SCENE
SHOKO FESTIVAL
FEATURE
Having attended Shoko
Festival we couldn’t just let
the event pass by without
asking at least one
international artist to share
with us their view of the
festival and Zimbabwe as a
whole. Lucky for us we got
hold of Tanzanian
musician, Mzungu Kichaa
who was more than glad to
share with us not only his
journey as an artist in
Africa , but the Shoko
Festival experience.
GM.: Jambo, and welcome to
Groove Magazine
Zimbabwe. Please tell us
about Mzungu Kichaa. Who
is he?
MK: That is a hard question. I
always prefer it if someone
else tells the story of who
Mzungu Kichaa is. It is hard
to talk about oneself, but I
will try. I was born in the
countryside in Denmark and I
grew up in Zambia, age 6 - 10,
in the rural village of
Mapanza, where I went to the
local primary school. I think
this is where I became
“African". Just like a child
with one African parent or
some kind of birth-given
connection
“I grew up in Zambia, age 6 - 10, in the rural village
of Mapanza, where I went to the local primary
school. I think this is where I became “African". ”
to Africa, I decided to really take
up Tanzanian culture and the
language when I moved there
with my parents at the age of 15.
Choosing the name Mzungu
Kichaa (crazy white man or
murungu anopenga) was a hard
process. I guess it is ironic and
perhaps also shows that I accept
that I am different, but I strongly
believe that we are all different
regardless of race or were we
come from. My calling was to
break down racial barriers and to
give the negative meaning of
Mzungu a new meaning or at
least another meaning.
GM.: So what inspires your
music and how relevant is it to
young Africans in general?
MK: I am inspired by all music. I
even studied the mbira at one point
during my bachelors degree in
London, under Chartwell Dutiro
who was a member of Thomas
Mapfumo’s band Blacks Unlimited.
I really, really feel this music. My
first big inspirations in music (also
when I was in Zambia) included
Bob Marley, Alpha Blondie,
Bhundu Boys, Kanda Bongo Man
and Tracy Chapman. Later on I fell
in love with Jimi Hendrix.
Studying ethnomusicology at
university also gave a lot of insight
into traditional music from all over
the world. But my passion has
always been African music.
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