Moving from Nigeria's funk master William Onyeabor, one of Zimbabwe's greatest bands, employing the 'jit' African electric guitar sound of clean, golden-glinting riffs and vocal harmonies. The Four Brothers were siblings only in music, but intertwined as a perfect unit when playing, not merely their instruments, but four-part vocal harmonies. For many listeners around the world, who don't know their native Shona language, when their material was given a wider audience when released on the Cooking Vinyl label, it was all about the sound, while lyrics covered standard morality stories about love, work and other life trials. This song was released in 1989 from an album of the same name.
It is a great irony that all four of the original members since 1977 - Marshall Munhumumwe on drums and lead vocals, Never Mutare on bass and vocals, Aleck Chipaika, rhythm guitar and vocals, and Edward Matiyasi on lead guitar and vocals – all died by middle age from a variety of tragic causes. The band continued until 2002 with various replacements, but their music lives on like specks of bright light from a country with a difficult history.
Want to suggest songs for Song of the Day or to say anything about it? Does this song make you think of something else? Then feel free to comment below, on the contact page, or on social media: Song Bar Twitter, Song Bar Facebook. Song Bar YouTube. Please subscribe, follow and share.
New to comment? It is quick and easy. You just need to login to Disqus once. All is explained in About/FAQs ...