IN October 2001, Zimbabwe plunged into mourning following the death of iconic musician Marshall Munhumumwe who had succumbed to the effects of a stroke.
BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA
The stroke kept Munhumumwe bedridden for nearly four years.
Munhumumwe and his Four Brothers ensemble contributed a lot to local music and after the stroke following a road accident in 1997, James Nyamande took it upon himself to lead the group.
On Saturday night, Nyamande performed at The Legends Sports Bar in Marondera, where he shared the stage with upcoming musician, Hebert Majeke, at a well-attended show where he rekindled memories of the popular yesteryear band.
Nyamande nailed the act, leaving the audience stunned by his performance.
Operating behind the drums during that night, Nyamande co-ordinated well with three other young guitarists, as the “Team of Four” played the instruments with great finesse.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
He played all the renditions by the late Munhumumwe, among them hits like Mbereko Yakaramba, Rwendo Rwepasi Pano and Kumawere.
In an interview with NewsDay, Nyamande said despite the challenges he and any other musicians were facing, he would soldier on to steer the Four Brothers’ ship.
“The journey is difficult, but I’m determined to keep Marshall’s dream alive — the dream to keep entertaining the Four Brothers’ fans. Just like any other band, we have financial challenges, lack of promoters, but the slots that we get in and out of Harare mean a lot to the group and we deliver our best,” Nyamande said.
He said the band was currently working on a new album that would be released later this year.
A few years ago, a bitter wrangle sparked between Nyamande and Marshall Munhumumwe Junior with the latter accusing the former of using the name Four Brothers without legal rights.
This resulted in Nyamande reviving his own ensemble, Makombe Brothers, but also played Munhumwe’s songs during their shows.
The current Four Brothers are members of Makombe Brothers.
Nyamande was spotted by Tymon Mabaleka, the then producer of Four Brothers, who said his voice and musical style was the same as Munhumumwe’s.
Nyamande then led the Four Brothers between 1997 and 2002 following Munhumumwe’s incapacitation.
After Munhumumwe’s death, Nyamande re-joined Makombe Brothers after being booted out by the late Frank Sibanda, a member of the original Four Brothers.
Founded in 1977 by Munhumumwe and Never Mutare with Edward Matigasi and Aleck Chipaika, the band gained international recognition in the late 1980s with United Kingdom’s BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel being their most well-known advocate.
Munhumumwe died in 2001 at the age of 49 and the following year bass guitarist Never Mutare also died. The last surviving member, Sibanda later died in December 2010.
