It is rare that African literature and music are simultaneously blessed with canonical works derived from and celebrating the art of a living legend. This, among other things, is what makes Banning Eyre’s riveting book Lion Songs: Thomas Mapfumo and the Music that Made Zimbabwe and it’s revelatory accompanying audio compilation Lion Songs: Essential Tracks in the Making of Zimbabwe particularly extraordinary.

For forty years Thomas Mapfumo’s voice has reverberated resilient and steady; resonating the struggle to liberate the people of Zimbabwe, expressing jubilation at a new political dispensation and later revealing the painful disappointment of a dream deferred. Affectionately known as the Lion of Zimbabwe, Mapfumo stands beside Fela Kuti, Youssou N’Dour and Franco as one of Africa’s greatest and most consequential composer/bandleaders. Expertly weaving ancient African traditions-especially that of the sacred, metal-pronged Shona mbira- into the currents of international music, from rock to reggae to rap, Mapfumo’s artfully barbed lyrics have targeted the racist regime of Ian Smith and the corrupt one of Robert Mugabe with equal resolve and courage. That’s the essence of chimurenga-the music of the struggle: past, present and future.

Pegged for release on the 5th of May the album condenses his illustrious career into a 14-track set, complete with rare gems and peppered with snippets of interviews conducted by Banning Eyre. Not to be confused with greatest hits the album, along with Eyre’s book, is the zenith of a thirty-year friendship between the two, which saw the former documenting, researching and participating in Mapfumo’s art.

For the die-hard Mapfumo fan, songs like Corruption reach back to a time when his music was the staple of national radio playlists and the anticipation of his electric annual festive season concerts were a firm feature in Zimbabwe’s cultural psyche. Mapfumo, who has not lived in the country since 2001, recorded two of the songs, Marima Nzara and Ndangariro, in exile. For the uninitiated, extracts from Eyre’s interviews with Mapfumo, over 30 years, provide context both dramatising his political and creative journey, giving insight into his personality, passion and humour in an illuminating and insightful way.

A musical pioneer, Mapfumos’s early career solidified the adaptation of traditional Shona mbira songs with the success of Ngoma Yarira in 1973. Along with the brilliant, groundbreaking guitar innovations of Jonah Sithole, Joshua Dube and Ephraim Karimuara his compelling storytelling through the use of allegory evolved into an outspoken critique of injustice. A prescient Eyre noted in 2001 that Mapfumo is “one of the only singers who has recorded and distributed explicit songs of protest against Zimbabwe’s current regime.”

Testament to this is Mapfumo’s message to Zimbabweans on this year’s independence day in which he said:

“As a Chimurenga musician, the struggle for social justice and equality continues through the showbiz stage. We have, and will continue, to sing the music. But again I do wish to express my disappointment by the Government of Zimbabwe for failing to deal with piracy which has left a majority of us musicians wallowing in poverty because of theft of our artistic efforts. We do not only entertain; we also make sure that we remain connected to the suffering masses, the message I carried in my new album DangerZone. Zimbabweans deserve comfort, peace and a guaranteed pursuit of happiness in their homes. They also deserve a piece of that cake of national wealth. Government leaders in Zimbabwe should listen to, and work with the people to eliminate poverty, crime and the rising unemployment. Daily, we pray that the politicians stop politicking and bickering at the expense of national development. Our leaders must listen to the masses. They need to collaborate with them and stop chasing personal luxuries and foreign travel when the ordinary people are failing to access the basics. Without such basics, the concept of national Independence could be a farce because only the apex of the social pyramid is benefitting from the fruits of Independence. To the suffering masses, Independence Day has just become another calendar date.”

In many ways this compilation charts the musical timeline of Mapfumo’s consistency in speaking truth to power, no matter who is at the helm. Beyond that it is the soundtrack to Mapfumo’s philosophy of a greater patriotism: a patriotism that supersedes allegiance to struggle heroes who turn into, as he says on the album, “Little Gods”. Little gods who hold their people ransom through a legacy of sacrifice, only to enrich themselves, while the Jojos (poor man) die for politics at the expense of the true liberation of all people. In all, this unique CD offers a grand tour through the work of one of the most powerful, creative and storied musical artists Africa has ever produced.

To order the book Lion Songs, visit banningeyre.com/lionsongs. For more Mapfumo music and news, visit thomas-mapfumo.com.