[WORLD MUSIC] They call him “Mukanya,” after the baboon of his family totem. Yet Thomas Mapfumo is a fierce nationalist who sang to raise the spirits of the people of Rhodesia to Zimbabwe by reminding them of their cultural heritage as he spread awareness of alcoholism, AIDS and domestic violence. He invented the chimurenga sound, also known as “struggle music,” and retains his Shona roots despite harassment from the newly elected and corrupted Zimbabwean government. Mapfumo has been imprisoned and exiled but continues to record and perform in the fight for peace, love and laughter. He’s since become an international star, living and touring out of Oregon, despite having lost many band members to AIDS and other calamities. We could all use Mapfumo’s uplifting perspective to revive or begin our personal understanding of this era’s ongoing battle with injustice and misinformation. For more info about Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited, visit online at http: //www.rockpaperscissors.biz/index.cfm/fuseaction/current.bio/project_id/209.cfm. TICKETS: $25 in advance. [KIRA SABINI]
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