In the groove: Fungai Malianga: Never too old to make music

By Fred Zindi

WITH the release of his new scintillating album, 2 Young Too Old, Fungai Malianga has proved that he is never too old to make music.

Born on October 3, 1947 Fungai has come a long way in the music business. His father, Reverend Mushuma Paul Malianga was employed by the Methodist Church at Old Mutare Mission and later at Nyadire.  His son, Fungai  comes from a large family which included two well-known politicians in Zimbabwe, Washington and national hero, Moton. The rest of the family are Harris, Morris, Aggrey, George, Margaret, Quinton (Farai) and John.  Fungai’s album launch was delayed because earlier this year, two of his brothers, John and Moton died.

Unless one is writing abook, it is hard to write in detail about Fungai who has had a long time in the music business and someone I have also known for years. However, here is a brief history of the events in Fungai’s life:

In 1970, Fungai’s brother, Quinton, a bass guitarist had come back from the United States where he had gone to study. He became a science teacher at Old Mutare Mission School. It was during this time that Quinton formed a family band called the 2D Sounds, but the family was scattered all over thecountry. It was difficult to gather the family musicians as Fungai had just started an undergraduate programme at the University of Rhodesia (now University of Zimbabwe).

John was concentrating on his businesses in Zimunya. A decision was therefore made to recruit some musicians from Sakubva to join the 2D Sounds. Maybin Mpili, Jethro Shasha, Newton Kanengoni and myself became members.Maybin would do the vocals in the absence of Fungai and Newton would play the bass when Quinton was busy at school. I would play the lead guitar in the absence of John or Fungai, although I was also at school. Fungai was already at University when I started my secondary education in Mutare.

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We would go to Fungai’s mother’s workplace at Mutare Girls’ Hostel where we would do rehearsals after school. Fungai’s mother encouraged him to get educated and enjoy music at the same time.After a year he had dropped out of University for unknown reasons but, in no time at all, he had quit the 2D Sounds and had gone to London to further his studies. Four years later after my O’Levels, I decided to follow him.

It was in London that we formed The Stars of Liberty Band while I also pursued college. Fungai had already completed a degree in Mathematics when I arrived in London and had embarked on a post Graduate Certificate in Education which enabled him to teach at Clissold Park Secondary School in Stoke Newington.

After marriage to Lynette Mwamuka with whom they were blessed with two boys, Shupi and Utah Paul, he moved to Chelmsford, Essex where he later went to teach at Chelmsford County High School. The Stars of Liberty Band consisted of Fungai Malianga (guitar and lead vocals) Fred Zindi Bass and harmonies)  Jamaican, Roy Mc Lean ( ex- Desmond Dekker drummer) on drums, Winston Kennedy (Rhythm guitar), Cyprian Mandala (percussionist and Jamaican Joy Welsh (ex Boney M) on vocals. The band played every Friday at the Peacock, Angel Islington in London to mainly Zimbabwean audiences. Every now and again they would also do other venues such as The 100 Club, The Music Machine and Ronnie Scott’s.

When the contract at the Peacock came to an end, Fungai left the Stars of Liberty and joined the Funkees which had four Nigerian musicians: Sonny Akpan (ex Eddie Grant percussionist),  Harry Mosco on vocals, Danny Ibe on bass and ChikeMadu the drummer. With Zimbabwean Nicholas Samaita Zindi on guitar,

After thisFungai went solo and it is during this period that he came up with several solo projects as evidenced by his discography below.

Baby Dumping, Street Kids ,Voodoo, Frontline Child, Dr Rastafari, Emergency Taxi, Drug Abuse, Just Like The Sun, Jesus You Saved My Soul, Zimbabwean Funk, Fly, The Vow, Baby Don’t You Cry, Turn Off The Lights, That Lady, Pick Up The Phone, My Letter, Beaten Battered And Abused, Three Words, No. 1 Girl, Dreamer, 9 Months Samba Saga And Of Course His Latest Offering, 2Young Too Old.

I spent a lot of time listening to this new release and I was quite impressed. In my view, this is a well put out gem.  However, I asked for the opinion of others on this project and one Richard from the Zimbabwe College of Music commented as follows:

“I have been a Fungai Malianga follower for many years and I must say that he is as good as, if not better than The Jah Prayzahs, The Winky D’s Thomas Mapfumo and Oliver Mtukudzi. The only thing I find lacking in his song-writing skills is the cultural aspect.

“As you can see from the list of songs Fungai has composed over the years, there is not a single one with a Shona title. This is probably one of the reasons his music has not resonated with the majority of Zimbabweans as they try to come to terms with his identity”.

Fungai grew up listening to a lot of James Brown, Otis Redding, Wilson Picket and Ray Charles. From the above collection of songs, Dr. Rastafari, which has a reggae feel is what a lot of Zimbabweans think is closer to home.  However, in 2016, Fungai received a Life Achievement Award at the Zim Awards UK in the United Kingdom where he is based.

This was in honour of his achievements which include the establishment of the Sakubva Helpers UK Charity which is an organisation aimed at giving community service to Sakubva residents,  mentoring and supporting the youth in Zimbabwe especially those in Sakubva, Mutare, where Fungai grew up.

In Zimbabwe, Fungai was at the forefront of the Jethro Shasha Drum Scholarship Fund, which later became the Heroes of African Music Fund that sponsored those who were keen to train at the Zimbabwe College of Music.

The first batch of the scholarship’s 33 recipients graduated with three-year music diplomas in 2001.

Malianga was at one time involved with the National Hunger Jazz Concert as both an organiser and participant.

In 2002, he spearheaded the National Blood Transfusion Service campaign that was meant to encourage people to donate blood through a festival dubbed the Jazz Aid-Mazvita to the youth that featured Olivier Mtukudzi and Louis Mhlanga.

In his own words, this is what Fungai has to say: “I’m a Singer/Songwriter that has been around for a while. Some of my music is on vinyl, on cassette tape, and on compact disc.  My manager/producer said it was time to go Digital and so here I am.

I write songs about situations, places, people, attitudes, and the joy and sadness of Life in general. It’s amazing what lyrics you can come up with just from the 26 letters of the Alphabet A to Z. It’s also similarly amazing the fact that from the Music Keys/Notes A to G ( and everything else in between) you can come up with a concoction of sounds that hopefully are pleasant to the human ear and help put your message across harmoniously.

I don’t want to be branded or stuck with this or that type of Music. No. I simply write sing, play and record music. If I was a Chef I would not walk into a kitchen to make Tomato Soup every day. I would walk in and see firstly what’s cooking in my mind and what ingredients (ideas) that is already there. This helps determine the end product and what eventually comes out on the Menu that day.”

“Thanks to the University of London I am a Mathematician but my first love has always been music, music and more music.”

There is more to the Fungai Malianga story, but we need a book outlining his adventures in music.

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