Prue is the golden girl of Afro-jazz

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The unveiling of the tombstone and the memorial service following the death of Zimbabwe’s first Black pathologist, McLeod Ernest Chitiyo on March 2 2015 brought together Zimbabwe’s medical fraternity, the Methodist Church of Zimbabwe, musicians, relatives and friends to commemorate this icon who pioneered the struggle for black empowerment during his lifetime.

The unveiling of the tombstone and the memorial service following the death of Zimbabwe’s first Black pathologist, McLeod Ernest Chitiyo on March 2 2015 brought together Zimbabwe’s medical fraternity, the Methodist Church of Zimbabwe, musicians, relatives and friends to commemorate this icon who pioneered the struggle for black empowerment during his lifetime.

in the groove with Fred Zindi

Prudence Katomeni Mbofana
Prudence Katomeni Mbofana

All roads led to Tay Road in Vainona, Harare after the unveiling of the tombstone which saw speakers who included Health and Child Care minister David Parirenyatwa, Winnie Chitiyo (McLeod’s wife), Knox Chitiyo (his son), Reverend G Cross, Mudiwa Mundawarara and Reverend V Chidzambwa giving eulogies about the late Chitiyo.

In Vainona, to cap it all, after a scrumptious lunch, the 500-strong gathering was treated to the soulful music of the PKM Band headed by Prudence Katomeni-Mbofana, thanks to Catherine Chitiyo (McLeod’s daughter), who put all this together.

The three-piece band which backed Katomeni-Mbofana consisted of Elisha Zimbeva who was accomplished on keyboards, Paul Thepe whose heart-stopping bass lines could stop an elephant dead in its tracks and Freedom Manatsa (son to the legendary Zexie Manatsa) on drums. The band kicked off with a few instrumentals as I watched and listened from a distance. It wasn’t until the magic of Katomeni-Mbofana bewitched me that I went closer to the stage as she began to sing. She started off with that jazzy feel following the late Chitiyo’s favourites with numbers like Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong’s What A Wonderful World, then Woza, A Cry, A Smile and George Benson’s Breezing.

Her often formidable and fearsome choreography throughout those numbers was powerful and mesmerising, but this was then offset by the tenderness of Iya Iyo, Ruva Rangu and Bhuku from her 2011 album.

Katomeni-Mbofana’s dynamic ability to be both vigorous and vulnerable can’t be matched by her contemporaries. In fact, we would go as far as to say she’s effortlessly proven herself to be Zimbabwe’s Miriam Makeba. I have watched other female Afro-jazz artists such as Rute Mbangwa, Dudu Manhenga, Kudzai Sevenzo, Buhle, Eve Kawadza, Patience Musa and Dorothy Masuka and I am sure they will all agree with me that apart from having massive talent, Katomeni-Mbofana is second to none and is on top of her game.

But that is a digression. Back to Chitiyo’s memorial concert: Like most artists who thrive on audience participation, halfway through the concert, she took the cordless microphone into the audience and asked everyone to sing Harry Belafonte’s 1956 Banana Boat Song (Day Oh). She even targeted me and got me singing — “Stack Banana Till The Morning, Daylight Come and He Wanna Go Home”. The audience came alive at this juncture but it was not until she came up with the song, Hukuru Hwenyu Mwari (Uyu Musiki Wedu) that the whole marquee resonated in chorus. It was a stunning moment among the high energy set and one which showcased the sheer might of Katomeni-Mbofana’s following from when she started as a Jazz Invitation band member many years ago to a superstar who will go down as one of Zimbabwe’s greatest female musicians.

The Methodist Church women, donned in red blouses, white hats and black skirts were up-front “singing and swinging and getting merry like Christmas”, the way Maya Angelou describes party people in her book with the same title. And who says church people don’t dance? This lady in her 60s who was wearing thick glasses reminded me of the days of the ago-go dance as she vigorously swung her legs forwards and backwards, sweating profusely. I was scared she might faint, but she survived the song. I am sure when she got home she boasted to her grandchildren about the wonderful time she had at the Chitiyos.

Katomeni-Mbofana, born in 1977, is a talented Zimbabwean jazz musician who has one of the most soulful voices in the country. She attended Avondale Primary School and Girls High School in Harare where she became interested in singing. She rose to prominence when she was the lead vocalist in Kelly Rusike’s band, Jazz Invitation. While in Jazz Invitation, she released hits such as Filbert Marova’s composition, BP Yangu Yakwira and Brian Rusike’s Ruva Rangu. Before that, she had made a debut in showbiz when she featured as an actress in the multi-award- winning movie, More Time in 1993. Katomeni-Mbofana launched her solo career in 2011 with the release of her self-titled debut album. The album carried hit tracks such as Baba vaBoy and Stronger which enjoyed favourable airplay on local stations. Arguably the best female jazz musician, Katomeni-Mbofana has toured extensively in the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway Zambia and France.

In 2007 while doing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Jazz at the Zimbabwe College of Music, where she was one of my students, she was torn between continuing with the degree programme and taking up an offer to tour France with The Cool Crooners. She decided to go to France where she spent close to six months performing. While she was there, she wrote to me asking if she could post her assignments by e-mail. I advised her to start afresh when she came back home. She did and completed the degree two years later. In 2009 she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Jazz Music. That is how passionate Katomeni-Mbofana is about jazz.

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