Mashasha Sayfu
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Peter Mujuru (born 15 October 1982), known by his
mononym A mononym is a name composed of only one word. An individual who is known and addressed by a mononym is a mononymous person. A mononym may be the person's only name, given to them at birth. This was routine in most ancient societies, and remains ...
Mashasha, is a Zimbabwean musician, bass guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer based in the UK. He is widely regarded as an original and important new voice in
African music The continent of Africa is vast and its music is diverse, with different regions and nations having many distinct musical traditions. African music includes the genres like makwaya, highlife, mbube, township music, jùjú, fuji, jaiva ...
. His debut studio album, ''Mashasha'', which was released by Elegwa Music in 2011; it was acclaimed by critics internationally and won a Zimbabwe Music and Arts (ZIMAA) award for Best Album.


Early life

Peter Mujuru was born on 15 October 1982 in Harare, Zimbabwe, to Stellah and Lovert Mujuru. As a child, he was nicknamed "Mashasha", which in
Shona Shona often refers to: * Shona people, a Southern African people ** Shona language, a Bantu language spoken by Shona people today ** Shona languages, a wider group of languages defined in the early 20th century ** Kingdom of Zimbabwe, a Shona stat ...
means "someone with skills of a champion". His earliest exposure to music was from his father, who was an avid record collector and attending the nearby Highfield Presbyterian Church where his mother is an elder. As a child, Mashasha frequently visited the home of neighbor and family friend
Oliver Mtukudzi Oliver "Tuku" Mtukudzi (22 September 1952 – 23 January 2019) was a Zimbabwe, Zimbabwean musician, businessman, philanthropist, Human rights activists, human rights activist and List of UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador f ...
, one of Zimbabwe's most popular and influential singers, where Mashasha began teaching himself to play the bass guitar. He formed an amateur band with Mtukudzi's nephew, Tapiwa "Oliver Jr" Mtukudzi, who played guitar. The band made its professional debut in 1999, as "Oliver Jr and Friends", opening for Mtukudzi and his band.


