Thomas Mapfumo was invited to play at the House of Blues as the pinnacle of their celebration of Black History Month last week. This is high praise from a venue that has it’s ceiling covered with bas-reliefs of black blues greats of the last century. But Mapfumo is great, one of the few non-Western musicians these days truly deserving of the title legend, with all the history that such praise suggests. It is not solely because of his long dreadlocks that Mapfumo invites repeated comparisons to Bob Marley. He embodies a certain a type of ideology in the same way that Marley did.

He is the originator of the Zimbabwean style of music called Chimurenga, the same name by which the Zimbabwean liberation struggle is known. This music is replete with traditional influences, as is reggae; Chimurenga’s lyrics are also preoccupied with the struggle for human rights, freedom and dignity. Solely the veiled, idiomatic nature of the lyrics (which speak of “poisonous snakes” rather than oppressive regimes) saved him from being imprisoned during Zimbabwe’s struggle for liberation.

Now he faces a similar threat from the current government: at least two of his songs have been banned from Zimbabwean radio for their political content (which unmistakeably critices the regime) and Mapfumo has relocated to the US. The oppressor may have changed, but in the minds of Zimbabweans and others, Mapfumo remains the quintessential musician of the people, articulating and narrating their struggle.

All of which might be merely an obscure-but-admirable footnote to African musical history, were it not for the fact that his live show rocks in a way that most musicians only dream of: simple, straight-up and jaw-droppingly good. Mapfumo’s talent as a songwriter is complemented perfectly by his talent as a band leader. Even a youthful guest horn player was seamlessly incorporated into the rich, dynamic sound of the band.

Mapfumo’s music shares numerous elements with the best of modern trance music. Both are based around driving, endless beats although in Mapfumo’s case, the rhythms are in the distinctive compound measure of the thumb-piano. Both use subtle variations with no single instrument leading the melody, creating hugely long songs (Mapfumo’s penultimate song lasted at least 20 minutes). Most importantly, both create an irresistible urge to dance.

The audience, a slightly odd mix of determined partyers including many Africans and local world music fans, were noisy and vigorous in their appreciation, dancing, whistling and shouting from the moment that Mapfumo took the stage. Mapfumo responded by breaking into understated, foot-stamping dance, which became progressively more energetic. As the night continued, he let his long dreads loose, earning rapturous applause. In Zimbabwe, Mapfumo is famous for playing “pungwes”—shows that last until the sun comes up. Cambridge regulations prohibit this, but the audience, who unequivocally demanded an encore, would have stayed for as long as he played.

music

Thomas Mapfumo

House of Blues

Feb. 15