Mbira maestro Chisvo finally arrives

Adam Chisvo — that quintessential session musician whose mbira and percussion talents have featured on many a recording in the last two decades in Zimbabwe – has finally released “his own solo” product.

Talking to The Weekend Gazette recently, Chisvo agreed it had taken sometime for him to come out of the shadows of some artists.

“It has been a long time coming but fans will forgive us for taking so long but I have not been as idle as some may think,” he says, in his own laid back take-it-easy style.

And the album — titled Famba Pore Pore,   literally translated to mean tread softly or take it easy — does just that! This mbira fusion maestro does take it easy and the sound is pure, refreshing and just what the doctor ordered in this concrete jungle where everyday is like a rat-race to nowhere!

Chisvo’s musical journey started in a teenage boy-band called Tamba Wakachenjera Mbira Brothers, gaining experience through Mhuri yaVaMatare, Coco Zambezi, Talking Drums, comes to the fore in this CD.

“Those were the days when we tried to define our own international brand of music and we called it hybrid. But now, after all these years, I have learnt a lot and here we are,” he says, emphasizing that “one is always learning”.

Offering 11 hot rhythms, the album oozes with virtuous creative talent and makes the point this sound is from a practiced hand.

An amazing extremely talented performer Chisvo showcases his musical versatility from conscious to the traditional mbira beat with a sweet scintillating melodic mbira lead

“I was involved in most musical scores of the late 90s,” he says, mentioning Every One’s Child and More Time among others.

Chisvo, who’s been an essential part of Chioniso Maraire’s Vibe Culture project for years and toured the world with the mbira queen, says he’s matured and is now ready to give the people what they want – and Famba Pore Pore (Tread Softly) is the product. And it shows. A good listen.

“These are not really my first songs as I have written several and recorded them as part of the groups I have played in,” he adds, his infectious smile spreading across the room. 

He continues: “Especially when we had these projects with Andy Brown and The Storm, and even with Chioniso it was the same. I wrote several songs or co-wrote if you like,” the big man says with that quiet disarming smile.