Sunday Music

fisttap AfricasACountry

Michael Kiwanuka is a 23 year old singer from London of Ugandan origins and this is he has mastered the art of representing vintage sound in contemporary times. Longing for days gone by when when R n B was still rhythm n blues, Kiwanuka channels a 60s / 70s sound comparable to Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding etc. Likewise, the video manages recreate the past  - save for the hoodies and pay-phone - this could pass for an old school video. Kiwanuka has opened for Adele, but he's still very much an underground artist the whole world needs to hear (and Liam Bailey too). He's due to release his debut EP on the 7th of June.

Together We Can Build?

This was the ANC's local elections campaign song by kwaito artist, Chomee (video complete with guest appearance from the King of Kwaito, Arthur Mofokate). It's an ironic considering that the ANC failing in public service delivery from decent housing to toilets to electricity and water services.  Here's an extract from a very powerful piece Bastards of a Dream Deferred by Lindokuhle Nkosi (recommended reading). Although it was published a few days before the election - it's still relevant and it provides a sobering contrast to the happy clappy, shuckin' n jivin' video above. 
(sidenote: Compare and contrast Beyonce's dance routine for 'Who runs the world' with this, clearly Bey's moves come from South Africa.)

“We have no water, we have no electricity. The ANC is killing us man. They killed my father. They took my legs.” I want to tell him that alcohol took his father. I want to tell him he lost his legs when the Military truck that he and his drunk soldier friends were in hit a pothole and flipped. Instead, I focus my energies on funneling the boiling water into three small teacups, whilst watching that he doesn’t steal anything to trade for alcohol, like he did last time. I’m cold and hungry. I’m thinking about the slow puncture I got trying to avoid a mound of cement the community had placed in the road when they realised the government would never get around to building speed humps outside the school. The pot slips, water spills on the coals putting out the fire that had been burning for three days now. No worries, the gas stove has arrived, and I managed not to burn myself.

I place the tray on the table next to a few lit candles. The same table my frightened cousins and I huddled under a long time ago, hiding from the police and red-clad Inkatha impis who marched down the street armed with pangas and hatred. “It would get better,” the older ones would say. The country would be free, my uncle would come back from exile. One day, we’d share in the freedoms that were currently only a privilege of the paler skinned South Africans. But there’s no electricity, and the water has been on and off since December, and I still need to change my tire. They say the sub-station burnt. The broken dreams made love to the empty promises and ignited a baptism of fire. The decaying bodies of the poor and the black blocked the pipes and the water can not flow. The desolate tears choke the voice of the oppressed and their cries will not be heard.

Jacob Zuma’s face smiles audaciously off a streetlamp that has never, in my memory, been operational. “Vote ANC!” He grins. “Together we can do more…” A tall vandal has scribbled something in black marker over the ellipses. The campaign poster now reads: “Together, we can do more crime.

The King Had A Dream

 Things I've Done by NattyMusic

Like country music meets reggae meets indie, this is Natty. (a guy most Londoners on the underground scene will know bec of the song ColdTown) Born Alexander Alekio Modiano to a mother from Lesotho and an English dad in San Francisco. Aged one he moved to (north) London where he grew up around African and British musical and cultural influences. According to the bio on his website (nattymusic.com), he had the privilege of working with Mos Def, Queen and Razorlight - before releasing his own mixtape for sale. In 2007 he got signed by Atlantic records and performed at the iTunes Festival. Since then Natty's achieved chart success in the UK, Japan and Jamaica as well and has collaborated with the likes of Roots Manuva and Baaba Mal, among many others. If you're in London this summer look out for him at gigs and festivals, or follow him on twitter @nattymusic.


Anyway the song,The King Had a Dream above was produced a few days before Barack Obama's inauguration, but regardless of Obama's failings, the greater message of the song, a people's legacy of triumph against adversity, still hits home - at least with me.

