Zimpapers Entertainment Hub
Tawanda Manika may not yet be a household name on Zimbabwe’s music scene, but the guitarist is quietly making his mark in the United Kingdom, where his skills as a session musician are finding expression in diverse musical projects.
His contribution to UK-based artist Léa Mondo’s single, Vices, offers a compelling glimpse into his talent, showcasing a guitarist who understands both the technical demands of his craft and the importance of serving a song’s broader artistic vision.
“For me, guitar playing is not just about showing technical ability; it is about understanding the song and knowing how your instrument can contribute to its overall message,” Manika says. “With ‘Vices’, I wanted my playing to complement the vocals while adding its own character to the arrangement.”
On the track, Congolese – born Mondo explores life’s challenges and the complexities of relationships through a polished soundscape blending elements of soul, highlife and jazz. Her eclectic musical identity, shaped by influences that include reggae legend Bob Marley, Nigerian duo The Lijadu Sisters and British soul icon Sade, finds expression in a composition that balances melodic warmth with emotional intensity.
As the song unfolds, its groove gradually develops, the vocals take centre stage and the instrumentation builds towards an energetic conclusion. Throughout this progression, Manika’s guitar provides much of the melodic colour and rhythmic character that give the track its distinctive feel.
His playing is particularly effective in the highlife-inspired phrases woven into the arrangement. Bright, plucky melodies dance around the rhythm guitar, lending the song a buoyant quality without compromising its smooth, soulful atmosphere. Elsewhere, carefully placed harmonic accents respond to the movement of the vocals and bass, adding depth and detail to the composition.
Manika’s approach reflects an appreciation of the musical traditions that inform his playing, particularly highlife and jazz.
“Highlife has always been an important influence on the way I approach melodies. I also draw inspiration from jazz, particularly in the way it allows you to explore ideas, develop a phrase and express yourself through improvisation,” he says.
Rather than competing for attention, Manika’s guitar work complements the other instruments, demonstrating an understanding of arrangement and musical balance. It is a performance that highlights the value of a skilled session musician: knowing when to make a statement and when to let the music breathe.
Underpinned by a steady drum arrangement, Vices develops with a sense of purpose, moving from its opening passages through a gradual crescendo towards a lively finish. The interplay between the instruments sustains this momentum, with Manika helping to shape the song’s progression while remaining firmly anchored to its underlying groove.
One of the track’s standout moments is Manika’s guitar solo.
Beginning with a relatively simple melodic idea, the solo initially leaves room for the listener to absorb each phrase. Through repetition and subtle development, he gradually builds tension, expanding the melody before introducing greater intensity and complexity.
As the solo progresses, his lines become more urgent and expressive, bringing a jazz sensibility to the performance without disrupting the song’s polished, soulful character. The transition back into the vocal hook is seamless, ensuring that the instrumental passage enhances the composition rather than pulling it away from its central theme.
“The guitar solo was an opportunity to build the emotion of the song gradually. I wanted to start with a simple idea, develop it naturally and create a moment that would lead the listener back into the vocal hook without losing the groove,” Manika says.
The solo works because it understands its place within the arrangement. It provides a moment of instrumental excitement, punctuates the vocal sections and adds another dimension to the song while preserving its overall flow.
This balance between technical ability and musical sensitivity is one of the defining features of Manika’s performance. His guitar work moves comfortably between rhythmic support and expressive lead playing, drawing on highlife-inspired melodic phrasing and jazz-influenced improvisation to create a cohesive musical statement.
“Working on a project like ‘Vices’ allows you to appreciate the beauty of musical collaboration. Every instrument has a role to play, and the challenge is to find the right balance so that everything comes together to serve the song,” he says.
For Zimbabwean musicians working beyond the country’s borders, such performances offer an opportunity to demonstrate the depth of local talent on international platforms. Although Manika is still building name recognition at home, his contribution to Vices illustrates the role Zimbabwean instrumentalists can play in collaborative, cross-cultural music-making.
London’s cosmopolitan music scene provides an environment in which musicians from different backgrounds can exchange ideas, blend traditions and explore new sounds. Manika’s work on the single reflects this creative interplay, bringing a highlife-inspired sensibility into a contemporary production shaped by soul and jazz.
“As a Zimbabwean musician working in the UK, I believe there is a lot of talent from home that deserves international recognition. I hope my work can contribute to showcasing what Zimbabwean musicians can bring to the global music scene,” he says.
The next challenge is to convert such international experience into wider recognition in Zimbabwe, where instrumentalists can sometimes remain in the background despite their crucial contributions to recorded music and live performances.
