Every Friday, we reintroduce you to musical legends from Africa and the African Diaspora who are creating an impact outside their region of Africa.  These are musical legends. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

When we say  Leonard Dembo, love songs come to our mind.  But, beyond being a crooner of love songs.  Leonard Dembo was known for his work within a genre of music  - Sungura and his guitar work.  Leonard Dembo was a Zimbabwean musician .

His first hit was Dambudzo and Manga Majaira Matsotsi, the later song which he released under the name of a band known as Five Notes.

Due to some disagreements over partnership laws and band management, Leonard Dembo quickly broke ranks with his colleagues in the Outsiders/Five Notes outfit. This was especially precipitated by his success in his first album, Mai vane Vana Vavo(1984) and a single hit, Venenzia.. He succeeded to team up with few other friends and in 1985 formed the Barura Express.

From the time Leonard Dembo took charge of his new outfit, he never looked back. In fact, from the year 1985, Dembo had been releasing hit after hit, beginning with Murombo (Poor Man). This track appealed to most young men of the time as it addressed the question of poor bachelors who expect to get married soon.

Other tracks included Chidhidhi, Kugaro Roja and so many other singles.

His first album was Amai Nevana Vavo(1984).Others soon followed. These include:Nhamo Moto (1986), Kuziva Mbuya Huudzwa (1987), Sharai (1987), Kukura Kwedu (1988), Ruva Rashe (1989), Kukura Hakutani (1990, which was a twelve-inch disc), Chitekete (1991), Tinokumbira Kurarama /Madhiri(1992), Mazano (1993), Kutinya Marimba(1993), Nzungu Ndamenya (1994), Pawpaw (1994), Shiri Yakangwara (1995) and Babamunini (1996).

Dembo grew in popularity during the late 80s, but his breakthrough was the 1991 hit Chitekete, which became the most popular song in Zimbabwe since 1980. The song was written years earlier when Dembo was a cattle herder, and it is about a young man who desperately wishes to get married to a beautiful lady. The track seemed to have introduced a new style of playing the rhythm guitar at the time. Its popularity can also be attributed to its heavy use of Shona proverbs and poetic stanzas..During this time, it became a popular wedding song. It was the only Zimbabwean song played at the Miss World Pageant in Namibia in 1996.

 

Click link to listen to Chiteke

Dembo died on 9 April 1996,

 

Very Best of... Gramma - ZCD113 2001
Singles Collection: Volume Two Gramma - ZCD103 1997
Shiri Yakangwara Gallo - MCGMP 40648 1995
Paw Paw Gallo - MCGMP 40574 1995
Nzungu Ndamenya RTP - CD1002 1994
Kukura Kwedu
Ruva Rashe
Nhamo Moto
Tinokumbira Kurarama
Kuziva Mbuya Huudzwa
Mazano RTP 1993
Chitekete Gramma - L4 KSALP132 1992
Sharai Gramma 1987

 

wikipedia.com

http://www.embargo.ca/zim/artists/bios/ldembo/index.htm