Did Svosve influence Chimombe?

Fred Zindi Music
As I listen to Jabavu Drive’s music today, I cannot help thinking that I have heard the jazz riffs being churned out by saxophonist Phillip Svosve before from James Chimombe’s Ocean City Band. This, however, comes as no surprise as Phillip used to be in the same band as James Chimombe. James Chimombe is now late, but the question that still boggles the mind is, Was it Chimombe who told Phillip what to play or was it Phillip who influenced James’ music?

A comparative study of some of the songs by Jabavu Drive, Svosve’s current band, and Chimombe’s Ocean City Band reveals that there are several similarities in the music. James Chimombe called his music jiti while Jabavu Drive call their music afro-jazz, but the saxophone riffs in both genres do have similarities. After all, it is the same saxophonist featured in both groups.

Perhaps it is prudent to follow the career paths of these two musical forces to get a clearer understanding of the music.

The Jabavu Drive frontman and saxophonist is one of Zimbabwe’s finest and most accomplished jazz musicians.

Svosve is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist who is comfortable playing the tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, bass and lead guitar as well as the piano.

Now aged 66, this veteran of Zimbabwean township music has had a long and illustrious music career.

He has recorded two afro-jazz albums with Jabavu Drive.

Philip Svosve grew up in Epworth, one of the musical hotspots of the 1960s. He was inspired by the Epworth Musical Strutters, a very popular township music group of the time.

As a youngster, Phillip Svosve first learned to play the guitar and piano whenever he got access to Epworth Musical Strutters’ instruments. He later joined the Epworth Boys’ Club where members taught themselves music using crude home-made instruments.

In 1967 Svosve got together with Moses Kabubi, Shoki and Edson Mbaisa to form the All Saints Band, another popular band of the time.

This band focused on playing cover versions of international hits of the time and they performed at City Council bars all over Harare.

The following year he joined Green Jangano’s Harare Mambos B group which had been given a contract to play in Rusape.

After the Rusape stint, Svosve moved back to Harare in 1972 to form Delight Band with some ex-Harare Mambos band members.

Safirio Madzikatire joined the band in 1974 and its name was then changed to Ocean City Band. Svosve stayed with the band until 1977 when he moved to form Co-Axis Band.

With Co-Axis he recorded his first single, “Shava Yawomesa”, a traditional chart-topping hit that made the top five on Radio 2’s Hit Parade.

The large part of Philip Svosve’s professional career was with the Ocean City Band; he rejoined the band in 1978 and at this time he had fallen in love with his trademark instrument – the saxophone.

He started learning the instrument after being inspired by fellow township musician Enock Manda. In 1981 after Safirio Madzikatire left the band, Svosve became the frontman of the Ocean City Band.

In 1983, the band released its first album, “Mukomana Wekuseri”, which featured hits like “Africa Hamuna Rugare”, “Zuva Mukoma” and “Pfumojena”.

The versatile Ocean City Band also backed Oliver Mtukudzi for seven months in 1983 and they recorded Tuku’s album, “Please Ndapota”. Although Phillip also played saxophone on this album his prominent role was rather subdued.

Even though most people associate the Ocean City Band with James Chimombe, it is evident from this history that James did not form this band. He only came to join this band and became more popular with it at a later stage.

Although late now, James Chimombe was one of Zimbabwe’s leading musicians who influenced a lot of young artistes. He is regarded as one of the post-independence revolutionaries in the music business as he, together with Thomas Mapfumo, Jonah Sithole, Picket Chiyangwa, Tinei Chikupo, Oliver Mtukudzi and a number of others was responsible for transforming Zimbabwean music from what it was in the colonial era to what it is today.

During the period before Independence, most Zimbabweans were subjected to rock ‘n’ roll music from Western artistes such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Jimmy Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple in Rock and Jethro Tull. However, with the coming of Independence, the airwaves became freer and Zimbabweans started to listen to their own favourite local artistes.

This is where the likes of James Chimombe, Leonard Dembo, Simon Chimbetu, Solomon Skuza and others come in.

James Chimombe was born in 1951 in Chivhu, although he spent most of his youth in Harare. He attended school in Highfield and this is where he first learned to play the guitar. Among the various bands he performed with were the Pop Settlers and the OK Success.

He did a long stint of playing in nightclubs with the latter band and was contracted to perform at Mushandira Pamwe Hotel in Highfield for nearly three years before he decided to form his own band in 1988 which he named Huchi. His first hit which only came out in 1982 was entitled “Chigwaya”.

James’ talent was first discovered when he wrote “George Mudiwa” for the OK Success Band in the 1970s but credit for this was given to the whole band rather than the individual. Despite this, he soon proved that he was a force to reckon with.

In 1983, with a number of major hits behind him, James joined an already existing group, The Ocean City Band, as lead vocalist and guitarist. This marriage proved to be the peak of James’ career as most of his well-known hits today such as “Cecilia”, “Siya Waoneka”, “Mavanga” and “Jikinya” were recorded with this group.

This is the same group in which Phillip Svosve featured on the saxophone. Phillip played both tenor sax and alto sax during recordings. Phillip was also instrumental in making musical arrangements for the group.

However, as is often the case, credit for a group’s musical effort is given to the lead vocalist. At the time credit for the music was given to James Chimombe because he was the lead singer although most of the music was arranged by Phillip. The biggest hit was entitled “Bindura” and James earned his nickname from the title of that song.

In 1988 James left the Ocean City Band and formed his own Huchi Band with whom he recorded two albums. Apart from being a professional musician James also spent time teaching youngsters to play music through the ethnomusicology programme of the Zimbabwe College of Music in Harare.

On October 23 1990, James “Bindura” Chimombe died at the age of 39, leaving a widow and seven children.

His oldest son, Freddy Chimombe, who had tried to follow in his father’s foot- steps as a musician also died at the age of 38.

His daughter, Tendai Chimombe, went on to marry Philbert Marova, who was at the time a keyboard player in the Front- line Kids Band. She later enrolled on the National Certificate in Music programme at the Zimbabwe College of Music and her son with Philbert is Tafadzwa Marova, an accomplished bass guitarist and keyboard player who is currently playing bass for Winky D and several other groups. Thus the Chimombe’s influence is phenomenal.

To prove my point, go and listen to Jabavu Drive wherever you see them performing. That James Chimombe sound will penetrate your blood veins.

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