Career

Mashasha's musicianship and skill as a bass player was quickly noted, and in 2000 he joined the band Sisonke, led by veteran singer Jonah Mutuma, best known for his work with the band
The Pied Pipers The Pied Pipers are an American popular singing group originally formed in the late 1930s. They had several chart hits throughout the 1940s, both under their own name and in association with Tommy Dorsey, with Johnny Mercer and with Frank Sin ...
, playing original Afro-jazz material and covers. Mashasha worked with this band until Mutuma's death in 2002, by which time he was recognized as a prodigious talent on the local music scene. In 2002, he co-produced and arranged the debut album "Nyarara" by Malethar (Tafadzwa Mteswa), and became in-demand as a studio and live session bass guitarist, working with Zimbabwean artists
Chiwoniso Maraire Chiwoniso Maraire (5 March 1976 – 24 July 2013) was a Zimbabwean singer, songwriter, and exponent of Zimbabwean mbira music. She was the daughter of Zimbabwean mbira master and teacher Dumisani Maraire (and former officer in the Zimbabwe Minis ...
, Edwin Hamma, Rute Mbangwa, Charles Summerfield, Comrade Fatso and others. In 2003 Mashasha joined the band Too Open, led by guitarist-singer Brian Nhanhanga, playing mostly covers and some original material composed by Nhanhanga. The musicians found their original material made the biggest impact at live performances. Mashasha, Nhanhanga and drummer Sam Chagumachinyi preferred to concentrate on original material but the remaining five band members were apprehensive about the financial risk involved, believing a covers band was more employable and viable. In 2004, Mashasha, Nhanhanga and Chagumachinyi reduced the band to a trio, and from then onwards played exclusively original material, with all three as co-leaders. The subsequent album, ''Zororo'', achieved widespread recognition and extensive airplay, especially the track "Matinda Hostel". In 2004, Mashasha joined one of Zimbabwe's most popular bands, Andy Brown and the Storm, recording on the album "Chiedza" and touring around Zimbabwe and internationally. At the same time, Mashasha played regularly with township jazz trombone player Tanga Wekwa Sando. Mashasha continued working with Too Open, and by 2005 the band had built a cult following among jazz audiences in
Harare Harare ( ), formerly Salisbury, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of , a population of 1,849,600 as of the 2022 Zimbabwe census, 2022 census and an estimated 2,487,209 people in its metrop ...
for their spontaneous, unpredictable, high energy live performances and the improvisation, musical creativity, and high level of musicianship of all three members. Working with Too Open, Mashasha had his first opportunity to perform his own original songs and make his debut as a vocalist. The same year, Mashasha joined the Zimbabwean rock band Bush Guru, which toured in Zimbabwe and the UK between 2006 and 2008. In late 2005, Mashasha was invited to participate in the all-star collaboration project "Hupenyu Kumusha" (Life at Home), commonly known as "The Collaboration". The project included artists from diverse musical backgrounds, including contemporary
mbira Mbira ( ; ) are a family of musical instruments, traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe. They consist of a wooden board (often fitted with a resonator) with attached staggered metal Tine (structural), tines, played by holding the instrument ...
player and singer-songwriter
Chiwoniso Maraire Chiwoniso Maraire (5 March 1976 – 24 July 2013) was a Zimbabwean singer, songwriter, and exponent of Zimbabwean mbira music. She was the daughter of Zimbabwean mbira master and teacher Dumisani Maraire (and former officer in the Zimbabwe Minis ...
, star vocalist
Busi Ncube Sibusiswe "Busi" Ncube (born 15 June 1963) is a female mbira musician and singer from Zimbabwe, who sings in six African languages. She play the guitar, mbira and percussions. She was a member of the Afro-Fusion group Ilanga; the group released t ...
, mbira player-cum-percussionist Adam Chisvo, guitarist Roger Mbambo, and classically trained piano player Bengt Post. The album "Hupenyu Kumusha" was released in 2006, and featured two songs by Mashasha: "Spirit" and "Africa, Why War?" The songs made an impact upon their release, resulting in increased media interest in Mashasha and several interviews in the Zimbabwean press and on television. Also in 2005, Mashasha began developing and teaching bass and music workshops for high school students. He featured in two television documentaries by film-maker and music producer Eugene Ulman about the Harare performance venue The Book Café: "The Book Café Turns 10" (
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
, 2007) and "Six Nights a Week at the Book Café" (
Al Jazeera Al Jazeera Media Network (AJMN; , ) is a private-media conglomerate headquartered in Wadi Al Sail, Doha, funded in part by the government of Qatar. The network's flagship channels include Al Jazeera Arabic and Al Jazeera English, which pro ...
, 2008) Since 2008, Mashasha has been based permanently in the UK. There he performs as a solo artist and in other lineups. He plays in the bass and drums duo "Mashasha & Sam", which features now UK-based drummer Sam Chagumachinyi from Too Open – which is now also based in the UK. Mashasha's UK performances have included Rise Festival, The Ritzy, Luton Arts Carnival,
South Bank Centre Southbank Centre is an arts centre in London, England. It is adjacent to the separately owned National Theatre and BFI Southbank. It comprises the three main performance spaces – the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and Purcell Ro ...
, 02 Stadium opening for
Oliver Mtukudzi Oliver "Tuku" Mtukudzi (22 September 1952 – 23 January 2019) was a Zimbabwe, Zimbabwean musician, businessman, philanthropist, Human rights activists, human rights activist and List of UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador f ...
, Zimfest UK, OneTaste Festival, and
The Poetry Café ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
.


Solo album

In 2011 Mashasha completed his debut album as a solo artist. Eponymously titled ''Mashasha'', it was produced by Mashasha and Eugene Ulman. Mashasha and Ulman formed a production company Elegwa Arts and independent record label Elegwa Music to produce and release their work; "Mashasha" was the first project. The album comprises ten tracks, all of which are original compositions with music and lyrics by Mashasha. The tracks feature an international band that included Australian drummer-percussionist Robbie Avenaim, US jazz trombonist Ku-umba Frank Lacy, piano and keyboard player Danny G. Felix (who also arranged some of the tracks with Mashasha), Senegalese guitarist Jeannot Mendy of
Viviane Ndour Viviane (born Viviane Chidid) is a Senegalese pop singer who is the former backing vocalist and former sister-in-law of Youssou N'Dour. Viviane is known as the queen or reine of Senegalese music. Her music combines traditional Senegalese mbalax ...
's Jolof Band, Iranian
ney The ney ( ; ) is an end-blown flute that figures prominently in traditional Persian, Turkish, Jewish, Arab, and Egyptian music. In some of these musical traditions, it is the only wind instrument used. The ney has been played for over 4,500 ye ...
master Davod Varzideh, Sam Chagumachinyi and others. The album received high praise from leading critics and publications in numerous countries. Martin Sinnock in
Songlines A songline, also called dreaming track, is one of the paths across the land (or sometimes the sky) within the animist belief systems of the Aboriginal cultures of Australia. They mark the route followed by localised "creator-beings" in the Dr ...
magazine described it as "exceptional" and "a refreshing and sparkling debut", awarding it four stars.
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
radio presenter Doug Spencer devoted an episode of the programme " Weekend Planet" to the release, and called it the "standout African debut" of the year. The Zimbabwean "Sunday Mail" described Mashasha "a new voice in African music". '' Hello Harare'' magazine described the album as "complex, intense and unique, with each song layered with musical genius". Michael Rofe in "
The Australian ''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet daily newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964. As the only Australian daily newspaper distributed nationally, its readership of b ...
" called it "a revelation from a major talent". Other critics have compared Mashasha to artists
Richard Bona Richard Bona (born 28 October 1967) is a Cameroon-born American multi-instrumentalist and singer. Early life Bona Penda Nya Yuma Elolo was born in Minta, Cameroon, into a family of musicians, which enabled him to start learning music from a ...
, Rokia Traore,
Youssou N'Dour Youssou N'Dour (, ; also known as Youssou Madjiguène Ndour; born 1 October 1959) is a Senegalese singer, songwriter, musician, composer, occasional actor, businessman, and politician. In 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' described him as, "perhaps the m ...
,
Habib Koite Habib (; ; also romanized as Habeeb) is an Arabic masculine given name, occasional surname, and honorific, with the meaning "beloved" or "my love", or "darling". It also forms the famous Arabic word ''"Habibi"'' which is used to refer to a friend ...
and Oliver Mtukudzi. In 2012, Mashasha released the single "Musuki" on Elegwa Music.


