Various Artists – Roots Rocking Zimbabwe: The Modern Sound of Harare Townships 1975–1980 (Analog Africa, 2025)
Analog Africa returns to its roots with Roots Rocking Zimbabwe: The Modern Sound of Harare Townships 1975–1980, a splendid 25-track compilation that marks a full-circle moment for label founder Samy Ben Redjeb. This extraordinary collection highlights a golden era of Zimbabwean music with rare and unreleased tracks by genre-defining artists such as Oliver Mtukudzi, Thomas Mapfumo, The Green Arrows, New Tutenkhamen, and Harare Mambos.
The compilation is especially personal for Redjeb. His journey into African music began in the mid-1990s with Zimbabwean records. Between 2001 and 2005, while working as a flight attendant, he frequently traveled to Zimbabwe to collect vinyl and dreamt of launching a series akin to Éthiopiques. However, Zimbabwe’s 2005 “Operation Murambatsvina” disrupted those plans and paused his visits. In 2006, he founded Analog Africa, and its debut release featured The Green Arrows, a powerhouse of 1970s Harare nightlife.
Nearly two decades later, Redjeb returned to Harare, and Roots Rocking Zimbabwe is the result, a deep dive into an innovative, politically charged era of township music. Featuring the late Zexie Manatsa (whose image appears on the cover), the release serves as both tribute and time capsule.
The collection charts the evolution of Zimbabwe’s music industry during a turbulent era. In the 1970s, Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) was still under colonial rule. Black musicians faced censorship and marginalization in white-owned media, yet still found ways to be heard. One example: Manu Kambani of Dr Footswitch, whose Hendrix-like showmanship earned him front-page attention, despite backlash from conservative readers.
The influence of Western rock (The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Hendrix) was undeniable, thanks in part to the Rhodesian Broadcasting Corporation. Yet local bands responded by weaving these sounds with Congolese rumba, South African mbaqanga, soul, and traditional rhythms, creating a distinct Zimbabwean rock and pop identity.
Record labels eventually took notice. South Africa’s Gallo Records initially dipped into the scene but failed to sustain momentum. In 1974, Teal Record Company stepped in with local producer Crispen Matema, who scouted talent and produced an avalanche of releases through imprints like Afro Soul and Shungu. Legendary figures like West Nkosi also joined the fray, discovering The Green Arrows and producing hits such as “Chipo Chiroorwa” and “Towering Inferno,” both featured here.
Meanwhile, Thomas Mapfumo began fusing traditional Shona melodies and mbiras with electric instrumentation, a style that became known as Chimurenga: “struggle music.” These songs, often politically charged, were embraced by Zimbabweans fighting for independence, even as Mapfumo and Manatsa faced arrest for their influence.
Despite censorship and repression, the music flourished, culminating in Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980. The musicians of this era became cultural icons, their work capturing both the hardship and hope of a nation in transition.
Roots Rocking Zimbabwe brilliantly documents this moment of creative resistance with extensive liner notes and archival materials. The double LP includes a 20-page magazine-style booklet; the CD features a 44-page edition. It is both a celebration of past ingenuity and a testament to the enduring spirit of Zimbabwean music.
Track-listing:
01 / A1. Thomas Mapfumo & The Acid Band – “Chiiko Chinotinetsa” / 03:25
02 / A2. New Tutenkhamen – “Amai A Kwatu” / 02:50
03 / A3. Gypsy Caravan – “Soweto Mujibha” / 02:40
04 / A4. Echoes Limited – “Soul Scene” / 02:55
05 / A5. Oliver & The Black Spirits – “Anoshereketa” / 02:55 –
06 / A6. The Storm – “Nyaya Dzinonetsa” / 03:15
07 / B1. Blacks Unlimited – “Hangaiwa” / 03:05 –
08 / B2. The Green Arrows – “The Towering Inferno” / 02:15
09 / B3. New Tutenkhamen – “Joburg Bound” / 03:00 –
10 / B4. Mawonera Superstars – “Nyamutamba Naziwere” / 03:55
11 / B5. Echoes Ltd – “Engelina” / 03:15
12 / B6. Witch – “Funky Reggae” / 04:00
13 / C1. Baked Beans – “Introduction” / 03:10
14 / C2. Blacks Unlimited – “Yarira” / 02:55
15 / C3. The Phaze – “Baby Please” / 02:35
16 / C4. Gypsy Caravan – “Chistiuiti” / 02:45
17 / C5. Melody & Bybit – “Kwakaenda Imbwa” / 03:10
18 / C6. The Green Arrows – “No Delay” / 02:50
19 / C7. New Tutenkhamen – “Kumalila Ngwenya” / 02:55
20 / D1. Harare Mambos – “Shanga Yangu” / 02:15 – Listen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zv3526rBTM0
21 / D2. Shaft Form – “Give It” / 02:40
22 / D3. Sweg Unity – “Musikana” / 03:15
23 / D4. Double Shuffle – “Taj Mahal” / 02:50
24 / D5. Dagger Rock Band – “Viva Zimbabwe” / 04:00
25 / D6. I.T.C. Blues Limited – “Porter” / 03:50
Buy Roots Rocking Zimbabwe: The Modern Sound of Harare Townships 1975–1980.
Author: Tyler Bennet
