Corruption

In this chapter, Mapfumo deals with the complexities of keeping his band on top within a fast-changing Zimbabwean music market, and developing an international reputation. Money is a constant issue, especially as Mapfumo family members become more and more involved in the management of band affairs. Musicians come and go, often in disputes over payment. Mbira player Chartwell Dutiro joins the band, shepherding mbiras into the Blacks Unlimited stage lineup in a lasting way. The era produces ground-breaking new music, notably Mapfumo’s tribute to Zimbabwe’s war-torn neighbor Mozambique (the album Zimbabwe-Mozambique), and the career-changing 1989 song “Corruption.” This song is a direct response to the Willowgate scandal in which government ministers were illegally buying and selling luxury cars. Geoffrey Nyarota’s reporting on these doings marked a turning point in critical journalism in Zimbabwe, and Mapfumo’s song drove the change home to an increasingly disillusioned public.