Tozeza Baba

Still in Independence Day mode, I'm sitting here wishing the whole world understood Shona so I could post a playlist of all the songs I'm listening to right now. But since that's an impossible wish, I'll post one song by Oliver Mtukudzi (Tuku). It's called 'Tozeza Baba', meaning 'we are afraid of father' because the father's a drunk who beats up on the mother, as the video shows. It's also a chastening of the father by a child as Tuku's first line is 'Imi Baba imi manyanya' meaning 'you father you, you're overdoing it now.' (*insert finger wagging here*)
Depending on how much you read into Tuku's music, there's also a subversive political meaning to the song. Substitute the domestic setting for the national and this could describe the situation of the country, a nation with a political Father who unnecessarily exerts his authority on the weak and vulnerable. The genius about Tuku is that he has never openly expressed his political beliefs in his music, the listener is free to interpret his music in whatever way they wish. Both of the main political parties in Zimbabwe, Zanu and MDC, have appropriated his music because he has played at Zanu rallies so some say it suggests he supports the brand anti-colonial nationalism of Mugabe whereas the latter interpret Tuku's songs to be an anti-violence, pro-change stance, especially because of Bvuma (not the best videos) a controversial song urging someone to accept that he has gotten too old and must make way for young...

On the controversy surrounding Bvuma in 2000 (?) (year of the fast-track land re-appropriation scheme):

There was also the case of a sound engineer who worked for Oliver Mutukudzi who was apprehended after a live performance where it is said that he directed a stage light on Mugabe’s portrait when Tuku was tuning out his banned 'Bvuma' a song that has been interpreted as directed to Mugabe.
Artists such as Mutukudzi and [Thomas] Mapfumo command a huge following and their lyrical composition has always been under the spotlight. The government tried to pin down Mutukudzi for his song 'Bvuma' and he gave an excuse that he did not direct the song at the head of state. Actually it referred to his relationship with his children. Mutukudzi has been on record for making it clear that he is not a ZANU PF supporter after a series of botched attempts to align him and his music with the ruling party.

Source: Freemuse

31 Today, Makorokoto Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe turned 31 today and I decided to return to blogging after an extended break. To acknowledge, Zimbabwe's Day it was a toss-up between an inspirational song or something historic (as I did last year) but Independence Day signifies many things. It is not only a day of revolution, but also a day of celebration, so I chose a song of upliftment. It was a tough choice between 'Pane Rudo' (There is Love) by ExQue featuring the legendary Oliver Mtukudzi
and 'Mugarandoga' / Loneliness by DK Republic (posted below), but I settled on the above as the main track to partly convey how I feel today. The one below probably expresses the feelings of millions in the diaspora who for many, complex reasons left Zimbabwe.
The song is called Shaina meaning shine and its a collaboration between two well-known Zimbabwean singers; Alexio Kawara and Andy Brown. As the song title suggests, the song is about making it through the trials of life and shining like the sun after a storm. Never give up and never allow yourself to crumble because you never know what lies ahead, so despite the darkness, you are a star and you must shine, don't let your light go out Zimbabwe, happy birthday.

ConDemtion Song

This is a siiick remake of Bob Marley's Redemption Song by Adynkrah, an upcoming artist worth looking out for. As social critique, this song song provides a fresh satirical take on the policies and behaviour of UK politicians. From Tony Blair's lies, the MP's expenses scandal (ref. to watching pornography DVDs ), government cuts, Nick Clegg's broken pledge that in part, sparked off the student protests of last November, Adynkrah gets it all in.

I hope that this song will make it onto to the protest soundtrack of #demo2011, so when this song goes viral or this lying government falls :), remember where you heard it first.

In DOPE Music WE Trust

Miss Doctor Remixed

Miss Doctor Remixed by Akwaaba Music
From Akwaaba Music:
Miss Doctor was one of the biggest hits this year in Ghana. Appietus’ tight production has been booming throughout the entire country since last spring, so six months later it’s a special treat to see the vocals land in the hands of an army of young producers throughout the globe. On this EP we present some of our favorite submissions to the Miss Doctor remix contest. As usual choices were difficult and most likely quite imperfect. But we hope this small sample helps to propel 4X4 into new club stratospheres, and helps to turn new heads onto Ghanaian beats. 

