By Tapiwa Zivira
For Claude B, real name Claudious Brighton Pindurani, the future of music can only be bright.
The budding Afro-fusion artiste, who draws inspiration from the late legendary Oliver Mtukudzi and Jah Prayzah and is set to launch his second album, a 10-track compilation next month, believes that his long journey from musical obscurity is about to end.
“The album is titled Pweterepwetere and although I am still to finalise the details, I hope we manage to launch next month and for me, this is the beginning of my journey into full-time music.”
A motor mechanic by training, Claude B started his music career when we was just a student at Tsatse High School in Domboshawa.
“Music was just in me, and whenever I passed by a place where people were playing music, I felt at home,” he said.
In pursuit of his love for music, Claude B joined a local sungura band in Domboshawa led by Farai Makanya as a backing vocalist.
“We would run away from school in order to go to practise and perform with the band,” he said.
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After high school, he was forced to stop doing music as he had to go through a motor mechanics course at Mashayamombe Vocational Training Centre in Mhondoro.. But the musical spirit did not leave and seemed to follow him to Mhondoro, where as luck would have it, he met a maternal uncle in Mhondoro, who began teaching him how to play the guitar.
So, from Mhondoro, Claude B emerged both as a certified motor mechanic and a guitar wizard.
“From there, I was now being hired to play before church services. I was motivated by my church audiences and they urged me to start my own project, and this sort of took away all the self-doubt that I could have had at that time”
Two years ago, Claude B formed his own musical group, the Black Pearl Band, and decided to focus on Afro fusion that blends jazz and traditional music.
“My music has a touch of mbira, marimba and electronic guitars. So far, I have recorded one album and 12 singles. We are holding shows and we are expecting to hold more as we go,” he said.
With a new album soon, Claude B hopes to push himself into the fast-paced world of musical fame.
