By Terrence Mapurisana
When I met Fred Zindi at Sam Levy, Borrowdale one Friday morning, I took the opportunity to ask him about his love for music, reggae in particular, his musical career and his professional career.
We kicked off our discussion on Andrew Tosh, son to the late Peter Tosh and Zindi told me that Andrew was willing to come to Zimbabwe for a show, although his later father never performed in Zimbabwe.
I also raised another point that I was in constant discussion with Burning Spear aka Winston Rodney who also indicated to me that he was willing to come for shows in Zimbabwe and South Africa.
But of course I also wanted to know more about this man called Fred Zindi — a man that I knew many years ago when I got into Journalism. A man I first saw playing the guitar and some vocals for the Reggae band Transit crew and Frontline Kids somewhere in the capital, Harare.
Fred Zindi says his musical career spans back to the 1970’s when at the age of 10 he formed a band known as The Falcons together with the late famous Afro jazz drummer, Jethro Shasha and Newton Kanengoni who later joined the Harare Mambo band. After the Falcons, Fred Zindi and these two formed The Dot who later teamed up with Fungai Malianga and formed the 2D Sounds band.
“After a while the band split up when both Malianga and Zindi went to London to pursue further studies.”
While in London, The music bug never left these two. Zindi, apart from pursuing a degree in Mathematics, formed yet another band known as Stars of Liberty. He invited Malianga to join this group and they played the night club circuit in England, Wales and Scotland. During this time Zindi visited The Royal School of Music in London’s Picadilly area where he studied reading and writing music on piano and guitar up to Grade 5 level.
Later in the late 1970’s the group was joined by Louis Mhlanga who had just arrived from Zimbabwe and it changed its name to Shaka. Together, they recorded 3 albums entitled: ‘Zimbabwe on Fire’, ‘Train of Freedom’ and ‘Africa.’
Zindi, who had by now become the Social Secretary of the University of London’s Institute of Education was responsible for holding discos every Thursday night at the University. Little did I know that Fred Zindi was once a manager for the reggae group Asawd.
“I also briefly became a manager of the reggae group, Aswad and secured them 26 gigs throughout British Universities as he had established a network of University social secretaries. He told me that he was also instrumental in getting Aswad to the Top of The Pops number one slot and getting them to be the first black group to perform in the sacrosanct Royal Albert Hall.
With Reggae producer and Presenter Mike Mhundwa, Zindi told me that he persuaded Aswad to come and perform in Zimbabwe in 1982. “I became a close friend of the late Aswad’s Angus Gaye aka Drummie Zeb up until 2023r when he died.Today I am still friends with Aswad’s Brinsley Forde.”
“After Aswad, I tried to intercept Peter Tosh to come to perform in Zimbabwe after his tour of Swaziland. Tosh came en route to Jamaica but refused to perform unless former Zimbabwe President, the late Robert Mugabe invited him under the same conditions as Bob Marley who had graced our Independence celebrations.”
Another Roots Reggae band, Misty in Roots who came after Bob Marley stayed in Zimbabwe for six months. “They even learned to sing Ishe Komborera Africa in Shona.”
While in London, Zindi said he made lots of famous friends who included Sir Cliff Richard, Sir Elton John, David Bowie, Sir Paul MacCartney, King Sounds, David Hines of Steel Pulse, Freddie McGregor, Tony Rebel, Frankie Paul and many others.
It was also during his stint in London, when he wrote his first music book in 1985 entitled ROOTS ROCKING IN ZIMBABWE “which sold out all the 5,000 copies within 6 months”.
On return to Zimbabwe after Independence, Zindi said he brought with him the Group, Aswad and King Sounds who performed at Rufaro stadium in August, 1982. In a reciprocal move, Zindi was also responsible for the promotion of Zimbabwean bands overseas. Bands such as John Chibadura, The Real Sounds, Thomas Mapfumo, Lovemore Majaivana, The Frontline Kids and many others, all benefitted from Fred’s efforts of overseas tours as he took these to the U.K. and The Netherlands.
On return from England, Fred went straight to the Zimbabwe College of Music and persuaded them to establish the Ethnomusicology programme where the late saxophone player Simangaliso Tutani, the late keyboardist Andrew Chakanyuka, and the late pianist Chris Chabuka, his old mate, the late Afro jazz drummer Jethro Shasha, the late James Chimombe and Afro Jazz icon Louis Mhlanga became the first teachers on this programme. “It was during this period that I saw the need to write local music books. I wrote several titles such as Music Ye Zimbabwe, Music for the People, Pop Music: Zimbabwe Vs. The World, Music Guide for Zimbabwe, Volumes 1 and 2, which all became useful resources at the College of Music as well as at Teachers’ Colleges throughout Zimbabwe.”