The first remix featured in this blog post is called Dance Kill Move:

Dance Kill Move – Sweden/Colombia: we instantly loved this cumbia/reggaeton/dancehall rework by this young Swedish duo. Funny how it came about: last summer Ricardo – the beatmaker in this duo – spent a few weeks in Colombia, where his family is from, soaking up the cumbia, vallenato, porros, champeta and reggaeton. Then upon his return, stumbled upon the remix contest. Luckily for us, his summertime love affair brought Miss Doctor that much closer to the Colombian coast. Escucha fuerte!
 
To read the summaries on the rest of the remixes and find out how to access the music, please visit Akwaaba Music.

In DOPE Music We Trust

Mhlobo Wami

This is Teargas. A South African kwaito group that raps and sings in Zulu, English and Sotho comprised of two brothers and a friend (plus background musicians?). The main members consist of Ntokozo “K.O.” Mdluli from Piet Retief in Mpumalanga, and two brothers Ezee “Ma-E” Hanabe and Bantu “Ntukza” Hanabe from Soweto, Johannesburg. Teargas was signed to Electromode Music in 2005, and subsequently released their debut album, K’shubile K’bovu. They fell off my radar, being in the Diaspora its easy for one to be out of the kwaito loop, so I've only just discovered this song. (I thought it kind of weird to discover a band called Teargas at a time when Egyptian and Tunisian forces are using gas to crush civilian uprisings (upcoming blog post).) ...Anyway, Teargas are an established band in SA, having been nominated for a SAMA Award (SA Music Awards) for the 2007 album 'Wafa Wafa' (Due or Die). They've since released another two albums, their latest being Teargas 101 that dropped in December 2010. They seem to be doing big things at the moment and may it stay that way. Sky's the limit.


About this song, Mhlobo Wami is Zulu for My Close Friend / Relation - in other words his wife who cheated on the video's actor/singer with his good friend called James. The song basically relays how he got played out, and expresses his pain and disappointment. I'm sure the video is quite clear on what the song is about for those not conversant in Zulu. Lovin' the Mzansi style Dougie dance towards the end!

Frames: Youssou N'dour

This short film is part of Al Jazeera's series called Frames that showcases six 2-minute films from around the world. (2 x 6 = 12 minute. Sit. Watch. Please.) Youssou N'dour was made by Matt Rogers, a freelance web designer and film maker currently based in Australia. His animation of Youssou N'dour's words is such a simple but effective concept that brings out the humour, sincerity and depth in the speaker. World renown musician, Youssou N'dour talks about his love for Senegal and his choice to live in Dakar rather than places like Paris or New York. Hearing N'dour speak so fondly of his county comes as no surprise as N'dour is Senegal's AU Peace Ambassador and UN Goodwill Ambassador and he has been involved in various aid and development projects for Senegal. In May last year, Africa's a Country blogged that N’Dour created a new political movement called “Fekkai maci Bole” which means “because I am a witness (or present) that I am taking part.”

TIA: The White Room

Jusa, ft. Kazz & Cynthia from ThisIsAfricaChannel on Vimeo.

This is Africa have now launched something called The White Room where African artists perform one acoustic track in a white room in any studio around the world. Every week is a new artist and first up on the 7th of December, was Jusa Dementor, Cynthia and Kazz (from the duo BKay and Kazz) doing a cover of Bob Marley's Zimbabwe. iLike, but I wish Jusa would stop ad-libbing every five seconds! It's distracting and annoying especially at the beginning when Kazz is singing. If they ever release this, somebody please tell Jusa to kill the ad-lib. Other than that, it's a good cover. 

True or False?

To perform December 18, 2010.

From ZimboJam:

Mary J. Blige is being brought into the country by Impeccable Events with the support of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority. Representatives of Impeccable Events, Belinda Mutinhiri and Studio 263 Actress, Tinopona Katsande confirmed to The Zimbo Jam this afternoon that the show was going on.

