosion, translating this golden age into a hybrid style they call “New Jit Wave”. On their first album released by Parisian label Nyami Nyami, the duo pays tribute to these past rhythms by injecting them with synth-wave, hip-hop and disco flavors. Ulenni Okandlovu’s poetic Ndebele songs shine on Joshua Madalitso Chiundiza’s electronic productions. Together, the two members of this visionary crew let this album emanate a sweet perfume of Afrofuturism. With a promise to take us on a journey through time and space, Joshua has selected classics and more recent tracks from Zimbabwe and neighboring countries, all of which have contributed to the development of the country’s alternative music!
Tracklist:
Boyoyo Boys – Archie Special
New Black Montana – Mai Nyembezi
Mulemena Boys – Pamuzhi Palubabo
Bhundu Boys – My Foolish Heart
Dorothy Masuka – KwaNhingirikina
Harare Mambo – Zvanhasi Ndezveduwo
Comrade Chinx – Munch Denga Nenyika
Andy Brown & The Storm – Tichangoshaina
Edwin Hama – Asila Mali
Rex Rabanye – O Nketsang
Stella Chiweshe – Njuzu
Thomas Mapfumo – Moto Uyo
Oliver Mutukudzi – Dzoka Uyamwe
Bongo Maffin – Kura Uone
Alec Khaoli – Say You love Me
Bantu Spaceship – Don’t Break
Bantu Spaceship album out now, listen here. Follow Bantu Spaceship on Instagram.