Genre and musical style

Mashasha's bass playing has been noted for its combination of
virtuoso A virtuoso (from Italian ''virtuoso'', or ; Late Latin ''virtuosus''; Latin ''virtus''; 'virtue', 'excellence' or 'skill') is an individual who possesses outstanding talent and technical ability in a particular art or field such as fine arts, ...
technique, assertive playing and melodic imagination. He has developed an intricate style of playing, which is rooted in traditional Zimbabwean Shona percussion, with a strong influences of
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
scales and jazz improvisation techniques. His bass playing style ranges from forceful with a strong sense of urgency, to melancholic and meditative, with noticeable influences from bass players
Victor Wooten Victor Lemonte Wooten (born September 11, 1964) is an American bassist, songwriter, and record producer. He has been the bassist for Béla Fleck and the Flecktones since the group's formation in 1988 and a member of the band SMV with two other ...
,
Jaco Pastorius John Francis Anthony Pastorius III, also known as Jaco Pastorius (; December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987), was an American jazz bassist, composer, and producer. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential bassists of all time, ...
,
Marcus Miller William Henry Marcus Miller Jr. (born June 14, 1959) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He has worked with trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Herbie Hancock, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonists Wayne Shorter and David Sa ...
,
Wilbur Ware Wilbur Bernard Ware (September 8, 1923 – September 9, 1979) was an American jazz double bassist.Feather, Leonard & Gitler, Ira (2007) ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'', p. 674. Oxford University Press He was a regular bassist for ...
,
Gary Peacock Gary George Peacock (May 12, 1935September 4, 2020) was an American jazz double bassist. He recorded a dozen albums under his own name, and also performed and recorded with major jazz figures such as avant garde saxophonist Albert Ayler, piani ...
,
Étienne M'Bappé Étienne, a French analog of Stephen or Steven, is a masculine given name. An archaic variant of the name, prevalent up to the mid-17th century, is Estienne. Étienne, Etienne, Ettiene or Ettienne may refer to: People Artists and entertainers * ...
,
Dave Holland Dave Holland or David Holland may refer to: *Dave Holland (bassist) David Holland (born 1 October 1946) is an English double bassist, bass guitarist, cellist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has ...
and others. Some of Mashasha's songwriting is based on reinterpreting Zimbabwean popular music styles with his own individual variations, with other influences including West African
Afrobeat Afrobeat (also known as Afrofunk) is a West African music genre, fusing influences from Nigerian (such as Yoruba) and Ghanaian (such as highlife) music, with American funk, jazz, and soul influences. With a focus on chanted vocals, complex i ...
, East African
pentatonic A pentatonic scale is a Scale (music), musical scale with five Musical note, notes per octave, in contrast to heptatonic scales, which have seven notes per octave (such as the major scale and minor scale). Pentatonic scales were developed inde ...
music and traditional music from Iran and the Middle-East. His compositions often feature complex time signatures and harmonies, with multi-layered arrangements and rich instrumentation complimenting dense, polyrhythmic bass and drum lines. Mashasha has a wide vocal range, and is known for his compelling stage presence and charismatic, albeit laconic, performance style.


Awards

Mashasha was a winner of the Morley Studio Recording Prize in 2011. The album "Mashasha" won the Zimbabwe Music and Arts (ZIMAA) Award for Best Album in 2011.


References


External links

* {{authority control 1982 births Living people Jazz bass guitarists Zimbabwean musicians 21st-century bass guitarists