Legendary Zimbabwean singer Thomas Mapfumo believes he is one of Zimbabwe’s most understood celebrities. Fiercely private and loyal to his friends, Mapfumo has turned his back on Zimbabwe to live in Oregon, the United States, – fearing his life may be in danger “not from the big politicians, but their shock troops who have no qualms with taking human life”.

Childen: Two daughters Janet and Charmaine from his first marriage live in England. He has three other children from his second marriage to Verna – Chiedza who is studying Economics at the University of Oregon, 12-year-old daughter Matinyanya (she’s into all sorts of sports, particularly gymnastics, and can play the piano and trumpet) and son Tapfumaneyi (he’s starting in music)

I grew up in the rural areas. I was a herd-boy – herding cattle and goats. My grandfather was a musician, so playing music was natural for me. I want to think of myself as someone who was born a musician, because I just loved music.

Me and my brothers started off learning the guitar, not playing any particular tune but just playing around, always thinking about music.

I got my first break to perform music with a quartet called Zoot Brothers in Mabvuku. I was still at school, and they brought me in to sing some rock and roll.

I left them when I changed schools to Chitsere in Mbare. In Mbare, I was hooked up with the Mataka Family who were quite famous then. They had a kid by the name Edison (‘his father was a great entertainer and a magician’), he was just a genius. He played the piano very well, he could play guitar – he was so good groups would come from Bulawayo and elsewhere without a guitarist and they used this youngster, he was a great musician. In my early years, I didn’t know my timing, so he would stop me in the middle of a song and say 'Mukoma Thomas, you are not supposed to come in at this part'.

Together with Edison, we formed a quartet – the Cosmic Four Dots – and we used to sing very well, performing rock roll songs. Our group also had Bernard Marriot who played for Dynamos and earned the nickname, Magitari.

Later, I joined the Springfields which was a rock and roll outfit. This time things had changed, quartets were fazing out. I then performed with the Halleluya Chicken Run band in Mhangura (given the name because most members of the group worked at the chicken run).

After Halleluya, we formed the Acid Band and recorded our first album, Hokoyo, in 1977. We would change the name of the band a year later to Blacks Unlimited. Our first album as Blacks Unlimited was Gwindigwi Rineshumba (There Are Lions In This Wilderness).

You had a famous uncle, Marshall Munhumumwe, who got fame with Four Brothers. What role did he play in your early career?

He was part of the Springfields, I invited him to be part of the group. I taught him how to play drums, that’s where he started playing music. After that, he joined Elijah Banda who sang the rhumba song, Connie Wadarirei. That was my song. Marshall later broke away and they formed the Four Brothers.

Chiwonana School in Nyandoro district, Marondera, then I came to the city and went to Donnybrook School in Mabvuku and later Chitsere in Mbare.

I don’t do that, I just pray to the Lord and say please lead me in whatever I’m gonna do right now.

A lot of names, top among them Bob Marley. His music inspires me, there are also other guys like Sam Cook, a black American. I listen to a lot of his music. And Otis Redding too. I am inspired by music that has a message.

I was inspired by Fela Kuti, I listen to Johnny Clegg, I also listen to my own fellow countryman Oliver Mtukudzi and a friend of mine Mzwakhe Mbuli, I like the message in his music.

Talking of Mtukudzi, your relationship has been the source of endless rumours. In your own words, how would you describe it?

We have a very good relationship, we grew up together and play music together. We are just good friends, he’s a musician like me and we enjoy music.

I’ve watched a lot of movies, some of them really impressive like Sometime In April which reminds me of our situation in Zimbabwe where we are at each other’s throats, it really touched me. The movie is about the genocide in Rwanda and I don’t wanna see a situation like that in our country.

I am actually someone who likes to keep to himself, I don’t go out so much like a lot of other people do, where they go to clubs and enjoy other people playing music and dancing. I go to church and keep to myself, always writing music, and talking to the group and my brothers who are my good friends … we are very close. I don’t forget all my friends I grew up with, no matter how poor they are. When I meet them we still talk, have a drink and reminisce.

There’s no particular song which I like, every song that I have written is special to me.

If your house caught fire, and you had just enough time to retrieve two items, what would those be?

I was actually gored by a cow. I was a young boy, I didn’t know this cow was just something wild. I was trying to go near it and it charged at me.

I would go back home (Zimbabwe) and try to feed the people who are suffering. Nobody is gonna see me!

You have travelled the world on tour, is there still any place that you still wish to visit?

Yes, Brazil and some other South American countries, and a few Asian countries. We’ve been everywhere in Europe, but haven’t been to South America.

It’s bad, it’s really damaging because musicians are losing a lot of money to piracy. If you deprive musicians of their income, it’s not good. The music industry needs to find a way to deal with piracy, like when they make a CD, they must find a way to stop people from downloading it or make them buy the music.

A friend called me and said ‘Mukanya, are you there, somebody told me you are dead’. When somebody tells you something like that, you get slightly worried and say ah, how come? You start pinching yourself just to be sure they are wrong!

The album is ready, the title is Exile. We will finalise it when we go back to America and if all goes well, it could be out in December or early next year.