Drummer fighting against all odds

Talented drummer Blessing Chimanga (21) recently held a successful concert entitled Let the drums speak, which was endorsed by big artists like Josh Meck and Mono Mukundu.

Blessing Chimanga: Let the drums speak.
Blessing Chimanga: Let the drums speak.

He told The Zimbabwean it was an unforgettable experience, and had been captured in a live DVD recording that he intends to promote during his Italian tour later this year.

His dream is to build the concert into an annual festival. Despite his tender age he has already done two international tours – to Norway and Italy – where he made a lasting impression with his dazzling performances. In March he went on a solo tour to Italy, playing drums and marimba at solo gigs and with bands around the country. He performed with Amanda e la Banda, an Italian group that visited Zimbabwe in 2010, and collaborated with renowned Italian artist Max Covini.

While in Norway last year the three times National Allied Arts award winner for best young drummer collaborated with John R-M to write a song Tiri Vanhu Vamwe.

“During my tour in Norway there was a bombing which killed many people so I decided to pen a song to mourn with them and it was an instant hit,’’ he said. Chimanga played with the late Sam Mtukudzi in the Prince Edward Jazz band and is now a music teacher at Watershed College in Marondera.

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