“She’s landing on Friday, performing on Saturday and will be out of the country on Sunday,” said Katsande. “We are bringing her in particular in line with the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. If you Google her you will see that she has been through a lot of stuff. She’s a hero for many women.”

According to Impeccable Events, only the VIP tickets for her Zimbabwe show will be on sale in advance, at US$60. The other tickets will be on sale at the door on the evening of the concert at US$30.

...nice to know ZTA is making so much money that they can afford to bring Mary J. Blige. I'm not big on her, but I don't mind that she's coming, it'll be fun for those who go, but I have a little request for ZTA since they are evidently swimming in money; it'd be nice if you gave some of that money to the Ministry of Energy so we can have constant electricity and maybe a little cash to the Ministry of Education so teachers can be paid and schools properly funded and if there's still enough to round a little to the Ministry of Health so the country can afford to treat it's citizens. Oh and while Impeccable Events are splashing out on Mary J. could they also give a pot of money to the police services to send them on gender training courses so they don't disbelieve women when they come to report cases of abuse and the police themselves don't threaten to arrest every woman clubbing at night because it's assumed that during the festive season of December, a woman without a man at her side, going into a night club must be prostitute or a loiterer. It's not nice having to bribe the police not to arrest you for going out to party, what happens the night I'm broke? If Impeccable Events or ZTA could help in any way with this small matter before the 16 Days of Activism are over, it'd be much appreciated.

That is all, on with the show.

Chico and Rita

Chico and Rita is the latest animated film from Spanish director Fernando Trueba about a young Cuban couple who meet in Havana in 1948. Chico’s a talented jazz pianist and song writer, Rita’s a sultry singer. They both dream of making it big and the film traces their intense, sexy but turbulent love affair from Havana to New York to Las Vegas.

With an original soundtrack by legendary Cuban pianist, bandleader and composer Bebo Valdés, Chico & Rita captures a definitive moment in the evolution of jazz music. The film features music by jazz legends Thelonious Monk, Cole Porter,Dizzy Gillespie and Freddy Cole (brother of Nat King Cole).

Chico and Rita is out on 19 November and is showing all over London. Check www.chicoandrita.co.uk for more info.

info from Wikipedia and The Telegraph

ZoZo Afrobeat: Mugabe

Mugabe Song (excuse the hiccups)


Zozo Afrobeat is a 13-piece band based in new York and in April 2010 they released this protest song speaking out against the suffering of Zimbabweans under Mugabe's rule. Written by Kaleta, a former guitarist in Fela Kuti's band, the song calls Mugabe the African Hitler and calls for him to step down from power. Kaleta says, "Politics is essential to Afrobeat music... We speak truth to power. Without politics, it isn't really Afrobeat music." The word Zozo taken from the Goun and Fon word for "something hot," and the band is certainly stirring up some heat with it's music. 
Those in New York lookout for free gigs and the rest of you can checkout their website for more info and good beats: http://zozoafrobeat.com/live/

Global Terrorism

New N*E*R*D Video

 

Available on iTunes, 2 November 2010.

Pictures

1. Lucian Read - Civilian Corpses, Iraq

2. Jerome Delay - Dead Man in the Forest, Congo

3. Unknown - Children Mourning the Death of an Infant, Gaza

Eritrea Stand Up!

Asmara All Stars: Adunia feat. Mahmoud Ahmed Omer, Temasgen Hip Hop & Doc Reggae
Release Date: 11 Oct 2010 on Amazon

Asmara All Stars - Adunia by OuthereRecords

Jacked from ThisIsAfrica.me, this track is featured on an album compilation of musicians from Eritrea with a wide range of musical influences from Ethio-jazz to contemporary soul-funk, hip hop, reggae and gwaila ( a very popular Eritrean music form which makes use of drum machines and electric krar). The artists were put together by French producer and music collector, Bruno Blum and the project has gotten mixed reviews: the Financial Times review has described it as ridden with world music cliches that erase the specificity and uniqueness of Eritrean sounds whereas someone called Tim writing for Eritrea Compass described it as a musical showcase of Eritrea's cultural diversity and firmly puts Eritrea on the world music map. Not sure what to make of the whole thing, but the track above is alright wiv me!

