Press Clipping
06/02/2015
Article
Lion Songs (Independent) This career-spanning anthology from the progenitor of Chimurenga music has been lovingly compiled by esteemed author, musician, and ethnomusicologist Banning Eyre. Presented as the “audio companion” to his just-released book Lion Songs: Thomas Mapfumo and the Music That Made Zimbabwe, Eyre has carefully selected 14 career-spanning tracks and interspersed them with interview segments wherein Mapfumo talks about his musical beginnings mixing the mbira-driven music of the Shona people with rock instrumentation and attitude, along with other anecdotes both political and humorous, which help elucidate his path to becoming one of the most important voices in African music of the last 50 years. Laid out chronologically, it makes for an engaging listen, especially for those keen to fully immerse themselves in the musical giant’s oeuvre. And as the only compilation to ever try to cover the entirety of his career (the songs span from 1973 to 2010), it makes for a great addition to any Africaphile’s collection.

Lion Songs (Independent)
This career-spanning anthology from the progenitor of Chimurenga music has been lovingly compiled by esteemed author, musician, and ethnomusicologist Banning Eyre. Presented as the “audio companion” to his just-released book Lion Songs: Thomas Mapfumo and the Music That Made Zimbabwe, Eyre has carefully selected 14 career-spanning tracks and interspersed them with interview segments wherein Mapfumo talks about his musical beginnings mixing the mbira-driven music of the Shona people with rock instrumentation and attitude, along with other anecdotes both political and humorous, which help elucidate his path to becoming one of the most important voices in African music of the last 50 years.

Laid out chronologically, it makes for an engaging listen, especially for those keen to fully immerse themselves in the musical giant’s oeuvre. And as the only compilation to ever try to cover the entirety of his career (the songs span from 1973 to 2010), it makes for a great addition to any Africaphile’s collection.