BY PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI
TOP music producer and instrumentalist Clive “Mono” Mukundu has stuck to his yearly tradition with the release of a new compilation album featuring 16 of the finest musicians that he worked with last year.
Mono told NewsDay Life & Style yesterday that the compilations were annual recordings done to introduce new artistes to the limelight.
“This is an annual thing that I do to introduce some of the new artistes I would have recorded throughout the past year while cushioning them with a few established artistes. It’s also a way to market the Monolio Studio sound,” he said.
The album — titled Anatha Brick 9 — features well-known musicians Mbeu (Tariro) Jane Doka (Plan), Patience Musa (Vanonyepa), Dereck Mpofu (Ancestor), Eve Kawadza (Ndo Zvandiri) and Tocky Vibes (Don’t Talk).
Their voices are blended with those of emerging artistes M Zungu (Bongo Riot), Kambo Boys (Chihera), Chipo Muchegwa (Handiende) Baba Taps (Kupengereka), Rati Mpeswa (Mabiko), Mcintosh Jerahuni (Vanoti Kunoedza), Tafadzwa Matiure (Simuka) and Chihuri Girls (Hupenyu Hwangu).
Polish-American musician, writer, teacher, director and actor, Klara Wojtkowska adds a foreign flavour to the album on Violin Love Songs. Various artistes with their blunders captured during recording sessions at Monolio Studios are featured in the closing track, Studio Blunders.
Mono said he roped in musicians with unique and original styles to give the album a cutting edge and make it marketable.
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He said the genres on the album reflected his taste and he opted for genres in which he was well-versed.
“Every producer has his strengths and weaknesses, so I included genres that I, as a producer, am well versed with. I am not good with dancehall, hip-hop and RnB, so that’s why there aren’t any of those genres on the album,” he said.
The artistes featured on the album are drawn from Afro-jazz, gospel, reggae and mbira, with Tocky Vibes as the only dancehall artiste featured.
Makanaka and Mukudze Chihuri are pupils at The Grange Primary School. Jerahuni is a globetrotting professional dancer, Baba Taps is a popular radio presenter with Diamond FM and Muchengwa was born without hands while her legs are disabled. She is an accomplished mbira player who plays the instrument with her legs.