Of Firing Squads, Morons and Patriots

The above title partly comes from a phrase in a comment someone made on a friend's Facebook post about Gamuchirai Nhengu, the X Factor contestant everyone in the UK is buzzing about since she failed to make the final 12 or 16 as it were, last Saturday. The public mood has gone from sympathy to outrage when it was discovered that her family visa had been judged out of time by UKBA (UK Border Agency) and her mother was found to have wrongly claimed working tax and child credits and so because their application had been denied they are now subject to an administrative removal (not deportation) and will have to go back to Zimbabwe for a year before re-applying. Within a heartbeat the tabloid press had labelled the mother a 'benefits cheat' and 'thief' while a trail of xenophobic and racist comments were left on newspaper comment boards, Twitter and Facebook - there's even a Deport the Gamu Family page to rival the Gamu Should Have Got Through fan page that has now become the playground of xenophobes and vile racists. 

If anyone needed to know just how racist and moronic some members of the British public can be, this case is a perfect example but at the same if anyone needed to know just how generous and sympathetic the British public can be then this case is also a perfect example as the pictures of crowds bearing gifts pictured outside the Nhengu's family home show. The response of Zimbabweans has been nothing but sympathy and support, lobbyist groups and (disappointingly) a few the online press are doing their best to protest UKBA's decision. Zimbabweans in the diaspora and at home have stood in solidarity with the family, all until this morning that is. 

The News of the World published an exclusive interview with Gamu in which she pleaded for a chance to stay in the UK, claiming that if she was sent back she'd face Mugabe's 'firing squad.' Her words were: “It’s like I’m being sent home to a firing squad and they’re putting me in front of it, They will punish us if we go back. Our lives are in danger.” 

Firing squad? Punish? Danger? *Rolling eyes double time* Her lawyers may have advised this rather colourful response, the News of the World may have gotten a little creative with her words or Gamu may be so desperate she will say whatever she can to prevent her family's impending removal. Whatever it is, it's untrue. Zimbabwe may be a lot of things, but a hell hole of punishment it is not, neither do we have firing squads for people, least of all wannabe pop stars. There are people out there who genuinely face persecution if they return to the country, but Gamu is not one of them and if in reaction to this story one or two sick n depraved alleged  agents of the regime threaten her, it's to scare her but I honestly don't know how real that threat would be. So many Zimbabweans have milked the political unrest in the country to acquire a right of stay all over the world and these people are no different to Gamu because they want the opportunity to make a better life for themselves. While I completely understand the desire for the right to pursue prosperity and happiness, that desire does not mean pursuit by any means necessary and does not justify falsely maligning the already battered image of your country.

Right now Zimbabwe is undergoing transition, life is so much better there than it was three years ago when price controls wrecked the economy or ten years ago when war vets took over the farms. True, some political activists, writers, artists and singers are in prison or have been incarcerated, but others live in the country and carry out their political works without fear of persecution so where does a rising pop star all the way in Scotland get off making claims like that? The myth that 'Mugabe is the bogeyman and his henchmen are coming to get ya' shows just how low people's sense of patriotism that they'll sell out their country for South African, British, Canadian or American citizenship. Worst of it all is that it's to the detriment of genuine asylum seekers who face greater risk of deportation when stories like these get called out. Instead of going the sensationalist route, Gamu might have used this as a chance to highlight the claims of those who face real danger on the basis of their political or religious (Rastafarians) beliefs. 

