Monday, September 18, 2006

 

Vidima - from Zimbabwe to South Africa


Today I want to talk about a Zimbabwean artist that we have had dealings with over the last few years, Maxwell Vidima.

Maxwell, who has been based in Cape Town in this time, is like a gentle giant - well, compared to Lenny and I anyway! This tall man, whose face always has a smile on it, makes music in the same way that he looks at life. Full of energy, love for life, and aural beauty, with a sound that is cosmopolitan, while never going too far from his African roots.

As he explains in the interview that I inserted in his music video, his mother is a Zulu and his father a Shona, giving him influences from two major Southern African cultures, and the collective memory that comes from each.

He is influenced by artists such as Louis Mhlanga, Oliver Mtukudzi and George Phiri; all having fond memories of playing at his fathers legendary Midnight Club in Gweru.

We first met Vidima - he goes by his surname as he feels there are just too many Maxwell's in the world already - while filming interviews for the Freedom to Celebrate DVD we released. We had an interview scheduled with Craig from Mama Dance, and he brought this wonderful character along with him. From there we just had to include one of his music video's, and capture some of his thoughts in an interview.

His CD Sagiya has been released by Universal Publishing and Mama Dance Publishing, and here is a track from the album, Babaye Mombe (Thanks Coslyn!)


Labels: , , ,


Comments: Post a Comment



<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?