Township jazz artist, Tanga wekwaSando is in the studio working on his 15th album — Sei. — which is one of the two projects the crooner is releasing this year. The musician, famed for the songs Mahobho and Wake returns to the music scene after a lengthy hiatus. The Standard Style’s Moses Mugugunyeki (MM) caught up with Sando (TS) who spoke about his early years in music, new projects and sabbatical. Below are excerpts from the interview.
MM: You have been quiet for some time on the music scene. Where have you been? TS: I have been quiet from the public and the public arena. But I was performing here and there, especially at corporate functions and concerts. Nevertheless, I have always been the creative Tanga wekwaSando writing, compiling and recording music which I have stored.
MM: Why have you decided to show up this time around? TS: I just felt that it was time to give something that is worth the tremendous support and enquiries that I have been receiving from fans. Hanzi ko chiiko mudhara hamuchada kureleaser here? [Why are you no longer releasing new songs?]. As much as I wanted to please people by doing the same thing as an artist, it was difficult on my part because I had other things to take care of.
MM: During your hiatus from the music scene, did you do any music project or anything related to arts? TS: Of course yes, I did a lot behind the scenes. I have recorded a number of things like the cholera alert campaigns and many other productions on social issues.
MM: Can I take you aback? Who actually is Tanga wekwaSando? TS: Tanga wekwaSando is actually a creative, multi-faceted artist who writes, composes and sings afro adult contemporary music, which is sometimes called jazz, afro-jazz, township jazz or simply, township. MM: How did you start your music career? TS: When I was 11 years old, I was dancing at “tea” parties and I would sing a little bit. Sometimes, I would dance and get paid a tiki (half penny), which bought lots of sweets. Later, I became a member of the school choir before I became an integral member of the Highfield Salvation Army choir. By then, Baba Mechanic Manyeruke was a member of the Mbare Salvation Army choir. During that time, I assembled a small brass band and we played a lot of gospel music. When I was at Highfield High School around 1969/70, a white teacher who was involved in arts took me to the Rhodesia School of Music where I enrolled and trained in music.
MM: When and where did you make a breakthrough into commercial music? TS: My first commercial gig was with the Harare Mambos Band in 1971 when we performed at Hotel Elizabeth. I was wearing my school uniform — a grey trousers and blue shirt — and I would go there “nicodemously”. For your own information, this was the first time I tasted salad cream.
MM: Where else did you perform with the Harare Mambos Band? TS: We performed at various clubs. Most of these clubs were white clubs and most of the songs that we played were cover tunes. Other clubs where we performed include Club Tomorrow which was a premier Anglo-Saxon club and Club Kudzi [now Holly’s]. In 1977, we formed a group called Unitt, which was an Arcadia-based group and we played heavy funky music, mainly copyrights. Unitt was a prominent band of that era.
MM: Who are some of the prominent musicians that you performed with during your early years in music? TS: I played with the likes of Louis Mhlanga, Bothwell Nyamhondera, Chris Chabuka, Berzel Kambeu who was a brilliant saxophonist, Joni Papasi, a flamboyant personality from Mbare and many others. I have immortalised the lives of these great personalities in one of my songs called WekuMbare.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
MM: There was a moment when you went into exile. What had happened? TS: It was because of the tense Rhodesia situation that I ended up in Botswana where I performed with Gaborone Town Orchestra. I did not leave my guitar and I would entertain people in Botswana with it. However, I ended up getting a scholarship to go and study in the United States. I went to University of Indiana where I attained an International Economics and Finance degree. During my stay in the United States, I teamed up with some white guys and we formed a music group. I later moved to New York City and with a group of some African/American guys as well as Latino and Jamaicans we performed at festivals in Washington DC. During all these years, I was fine-tuning my music. MM: When did you come back to Zimbabwe? TS: I came back home in 1988, that’s when I felt it was time to put all my music experience into practice that saw the birth of the Giraffe project.
MM: Can you shed more light on the Giraffe project? TS: When I came back home, I wanted to come up with a composition that was roots-bound, that was more of township music and involving genres that were indigenous. I persuaded my old friends — Mhlanga and Nyamhondera — and we came up with Giraffe. It was more of a project, but surprisingly, our debut album did exceptionally well, with the song Mahobho becoming a hit.
MM: Tell us what we don’t know about the song Mahobho? TS: I wrote this song when I was in New York. The idea was to encourage people to respect each other regardless the nature of our various jobs. When we were working on the Giraffe, this song was just used as a filler, but it surprised all and sundry when it topped the charts. It became a topic of discussion and if it were today, it would have taken social media platforms by storm. Mahobho was the resurgence of jiti-laced township music and the message was captivating.
MM: Apart from Mahobho, which other songs were hits? TS: There was Sitokonotsi, Vakomana Vekwedu, Wake, Paida Moyo, Chikombingo, Buhera, PaFio and Nyenyedzi. There are so many songs and videos that I did that were also hits.