She is young, but she is not stupid, neither are her lawyers and one hopes they start giving her the right advice before this gets any more sensational. She's already made a mistake of speaking to News of the World and has been a little too creative with her story. Why the heck did she sell her story to News of The World when it belongs to the same tabloid group that branded her mother a cheat and a thief when the benefits story broke on Tuesday. For the whole week, The Sun has been fanning the flames of xenophobic and racist angst against this family and the she goes and tells The freaking News of the World! She'd rather have kept her mouth shut and waited till better newspapers or TV channels came along and made sure not to divide the support of Zimbabweans - judging by the Facebook, Twitter and Zim news comments I've read the majority of people express their sympathy with her situation but are very pissed off with her for making such exaggerated claims, and rightly so. There are those who claim she's just a kid and she doesn't know any better, but with lawyers on your side, the folly of youth can never be the disguise for stupidity. This group argues that no one really knows how this story transpired and who said what exactly - fair enough, I hear you. However, there is a minority who seem to think it's okay because 'everybody does it.' That's just daft, you cannot legitimize lying just because others are doing it, especially now when things in Zimbabwe are so much better, very far from perfect, but a lot better both politically and economically. Maybe Gamu should go back home for a year to face the imaginary 'firing squad' so she can re-discover her roots and find just how much people are willing to help her, as one hip hop producer based in Harare suggested.

As for the judicial review, I really believe the family has a strong case, firing squads and bogey men nothwithstanding and taking into account: Inland Revenue's screwup in granting the mother credits, supporting case law concerning tax credits, EU Human Rights, Article 8 provisions on the right to a family life and supporting case law. Also, UKBA and X Factor screwed up by playing this out in public and if I was Gamu's mother I'd be hunting down Courtenay Griffiths to get him to take my case pro bono. Never mind that he's a criminal lawyer, I'm sure he, like many immigration lawyers, would relish the opportunity to stick it to UKBA and the Cowell pantomime.

Impande Core

fisttap Mahala.co.za

Impande Core are a five-piece unsigned band from Vosloorus, South Africa that's been around for a couple of years on the underground scene, blending neo-soul, mbaqanga, hip hop and funk. I've only just heard of them even though the video's almost a year old and there's very little of their stuff out there on the net, but now that I've added them as friends on Facebook (add: Namanje), I hope to hear more from them.

Impande Core

pic shamelessly jacked from the band's Facebook Album

Freshlyground: Mugs too Chicken to Change?

ZOLANI on CHICKEN TO CHANGE' MUSIC VIDEO from ZANEWS on Vimeo.

In collaboration with the cartoonist, Zapiro, Freshlyground, one of CapeTown's feel-good funk bands released yesterday, 'Chicken to Change?', a cheeky song challenging President Mugabe to give up power. (If you think you don't know Freshlyground, think Shakira. They were the South African group found purely by chance to sing backing vocals on Waka Waka).

On the one hand I'm thoroughly amused by the thought of George Charamba, Mugabe's pressman foaming at the mouth and threatening any broadcaster who dares play the song in Zimbabwe with imprisonment under POSA (Public Order and Security Act: a draconian censorship law maintained from the colonial days (so much for African nationalism, huh)), and he's prob'ly on the phone to Bra Juju Malema trying to get Freshlyground, 'the bloody agents!', arrested under the proposed censorship laws in S.A - that the legislation's not yet been passed is besides the point, OTOH there are two things I'm uncomfortable with/dislike: a. that it's cute and rather simplistically positions Mugabe as 'the problem' when the situation's more complex than that and if Freshlyground are going to invoke 1980 in their video then, the expectation of a little more is warranted - no? Or maybe not, perhaps I'm r--e--e--e--a--a--a-c-h-i-n-g for things, and should just go with my initial reaction which was and still is, it's a really kif song!  ... but there's side b. which is less about the song and more about reception: that this may give more ammo to a particular group of Rhodesians as they call themselves (to be distinguished from White Zimbabweans), these are White settlers 'in exile' still moaning about the good old days before Mugabe became Hitler and how they wish the Blacks had never taken power in the first place. Checkout this picture of Zapiro's Mugabe and imagine what an old Rhodie might think:

jacked from the Zapiro FBook Group.

