Mbare Trio are there to thrill

dance and spin in a circle when it came to the part of “Tenderera Tenderera”.
Little did they know that I had copied this part from my idol, William Kashiri, who was with the Harare Mambo Band then.
When I first saw the Harare Mambos with Greenford Jangano on bass and Elisha Josam on lead guitar, my passion for music was instantly triggered as I loved everything they did. They were at the time contracted by Lever Brothers, a corporate institute, to advertise Sunlight Soap. William Kashiri was on vocals and up to now I think he is one of the greatest singers Zimbabwe has ever had. I followed the Harare Mambos wherever they performed just to hear William’s golden voice.
Later, Friday Mbirimi joined the Harare Mambos band as a drummer. Although today they no longer perform as Harare Mambos, they now perform together (with Lovejoy Mbirimi, a brother to Friday), in a new group called Mbare Trio. Today, this group gives its fans free musical therapy through their wholesome harmonies. The combination of voices in their songs is just incredible. I still follow William Kashiri wherever he sings although I have stopped dancing to “Tenderera”. This is the group that set fire and performed together as they thrilled audiences at the just-ended Winter Jazz Festival which started last Thursday at Jazz 105 in Harare.
The trio from Mbare, released a most harmonious album in 2007 entitled “Uru Rufaro”. Although I am reviewing it five years later, this is a powerful afro-jazz delivery. I call it afro-jazz because, just like many African jazz tunes, it differs from the New Orleans jazz due to lack of improvisation and syncopation. This also goes to show that although jazz is said to have originated in America, Africa had it’s own jazz or similar music in place. We just decided to call it jazz because the Americans had that name first and also due to the fact that the American influence is felt in many afro-jazz albums. 
In Zimbabwe the influence of jazz was felt in a big way when Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong visited the country in December 1960 after the United States Information Services (USIS) facilitated his tour of Africa. He was surprised at the similarities between kwela and jazz and later adopted Augustine Musarurwa’s 1951 tune, “Skokiaan”. Since then, a number of “jazz” groups including Mbare Trio, have been formed. Although some groups prefer to call their type of music kwela or township music, there is no doubt that the jazz influence is pervasive.
Kwela music started on penny whistles which were cheap musical instruments and was played on the streets. It developed into band music as more and more people began to appreciate it. From the early 1950s to the year 2010, a lot of jazz bands and individuals playing jazz had sprung up in Zimbabwe. Groups and individuals such as The Cool Crooners, Epworth Theatrical Strutters, The City Quads, Shot-Gun Boogie, Sunny Sondo, The Milton Brothers, Faith Dauti, Victoria Chingate, Summer Breeze, Harare Drive, The Gay Gaeties, Alick Nkata, Jeremiah Kainga, City Slickers, The Marshall Brothers, Broadway Quartet, Simangaliso Tutani, Chris Chabuka Jonah Marumahoko, Andrew Chakanyuka, Louis Mhlanga, Lina Mataka, Mabel Bingwa, Dorothy Masuka, The Survivors’ Band,  Two Plus Two, Harare Mambos, Fanyana Dube, Paul Lunga and Jazz Impacto, Basil Kampeu, Moses Kabubi, Mhepo, Mudzimu, Hilton Mambo, Fungai Malianga, Too Open, Bob Nyabinde, Philip Svosve, Jabavu Drive, Philbert Marova, Dumi Ngulube and Amagents, Roger Hukuimwe, Timmy Makaya, Ernest Tanga Wekwa Sando, Dr Herbert Murerwa, Duduzile Manhenga, Maita Women’s Jazz Band, Patience Musa and The Other Four, Jazz Invitation, The Six Band, Mateo and Friends, Sam Mataure, Penny Yon, Dr Gibson Mandishona, Claire Nyakudyara, Kudzai Sevenzo, Victor Kunonga and many more, are all involved somewhat with what Zimbabweans refer to as jazz music.
The Mbare Trio album features several copyright songs although these have been done in Mbare — Trio- style.
The sound is crisp and well recorded. The 10-track album opens with an intro called “Fishers of Men” which many will be familiar with from the Trio’s live shows.
The album then sinks into “Anodyiwa”, a synthesis of System Tazvida’s “Anodyiwa Haataure”. This is followed by Callisto Nyamhute’s “Special Meat” and Bob Nyabinde’s “Chabuda Hapana”.
The next track is The Super Sounds’ “Mutongi Gava”, (remember “Dyiwa Uri Nyama Iwe”!) This song, has proved to be quite popular with live audiences at all the Trio’s live shows.
Another track on the album, “Chigaba Chemanyuchi”,  was written by Oliver Mtukudzi for the group.
Friday Mbirimi and Bob Nyabinde have one thing in common. They were both school headmasters in the past and they both left their professions as headmasters in order to pursue music full-time. However, it is Bob who still carries “The Headmaster” name tag.
Friday and William recently lost their wives and it is amazing how they make such sad situations feel like light moments. There is always a snippet of humour thrown in between songs. Sometimes when they are on stage you hear Friday announce, “Ini naWilliam, tiri shirikadzi” (William and I are widows). Apart from the good music this trio delivers, these are some of the little things which make attending Mbare Trio’s live concerts memorable.
According to Friday, the band is currently looking for permanent instrumentalists so that they can have more concerts. At the moment they are assisted by groups such as Summer Breeze and Harare Drive and sometimes individuals such as Clancy Mbirimi, Bob Nyabinde and Pablo Nakappa but when these guys go to perform in their separate groups, the Trio is stranded.
Perhaps one of the reasons why they cannot get anyone to stay comes from the name Trio which means three voices. So a musician who joins this group becomes insignificant because the name of the band concentrates on three people only, that is Friday, William and Lovejoy. Friday goes on to say that jazz festivals always give the Trio fun and fulfilment The Trio’s favourite venues are Jazz 105, the Borrowdale Racecourse and Harare Sports Club. Lately, they have been playing every Saturday afternoon backed by Bob Nyabinde’s band at Sapes Trust which is situated in Deary Road, Belgravia, near Parirenyatwa Hospital. Last year they were invited to Harare International Festival of the Arts to sing alongside Prudence Katomeni-Mbofana and Dudu Manhenga. Friday says he enjoyed those moments.
Credit is also given to Oliver Mtukudzi for the formation of Mbare Trio and suggestions have been brought up to encourage them to write their own material and record a second album. These guys are capable of doing it. They complement The Cool Crooners in jazz circles and they provide real entertainment for both the young and the old. Mbare Trio thrills. The Trio has a future and their bread is well buttered!

Fred Zindi is a professor at the University of Zimbabwe. He is also a musician and an author of several books on music. He can be contacted via e-mail on  [email protected]