AFRO-MBIRA punk rocker and filmmaker Thomas “Tomás” Brickhill and Chikwata 263 are popular for fusing great music sounds and turning them into punk rock built on a deepened futuristic mbira punk rock.
Brickhill sings in English, French and Shona with a huge sense of humour.
The place was Gava’s Restaurant in Belgravia, Harare, a venue that is widely getting popular for allowing musicians to showcase their talents while guests will be eating.
Noku, Taffie Matiure, Mwenje Matole, Transit Crew, Mannex Motsi, Aggabu Nyabinde, Garry Tight and plenty others staged scintillating performances at the same venue, with each one of the artistes churning out their music in a unique way.
In-between their own songs, some performed cover versions.
In most cases, cover versions help artistes to perfect their music before they can venture into their own pathways.
Recently, Brickhill and Chikwata 263 were a cut above the rest, spicing up lunch hour for the patrons as they munched their meals — big chunks of fish, T-bone steak, beef bones, quarter chicken and salad mixes, you name it.
Chikwata 263, which at one time in its musical journey won the Mbira Band of the Year Award, performed the songs Chauya, Ngatibataneyi, Watsika Banana and Mhondoro, among several others which created a very exuberant ambience and relaxed atmosphere.
- Brickhill, Chikwata 263 spice up lunch at Gava’s
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The songs are from their 2014 debut album, Chauya, in 2014.
Brickhill co-founded Chikwata 263, Zimbabwe’s first mbira punk band, with Hector Rufaro Mugani, Blessing “Bled” Chimanga and Ray “Ray” Mupfumira.
Despite having to engage replacements for Chimanga and Mupfumira, who were absent due to other commitments, the group still sounded great on the day.
Chikwata 263 musical innovations are a reminder of old and defunct bands like Chikoko and The Beautiful Monster.
Similarly, Brickhill has kept his vocal prowess that he used to unleash on covers songs by James Brown, Wilson Pickett and Louis Armstrong in the then Luck Street Blues.
“Our music is called Afro-mbira punk rock and like punk rock, it is tight and keeps the audience engaged through using a short progression built on two and rarely more chords,” Brickhill said in a gasp as he rushed to prepare for his next act at another venue.
“We sing several songs in English, French and Shona and today for five hours, we sang songs that include Chauya, Ngatibataneyi, Watsika Banana and Mhondoro, among several others.”