Sho 'nuff it's a funny caricature and would prob'ly make a great postage stamp, but there's also alot more that could be read into it. Of course artists shouldn't be censored from making art on the basis that it could incite a few nutheads out there, both the die-hard Mugabe loyalists who would see this as disrespectful representation and the Rhodies, who in the context of negative press Mugs has rightly n wrongly recieved, never hesitate to trot out their 'Mugabe the Baboon' images. Obviously I'm not trying to put this on Zapiro or Freshlyground, I'm thinking out loud out, or at least trying to...

...Moving on, if we still have a forceful opposition in Zimbabwe, not the newly come fat cats enjoying the ministerial perks of an inclusive government and not the ones who see the inclusive goverment through rose-tinted spectacles, compliments of Tsvangson Opticians, but the real members of the opposition, doing hard graft in the trenches whose slogan is Chinjai Maitiro (Change Your Ways) they will know how to use this song to invigorate the populace. And if they can't/don't maybe, Mugs will prove he isn't too chicken to change and giveup coz his body's weary.

 Checkout The Grauniad for more info on the video.

Happy Birthday Michael

RIP

Monday Giggles Brought to You by News of The World

This past weekend saw the return of yet another series of the UK's biggest singing competition, the X Factor. Among the hopefuls was Gamuchirai Nhengu from Zimbabwe, currently living in Scotland. She has a beautiful voice and did her mom proud on stage, I hope she goes very far in the contest... However, the tabloid press just couldn't resist hyping it up. The News of the World takes the cup for the most idiotic headline and gutter press journalism par excellence! 

Peep this: 

'THE Scots girl who wowed millions on last night's X Factor is a survivor of evil dictator Robert Mugabe's brutal regime in Zimbabwe.
Gamu Nhengu, 18, escaped the horror which left tens of thousands dead - either murdered, starved or killed by disease. 


Her mum Nokutula, 38, fled in 2005 and found refuge in Tillicoultry, Clacks, with Gamu and sons Milton, 11, and Marty, ten.
A family friend said last night: "It's unimaginable what they must have been through.  "There's a melancholy about her that tugs at your heart strings. She must miss her home." Gamu's unique rendition of Katrina and the Waves' 1983 hit Walking on Sunshine had the audience on their feet screaming. And the charismatic student's stage confidence dissolved when she tearfully told judges: "This means everything.
"I want to give something back to my mum, she has worked so hard."
All four gave Gamu a a yes, and she's tipped as a front runner. '

...Needless to say this is absolute rubbish, but it makes for  good Monday laugh. It has all the right 'Africa's the Heart of Darkness' buzzwords and is filled with just the right dose of Mugabe is Hitler rhetoric, plus two absurdities thrown into the mix for 1xtra comedy: i. she 'beat' Mugabe (errr how exactly? Is he secretly on X Factor or is she secretly the new Prez'nit of Zimbabwe?) ii. she is a 'Scots girl' but she is a Zimbabwean - I distinctly remember her stating that she is a Zimbabwean who moved to Scotland and Scottish citizenship does not yet exist (although it is a national and ethnic identity), so she is either a Zimbabwean national living in Scotland or a British citizen orginally from Zimbabwe.


Anyway here's Gamu's performance, she reminded me of Fantasia Burinno when she was on American Idol, they kinda look alike. The meedja really need to leave her alone to do her thing on the show, this overhyping of her talent by any means necessary is dangerous, irresponsible reporting and also very untruthful. This isn't about Mugabe - iBetchu her mother has no political affiliations whatsoever and like many Zimbabweans is an economic migrant forced to leave because of the economy. And yea sure she can sing, but let her prove her worth on stage, rather than the press manipulating viewer's opinions with so much coverage - unsurprisingly the usual suspects, The Sun, the Daily Mail have been at it, but none quite like News of the World...


Shame abt XFactor using autochoon on some contestants, it was uneccessary, because this girl can SANG! Best of luck to Gamu!