His latest book, Music Rocking Zimbabwe is a historical journey through Zindi’s experiences and the experiences of his contemporaries such as Thomas Mapfumo, the late Oliver Mtukudzi, Bhundu Boys, the late John Chibadura, Lovemore Majaivana, the late Zexie Manatsa, Cool Crooners, the late Ephat Mujuru, Ilanga and many more.
This book also gives you an insight into music promotion, music business management and many other aspects of the music industry.
Fast forward 1988, Zindi became a radio DJ in where he presented one of my favourite reggae sessions on the then ZBC’s Radio Three after taking over the slot from Mike Mhundwa.
He did six months on Radio 3 and realized that the Saturday night slot was interfering with his live disco sessions which were also booked on Saturday nights.
He remembers: “In Chinhoyi, patrons refused to enter Cooksey Hall until they saw Fred Zindi who was advertised on the posters in person. I had to rush from my Radio session and almost met with an accident in the process. When they saw me arrive around 10.30pm there was a big cheer and that is when they started to pay to go in.
That is when I decided to quit the radio station despite John Matinde’s persuasion for me to continue. Dennis Wilson then took over from me.”
“We had also established a sound system which went round the country entertaining patrons and successfully competed with the likes of Josh Makawa, Mike Mhundwa, Peter Johns and Fungai Marange who were doing the same.”
In the late 1980’s Zindi says he went on a talent search within Harare and established The Frontline Kids Band of the ‘Yarira Ngoma’ fame.
With the Frontline Kids band, he recorded five albums namely “Children On The Frontline”, “African Jive”, “Hupenyu”, “Yarira Ngoma” and “Creation”. He also became their band manager between 1988 and 2003.
In the same year, with the advent of the AIDS pandemic, Fred started a campaign called Artistes Against AIDS. With support from UNESCO. Fred hosted free anti-AIDS concerts on the 1st of December every year from 1988 until 1996 when the funding dried out. Artistes who were involved in this campaign included Thomas Mapfumo, Oliver Mtukudzi, The Frontline Kids, Clive Malunga, Rusike Brothers, Stella Chiweshe, James Chimombe and John Chibadura.
He also became active in many music organisations which included The National Arts Council, ZIMURA, The Musicians’ Union.
While at the National Arts Council, he said that he introduced the concept of awarding musicians and other artistes (now referred to as NAMA) and this was accepted by the then Director, Charles Makari and The chairman, Professor Solomon Mutsvairo. He became a NAMA adjudicator in the music category on six occasions up to February 2013.
Between 2010 and 2016, Zindi was manager of the reggae band, Transit Crew whose members included Munya Nyemba, Anthony Liba, Samaita Zindi, J. Farai and Mannex Motsi. Transit Crew is one of the first bands to make an impact on Zimbabwe’s reggae scene.
Fred Zindi says he is one of the pioneer broadcasters on Zi FM Stereo radio station between 2012 and 2013 when it was launched.
He also became a teacher of music at the Zimbabwe College of Music. Some of his students include Prudence Katomeni, Chiwoniso Maraire, Hope Masike, Hector Mugani and Pastor Charles Charamba.
While at the College of Music, Zindi became part of the team that formed UMOJA which identified musical and dancing talent in Zimbabwe. Umoja is still active today and its products include Hope Masike, Osborne Matengenzara,, Charles and Namatai Chipanga, Blessing Chimanga, Silent Nhendere, Raymond Tatenda Mupfumira, Vimbai Zimuto, Farai Kuzvidza Eve Kawadza, Rutendo Machiridza,Donald Kanyuchi, Munya Matarutse, Mutsa Gudhlanga, Mangoma Moyo, Maylene Chenjerai, MacIntosh Jerahuni and Tafadzwa Marova (Filbert Marova’s son).
Zindi has since written 7 more books on music, the latest being MUSIC ROCKING ZIMBABWE-one copy that I keep on reading and referring to now and again.
Between 2000 and 2008 Fred became the Chairman of Zimbabwe College of Music. While he was chairman, he steered the current degree programme offered by the Zimbabwe College of Music through an associate partnership with Africa University.
We keep hoping that one of these fine days our next discussion with Professor Fred Zindi will take us to the day when we will talk about two reggae shows, Andrew Tosh, Jamaican reggae singer and the son of Peter Tosh and nephew of reggae singer Bunny Wailer, and Burning Spear (Winston Rodney) another Jamaican roots reggae singer-songwriter, and vocalist when they finally perform in Zimbabwe.
Away from music and fun, Fred Zindi is a full professor and an educational psychologist.
He is currently a lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe where he offers courses in Educational Psychology, Psychometrics, Research Methods and Statistics.
email: terrymapurisana@gmail.com
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