Mugabe's Blair blast turned into house tune

Mugabe's Blair blast turned into house tune

LIKE what you are hearing Mr President?

• VISIT: Mangesto's Leyza Music

• Kwaito sensation Mangesto unleashes sizzler

• Mzekezeke: 'One more album and I'm out'

• DJ CLEO: My split with Mzekezeke

• EXCLUSIVE: Chimbetu interview

• EXCLUSIVE: Mzekezeke interview

• EXCLUSIVE: Mafikizolo interview

By Mduduzi Mathuthu

IN A light-hearted debate on Zimbabwean elections in the British House of Commons last week, Junior Foreign Minister Chris Mullin drew laughter when he told MPs: "When it comes to electoral fraud there’s not a lot we can teach Mr Mugabe."

What he meant was that President Robert Mugabe was a man of many talents.

New Zimbabwe.com today reveals another of Mugabe's many talents -- singing.

In the same week that he launches his debut album, Zimbabwean kwaito sensation and producer, Mangesto, exclusively released a trailer to New Zimbabwe.com in which he brings out the best in Mugabe, at least as far as music is concerned.

When in the September of 2002 Mugabe stood at the World Earth Summit in Johannesburg to take the usual swipe at British PM Tony Blair, he may not have realised that one of the memorable sounds bites in that speech would one day turn into his first musical single.

"So, Blair, keep your England and let me keep my Zimbabwe," Mugabe thundered in front of world leaders.

Thousands of miles away, in England, the 23-year-old Mangesto, born Nkosana Mangena, immediately saw talent in Mugabe. At least in the music sense.

"I didn't have a studio then," Mangesto told New Zimbabwe.com. "And when I got one, and could sit down to make mixes for my new album, I decided to take that sound bite and turn it into lyrics for a smooth house track."

The product is a flowing house beat which he has called Blair, with Mugabe's voice crooning in the background (Listen Here).

"There are two things," says Mangesto. "If Mugabe hears this, he might think yah, this is great, or he will just think it is yet another piece of evidence proving the British are up to another of their evil plots, maybe stealing his voice this time.

"I debated whether to put it in my new album, but I decided to drop it. I might just put it up as a free download on my website for Zimbabweans who may want to listen to it, for any reason," he said.

Mangena, who just graduated from Bolton University in Manchester, this week releases his debut album Ezami (My Own). The former Hamilton and Mtshabezi High Schools student produced all the 11 tracks on his new album (Some of the tracks can be sampled in the dowloads section of his website).

He has already received a thumbs-up from top Zimbabwean DJs, and South African kwaito star Mzekezeke who weighed in to support Mangesto's new project.

To listen to President Mugabe's Blair song, CLICK HERE.

An official album launch is set for Manchester on 26 March. For more information about the launch and to purchase Ezami visit http://www.mangesto.co.uk or call Leyza music on 0161 7631213 or 07746305092.
JOIN THE DEBATE ON THIS ARTICLE ON THE NEWZIMBABWE.COM FORUMS
shapiro@newzimbabwe.com